J. Michael Smith
President
Attorney Mike Smith is the President of Home School Legal Defense Association, an organization that he helped found in 1983. Established to protect the right of parents to teach their children at home, HSLDA now represents over 80,000 member families. Mike and his wife Elizabeth began homeschooling their children in 1981. He has been defending families for 24 years.
Mike has been speaking to homeschool audiences for 23 years. His columns on home education appear regularly in the Washington Times, and he has been a guest on numerous television and radio programs, including Focus on the Family with Jim Dobson and Hannity and Colmes on Fox News. He believes that there is a revival taking place in America through the homeschool movement and that, through the second and third generation of homeschoolers, there is great potential to return America to its moral and religious foundation.
| Title: | Homeschooling Demands Ever-Increasing Faith | | Length: | 45-60 minutes
| Type:
| General Session, Workshop
| Topic:
| Encouragement, Parenting, Spiritual
| Audience:
| Parents, Support Group Leaders, Veteran Homeschoolers
| Description:
| Mike advances the supposition that effective and successful homeschooling must have ever increasing faith. He will use examples and experiences of our prisoners of war in Korea and emphasize the importance of early preparation of our children for leadership through faith and teaching. He will use the example of George Mueller’s life as a man of outstanding faith and how God responds to men and women with that kind of faith. He will address some of the keys to ever-increasing faith for leaders and then what the leaders and parents do when they start to lose their faith, using the story of Elijah, the Old Testament prophet, to glean answers from God’s Word as to how we can maintain the type of faith that pleases God and causes Him to bless the handiwork of leaders with faith. The message will be encouraging to those of us that have trouble with believing God, with special encouragement to moms and dads who may be wavering as to their leadership in their home with their children, their homeschooling, and perhaps, their support group organization as well.
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| Title: | The Miracle Behind Homeschoolers’ Victory In The Recent California Appellate Court Case | | Length: | 45-60 minutes
| Type:
| General Session, Keynote, Workshop
| Topic:
| Encouragement, History, Parenting, Spiritual
| Audience:
| New Homeschoolers, Support Group Leaders, Veteran Homeschoolers
| Description:
| On August 8, 2008, the California Appellate Court in Los Angeles ruled that homeschoolers could operate as private schools in California. This came after an earlier decision in which the same court said that homeschoolers could not operate as private schools in California and had to be certified teachers. This is the greatest court victory in history of homeschooling in California and one of the major homeschooling cases in homeschooling history. Mike Smith shares the behind-the-scenes details that only a few are privy to, which demonstrates the sovereignty of God working many years prior to this decision to bring about the circumstances that would be used as the winning argument in the case. This talk will not only be very informative about what happened in this most important case and how it was won, but will encourage anyone who ever doubts that God is involved intimately in their homeschool program and in the homeschooling situations in California. This is a must for every homeschooler in California to hear and to understand as they will never be the same after they hear this spine-tingling story of victory.
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| Title: | Parental Rights: The Next Great Battle for Homeschoolers | | Length: | 45-60 minutes
| Type:
| General Session, Keynote, Q & A, Workshop
| Topic:
| Encouragement, Legal, Legislative, Lobbying, Motivational
| Audience:
| All, New Homeschoolers, Veteran Homeschoolers
| Description:
| Parental rights and religious freedom have been the two foundations to establish a constitutional right for parents to teach their children at home. The U.S. Supreme Court some years back weakened the free exercise of religion claim as a foundation for homeschooling so that in order for homeschoolers to claim a fundamental right to homeschool, they must be able to combine the free exercise right with the parental rights claim. In other words, both rights have to co-exist. Currently, this is not a problem, but because of the fragile nature of freedom, moral decay, complacency and apathy, homeschooling freedoms are in jeopardy. Additionally, since the parental rights foundational claim is an “implicit” right, not an “explicit” right—meaning parental rights is not specifically spelled out in the Constitution—parental rights as we know it today is teetering and could be in trouble in the future. Mike will explain why parental rights are under attack and provide a solution on how we can maintain the current freedoms we have to teach our children at home.
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| Title: | It’s Time to be Wise | | Length: | 45-60 minutes
| Type:
| General Session, Keynote, Support Group Leaders, Workshop
| Topic:
| Education, Encouragement, History, Spiritual
| Audience:
| All
| Description:
| In this address, Mike contrasts godly wisdom (which Christians should be trying to follow) and worldly wisdom (wisdom from below) as it relates to specific issues that we all deal with in the homeschool community. He explains that there are two conflicting worldviews or belief systems today, orthodoxy and progressivism. Orthodoxy is committed to an external, definable and transcendent authority for truth. This truth comes from God and is given to us primarily through His Word, the Bible. In contrast, progressivism asserts that moral authority is to be defined by the spirit of the modern age, a spirit of rationalism and subjectivism. Truth tends to be viewed as a process, as a reality and is ever unfolding depending upon the circumstances. He will explain how certain important U.S. Supreme Court decisions have been affected by this new progressive thinking. Mike will then break down how these two differing views are affecting education and specifically, the freedom to home educate. The good news is that truth sets one free. The good news is we know the truth, we simply have to live and battle for the truth. Homeschoolers have demonstrated their willingness to do so, hence our hope for the future.
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| Title: | How do We Measure Success in Homeschooling? | | Length: | 45-60 minutes
| Type:
| General Session, Keynote, Support Group Leaders, Workshop
| Topic:
| Encouragement, Motivational, Parenting, Spiritual
| Audience:
| New Homeschoolers, Parents, Support Group Leaders, Veteran Homeschoolers
| Description:
| Why aren’t your Christian neighbors homeschooling? What is the number one reason that parents do not homeschool? Their lack of confidence to believe that they can actually do the job, or, put another way—fear of failure. Many homeschoolers in the midst of homeschooling are wondering how they will be able to determine whether they are successful or not with their children. Mike will explain in very clear and decisive terms how you can know whether or not you have been successful when you get to the end of your homeschool experience where it says “The End.” One way to answer the question is whether or not our work homeschooling with our children has been in vain. The Bible gives clear and decisive direction in this area which should be very encouraging to all of us, and hopefully give us encouragement in even the most difficult situations.
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| Title: | How to Accomplish the Impossible | | Length: | 45–60 minutes
| Type:
| Workshop
| Topic:
| Motivational, Spiritual
| Audience:
| Support Group Leaders
| Description:
| In this talk, Mike primarily addresses homeschool leaders, although it has application to all homeschool families. He points out that although we all seem to have too much on our plates, God is continually bringing new challenges into our lives. How do we decide whether to accept these challenges or not? Mike points out basic principles we should use in making any decision that will impact our lives. He uses the experiences of Abraham, Moses, David, and other heroes of the faith found in the book of Hebrews to support these principles. The objective of this talk is to encourage leaders to continue advancing the Kingdom of God through home education despite the almost overwhelming obstacle of limited time.
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| Title: | How to Protect Your Family Against a Truant Officer or Social Worker Visit | | Length: | 45–60 minutes
| Type:
| Workshop
| Topic:
| Child Protective Services, Dealing with Social Workers, Legal
| Audience:
| New Homeschoolers, Parents, Support Group Leaders, Veteran Homeschoolers
| Description:
| As the government’s ever-growing role expands to encompass family life and decision-making, the information presented in this seminar is critical for every attendee. Michael Smith calls upon over two decades of defending homeschooling families against social services and child protective service contacts to inform the audience of the newest threat to their freedom. This session primarily addresses your state’s laws relating to social services contacts and provides general application for other states as well. Audiences find this session “very, very informative,” “clearly presented, enjoyable to listen to,” and “a necessity.”
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| Title: | Remembering the Reason, Renewing the Vision | | Length: | 45–60 minutes
| Type:
| General Session
| Topic:
| Motivational, Why Homeschool
| Audience:
| All
| Description:
| A general overview of the challenges, burdens, and benefits of homeschooling from a veteran homeschool father and leader. Addressing the potential homeschooler, the new homeschooler, the veteran homeschooler and all homeschoolers in between, Michael Smith outlines the success of homeschooling in academics and socialization, describes legal and legislative advances, and concludes that homeschoolers have earned the right to be left alone. For homeschoolers who are losing the vision, he reminds them of the benefits of homeschooling and offers some practical suggestions for relieving the pressure on the homeschooling family, especially Mom. “Thank you for confirming the experience of my public education,” writes one parent, “and for convicting us even more of our commitment to bettering the lives of our children.”
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| Title: | The Angry Child: What Ticks Johnny Off? | | Length: | 45–60 minutes
| Type:
| General Session
| Topic:
| Parenting, Spiritual
| Audience:
| Parents
| Description:
| Have any of your children demonstrated a tendency toward anger or a bad temper? If so, this session is absolutely essential for you. Anger is a God-given emotion and did not come about as a result of the Fall. However, the Bible says, “Be angry, and sin not.” This talk addresses anger from a biblical perspective, focusing on the positive and negative aspects of anger. Michael Smith also delineates the five steps that lead to rebellion.
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| Title: | The Father’s Role in Home Education | | Length: | 45–60 minutes
| Type:
| Workshop
| Topic:
| Encouragement, Parenting, Spiritual
| Audience:
| Fathers, Support Group Leaders
| Description:
| Almost every father has heard that he is to lead his family spiritually, physically, and in every other way. However, many fathers will tell you that no one has ever told them how to effectively lead their children, especially in the area of spiritual development. Michael Smith presents encouraging and practical tips to fathers for becoming a helpful participant in the home education program and a leader in the home. He provides insight on the mental and emotional benefits to mothers and children fathers can provide through specific activities, and offers suggestions to men on being more effective as husbands. Mike candidly shares his many failures and a few successes. The session concludes with a list of the six things homeschooling mothers have identified as the primary ways their husbands can be more effective in the family’s homeschool program. In one father’s words, “Inspiring and convicting—thanks for the straight talk!”
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| Title: | The History of Homeschoolers’ Struggle to Be Free | | Length: | 45–60 minutes
| Type:
| General Session
| Topic:
| Encouragement, History, Legal
| Audience:
| All, New Homeschoolers, Veteran Homeschoolers
| Description:
| The relative freedom homeschoolers enjoy today did not always exist. Michael Smith takes his audience back to the early days of the modern homeschool movement and describes the legal situation pioneering homeschoolers faced, the sacrifices they made, and the battles they fought to establish the freedom we know today. His timeline will bring the audience up to the current struggles homeschoolers are engaged in and provide a glimpse of future dangers that will require vigilance on the part of each homeschooling family. Just as God required Joshua to establish a memorial by removing 12 stones from the Jordan River so that the fathers would tell their children of God’s miraculous deliverance, homeschooling parents should tell their children the history of the battles homeschoolers faced. This is the only way we will preserve home education to the next, and future, generations.
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| Title: | What Does the Lord Require of Me? | | Length: | 15–20 minutes
| Type:
| Workshop
| Topic:
| Teens
| Audience:
| Teens
| Description:
| This address lends itself to a graduation service for homeschoolers. The text of the address is found in Micah 6:8: “And what does the LORD require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” (NASB) Mike explains what it means to “do justly,” to “walk humbly,” and to “love mercy” as we go through our daily living. The aim of the address is to remind graduates of what’s important in life and how to evaluate true success.
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If you would like to schedule Mike Smith as a speaker for your upcoming event, contact his legal assistant, Pat Ramirez, at 540-338-5600. Mike is willing to speak up to four times over a two-day conference. 
Mike will speak up to four times with one session being a general or large group session. His speaking fees are as follows:
Convention Honorarium: $250 per session
Local Support Group Honorarium: $500
Graduation Honorarium: $500
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