Ms. Southwick Smith graduated from the University of Washington in 1998 with a B.A. in International Political Economy. In 2003, she earned her J.D. with honors from the George Washington University Law School in Washington, D.C., where she served as a member of the George Washington University International Law Review and was a member of the Trial Court Board. Ms. Southwick Smith further studied International Human Rights Law at Oxford University in Oxford, England.

Ms. Southwick Smith volunteers her time as a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate), advocating on behalf of children who are victims of child abuse and neglect in the dependency court in San Francisco.

Ms. Southwick Smith is a member of the California bar.