About Jacob R
Jacob R Smets grew up interested in the crossroads of politics and history. He turned that interest into a formal study at Northern Arizona University, where he completed a Bachelor of Science in American Political Studies and History in 2014. He went on to study law at the University of South Dakota School of Law and received his Juris Doctor in 2018.
After law school Smets moved into practice in Arizona. He joined Glazer Hammond, PLLC as a lawyer in 2018. That early post-law school position became the start of his professional work in the state. Over the following years he developed the routine of courtroom preparation, client intake, legal research and drafting that mark day-to-day practice at a small firm.
Smets is licensed to practice in Arizona. He maintains ties to the local legal community through the Coconino County Bar Association, where he has been a member since 2019. Membership in the county bar has placed him in workshops and meetings where local practitioners exchange approaches to procedure and case management. Those contacts have shaped how he engages with peers and clients in northern Arizona.
Colleagues describe Smets as deliberate in his preparation. He tends to break complex problems into manageable pieces and to build straightforward arguments. He spends time on factual groundwork and on clear written work. That methodical approach informs how he handles filings, discovery and client communication.
Outside of court or the office, Smets’s academic background in political studies and history informs his perspective on statutory interpretation and on the broader social context of disputes. He draws on that training when considering precedent and the historical underpinnings of legal rules. The combination of a regionally grounded undergraduate degree and a Midwestern law school education gives him a mix of local awareness and a broader view of doctrine.
He remains based at Glazer Hammond, PLLC. In that setting Smets continues to develop his practice in Arizona law, handling matters through the firm’s offices and participating in the local bar community. His current practice is conducted through Glazer Hammond, PLLC in Arizona.
