She served on President Bill Clinton's National Security Council staff from 1993 to 1997 and was the assistant secretary of state for African affairs at the State Department from 1997 to 2001. Appointed at age 32, Rice was at the time the youngest person to have served as a regional assistant secretary of state. Rice's tenure saw significant changes in U.S.–Africa policy, including the passage of the African Growth and Opportunity Act, support for democratic transitions in South Africa and Nigeria.
Served as a foreign policy advisor to Democratic presidential nominees Michael Dukakis, John Kerry, and Barack Obama. After Obama won the 2008 presidential election, Rice was nominated as Ambassador to the United Nations. The Senate confirmed her by unanimous consent on January 22, 2009.
In 1989, she was appointed Special Counsel to the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, serving as principal adviser to the U.S. Attorney on media relations and chief spokeswoman.[5]
Starting March 7, 1991, Smith served as Special Assistant and Deputy Press Secretary to President George H. W. Bush. While there, she earned a reputation for being straightforward, honest and hard working. She was reportedly instrumental in guiding the Bush administration through the controversies surrounding the nomination of Clarence Thomas to the Supreme Court.
Judy A. Smith (born October 27, 1958) is an American crisis manager , lawyer, author, and television producer. She is known as the founder, president, and CEO of the crisis management firm Smith & Company. Her work in crisis management is the inspiration for the ABC television series Scandal .