Lakeland lawyer Stephen Senn honored with state's top pro bono award

Stephen Senn of Lakeland will receive The Florida Bar's Tobias Simon Pro Bono Service Award at the Florida Supreme Court on Jan. 22, presented by Chief Justice Carlos G. Muñiz.

Stephen Senn of Lakeland will travel to Tallahassee to receive a statewide award for his years of unpaid legal work. The recognition comes from The Florida Bar for pro bono service and will be presented at the Florida Supreme Court. Senn has a long record of volunteer work and has been recognized repeatedly at the circuit level. He has handled cases for children and individuals in need throughout his career. Known details: - The award is the Tobias Simon Pro Bono Service Award, described as The Florida Bar's highest recognition for private lawyers' pro bono work. - Chief Justice Carlos G. Muñiz is scheduled to present the award at the Florida Supreme Court on Jan. 22. - Senn has been named the top pro bono lawyer in the 10th Judicial Circuit multiple times and is the first recipient of the Tobias Simon Award from Polk County. - Colleagues say Senn logged more than 1,000 hours of unbilled legal work in the past five years and has a long history of taking cases for Florida's Children First. - Notable pro bono matters mentioned include work that helped end Florida's ban on adoption by same-sex couples and representing the parents of Trayvon Martin in a defamation matter. - The award ceremony is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. on Jan. 22 and is set to be broadcast live on The Florida Channel. Summary: The award recognizes Senn's extended commitment to providing unbilled legal services and highlights his history of representing children and other clients in need. The presentation is set for Jan. 22 at the Florida Supreme Court, with a live broadcast scheduled; further developments are limited to the ceremony itself.