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Charles Smaistrla: A PhD Economist Who Also Served as a Federal Judge’s Briefing Attorney

Charles Smaistrla holds a Ph.D. in economics from Texas A&M University alongside his law degree — an unusually academic, quantitative credential for an estate planning attorney. Before entering private practice, he served as briefing attorney for U.S. District Judge Jack Roberts and as an Administrative Law Judge at the Texas Public Utility Commission, meaning he has direct experience both assisting a federal judge’s decision-making and independently deciding contested matters from the bench himself.

Origin and Background

Charles J. Smaistrla is a native Texan who graduated from Texas A&M University and earned his J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law; he also holds a Ph.D. in economics from Texas A&M University. He has practiced law since 1983 — 42 years. Early in his career, he served as briefing attorney for U.S. District Judge Jack Roberts and as an Administrative Law Judge at the Texas Public Utility Commission. He holds Martindale-Hubbell’s “Distinguished” peer-review rating, most recently reaffirmed in 2026, and is recognized as an Avvo Top Contributor. Awesome Attorneys did not identify Texas Board of Legal Specialization certification documented for Smaistrla and is noting that absence directly rather than implying a certification not found in available sources, since several other firms in this Estate Planning & Probate directory hold that specific credential.

Practice Concentration

Smaistrla’s practice covers estate planning, wills and trusts, probate, and guardianship proceedings, along with administrative law and economic consulting — a combination that reflects his dual legal and economics background directly. His work serving clients across the Hill Country and Central Texas, rather than solely within Austin proper, reflects a specific regional practice footprint distinct from a purely urban Austin firm.

Notable Work / Track Record

As is standard for estate planning practices, Smaistrla’s office does not publish verdict or settlement figures for its transactional work. Awesome Attorneys is disclosing that gap rather than substituting marketing language for it. What is independently verifiable is a specific, documented judicial and quasi-judicial background: service as a briefing attorney for a sitting federal district judge and as an Administrative Law Judge deciding contested matters at a state regulatory agency — credentials that reflect direct experience with how judges and adjudicators evaluate evidence and reach decisions, distinct from purely advocacy-side legal practice.

Client Voice

Awesome Attorneys did not identify a large volume of published client reviews specific to Smaistrla individually across the platforms searched, beyond his Martindale-Hubbell peer-review recognition. Awesome Attorneys is disclosing that directly rather than presenting an incomplete review picture as comprehensive; his professional standing is instead documented through his continuously reaffirmed Martindale-Hubbell “Distinguished” rating and his specific judicial and academic background.

Beyond the Courtroom

Smaistrla’s combined economics doctorate and legal practice reflects a genuinely interdisciplinary professional background, and his “economic consulting” service offering — distinct from standard estate planning — suggests he applies that quantitative training directly in his practice, likely in matters involving business or economic valuation questions that intersect with estate and probate work.

Recognition for This Austin Estate Planning Attorney

Peer-reviewed and third-party credentials: Martindale-Hubbell’s “Distinguished” peer-review rating, continuously reaffirmed through 2026, and Avvo’s Top Contributor recognition. Awesome Attorneys did not identify TBLS board certification or Super Lawyers/Best Lawyers recognition for this attorney and notes that directly, since the primary independently verifiable credentials here are his continuous Martindale peer rating and his documented judicial and academic background rather than formal specialty board certification.

Texas Legal Backdrop

Guardianship proceedings — a specific practice area for Smaistrla — require a Texas court to find a proposed ward incapacitated before appointing a guardian, under standards set out in the Texas Estates Code, with the law favoring less restrictive alternatives (such as supported decision-making agreements or powers of attorney established in advance) where they can adequately protect the person’s interests without a full guardianship. Economic and business valuation questions, which Smaistrla’s dual background specifically supports, frequently arise in estate administration when a decedent’s estate includes a closely-held business or other assets requiring expert valuation for tax or distribution purposes. None of this is legal advice; a specific guardianship or business valuation matter should be evaluated by a licensed attorney based on the actual facts involved.

Awesome Attorneys Assessment

Smaistrla’s clearest, most specific differentiator is a genuinely unusual interdisciplinary background — a Ph.D. in economics combined with direct federal judicial and state administrative law judge experience — applied to an estate planning and probate practice spanning more than four decades. The honest trade-off, disclosed directly above, is the absence of TBLS board certification and a limited publicly documented consumer review sample, both worth weighing against firms in this directory that carry those specific credentials and review volumes. For an estate or probate matter with a genuine economic or business valuation dimension — where his quantitative background adds specific value — or for a client drawn to his unusually broad judicial and regulatory experience, Smaistrla’s specific combination of credentials is a reasonable basis for a shortlist.

Methodology and Sourcing

This profile was researched from the Law Office of Charles Smaistrla’s official website (austinprobatewillsattorney.com), Charles Smaistrla’s Martindale-Hubbell attorney profile, and independent directory listings (Cornell LII, Wimgo, TrustAnalytica).

Publisher Disclosure and Independence Notice

Awesome Attorneys is an independent legal directory and editorial publication. This profile was not paid for, commissioned, or reviewed by Charles Smaistrla or the Law Office of Charles Smaistrla prior to publication. Awesome Attorneys may in the future offer sponsored placement products to attorneys and firms, including this one, but sponsorship has no bearing on the editorial content, inclusion, or findings of this profile.