About Chris
Chris Meinhart built his legal foundation at the University of Louisville, earning his J.D. in 1989 after completing a B.A. in business at Eastern Kentucky University in 1986. He entered the profession at the end of the 1980s, then moved into partnership within a few years. The combination of a business undergraduate degree and a law degree shaped a practice that spans public service and private litigation.
He became a partner at Meinhart Smith & Manning, PLLC in 1995. That role followed several years of early practice after law school. Since taking partnership, Meinhart has balanced firm responsibilities with several civic and professional roles. In 1999 he accepted the position of Jefferson County Public Administrator, a post he has continued to hold. That public appointment has placed him in a role that touches probate, estate administration, and public fiduciary duties.
Outside his firm and public duties, Meinhart has remained active in the legal community. He holds memberships in the Louisville Bar Association and the Kentucky Bar Association. He also holds membership in the United States Tax Court. On the academic side he serves as an adjunct professor at the Louis D. Brandeis School of Law. His involvement there includes classroom instruction and mentoring law students navigating the transition from school to practice.
Meinhart’s civic work extends beyond the courthouse. He sits on the board of directors for Dare to Care Food Bank. That volunteer role places him in community conversations about food security and local nonprofit governance. Balancing a law practice, a public-administration role, teaching, and board service requires a steady schedule and an ability to shift between legal, administrative, and community-facing tasks.
He is admitted to practice in Kentucky and maintains standing in the Sixth Circuit. Those admissions have allowed him to represent clients in state matters and in federal appeals that arise in the regional circuit. Over the decades he has combined courtroom work, administrative responsibilities, and classroom teaching in a manner that keeps him engaged across several professional spheres.
Today he continues at Meinhart, Smith & Manning, PLLC while serving as Jefferson County Public Administrator and maintaining his academic and nonprofit commitments. He practices law at the firm and advises clients on matters that arise in Kentucky and before the Sixth Circuit.
