Our Faculty and Staff

Janette Smith is Director of the Sharon and Mitchell W. Berger Entrepreneur Law Clinic and Of Counsel with Weiss, Serota, Helfman, Cole & Bierman, P.L.

Janette co-chairs the firm’s Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technology Practice Group for WSHC+B. With nearly two decades of public service across city, county, and state government, she combines substantial legal experience with a foundational background in information technology. Her practice focuses on corporate and government law across the public and private sectors.

Prior to practicing law, Janette worked in IT for prominent organizations and earned her Certified Government Chief Information Officer designation. This dual background gives her a strategic, insider’s perspective on how technology systems shape governance, compliance, and institutional risk. She advises clients at the rapidly evolving intersection of artificial intelligence, public-sector operations, and emerging technology oversight, with a focus on practical AI governance, regulatory compliance, and the responsible implementation of innovative technologies by public and private entities.

Janette has held leadership positions as past chair of the City, County, and Local Government Section of The Florida Bar and currently serves on multiple committees for The Florida Bar, the ABA, and IMLA. She is also a frequent state and national speaker, educating attorneys on artificial intelligence and governance issues while bringing decades of practical experience to a wide range of professional audiences.