M. Patricia Smith (born 1952) was the Solicitor of the United States Department of Labor, the department's chief law interpreter-enforcer and third-ranking official from 2009 to 2017. She was nominated by President Barack Obama to be the Solicitor of Labor on April 20, 2009. She was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on February 4, 2010, assumed her duties on March 1, 2010, had her swearing-in ceremony on April 23, 2010, and remained in office until January 19, 2017. As Solicitor of Labor, Smith oversaw over 450 attorneys across the country and more than 180 Federal labor laws and implementing regulations that cover about 125 million workers.