Stephen R. Senn, of Peterson-Myers, P.A., in Lakeland, Florida, has been selected as the recipient of the 2010 Tobias Simon Pro Bono Award Nomination from the 10th Judicial Circuit for contributing over six hundred hours of pro bono time over the last several years to represent those who cannot afford an attorney. Along with other nominees from Florida’s 20 Judicial Circuits, Attorney Senn will be considered for the highest statewide pro bono award bestowed by the Chief Justice of The Florida Supreme Court; the awards ceremony will be conducted in January of 2011.
Attorney Senn represents a number of cases, one of which is an appeal of a summary judgment in a mortgage foreclosure action against a retired senior citizen which is now being considered by the United States Supreme Court. Other cases involve an appeal of an adoption of two brothers, petition for writ of mandamus to the Florida Supreme Court regarding whether Florida’s courts must accept filings in Braille on behalf of a blind prisoner and defense of a claim of age discrimination against a group home for boys in crisis.
The 10th Judicial Circuit Nominating Committee consisted of three judges (Honorable J. David Langford, Honorable Robert L. Williams, Jr., Honorable Neil Roddenbery), three attorneys (Richard Nail, Esq., William Lobb, Esq., and Samuel Crosby, Esq.) and Dorene Yates, Pro Bono Coordinator for Florida Rural Legal Services, Inc. (FRLS). Attorney Senn was presented with the nomination award during the FRLS Pro Bono Program at the Lakeland Bar Association Luncheon on November 5, 2010.
The Tobias Simon Pro Bono Service Award commemorates the late Miami civil rights lawyer Tobias Simon who was well-known throughout Florida and beyond as a tireless civil rights attorney, a crusader for prison reform and an appellate authority. The award is intended to encourage and recognize extraordinary contributions by Florida lawyers in making legal services available to persons who otherwise could not afford them, and to focus public awareness on the substantial voluntary services rendered by Florida lawyers in this area.