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Congratulations, Todd, on your Lifetime Achievement Award for the Jury Verdict Reporter Trial Lawyer Excellence awards.. You are so deserving of this honor. Not only have you gone above and beyond for your clients, but you have supported candidates, like myself, whom you know share your val - ues. In your leadership roles as president of the Illinois State Bar Association and the As - sociation of Trial Lawyers of America, now the American Association of Justice, you used your positions to advocate for your peers and encourage them to participate in both state and federal government. It has been my pleasure working with you on the issues that you and I care about from product and consumer safety to fighting for the rights of your clients. It has truly been an honor of mine to have gotten to know you over the years as we both share a deep commitment to fight for people who need it the most.“
I was representing individuals who had sudden tragic changes in their lives. In some cases, they went through some of the most horrific things one can imag- ine, brain injuries, sudden paralysis, loss of a loved one. I considered it was an honor to help them.”
In the summer of 1980, Smith made the move to the well-known Chicago law firm now known as Corboy & Demetrio. Philip Corboy, undoubtedly one of the more famous lawyers to have practiced in Chicago, became one of Smith’s mentors. And that strong relationship paid off, with Corboy providing a role model for how to prepare for cases, how to speak to jurors and how to fight for clients. “I was very fortunate again to land somewhere that made a lot of sense for me,” Smith said. “I was representing individuals who had sudden tragic changes in their lives. In some cases, they went through some of the most horrific things one can imagine, brain injuries, sudden paralysis, loss of a loved one. I consid- ered it was an honor to help them.” After his time at Corboy, Smith founded Power Rogers & Smith in 1993, another firm that became known for delivering a series of wins for its clients. In 2020, Smith made another big move, opening his current firm, Smith LaCien. “At Power Rogers & Smith, we did well on behalf of people who really needed help. We did that at a first-rate level for many years,” Smith said. But as Power Rogers & Smith grew, Smith said, he felt as if he was losing a bit of his autonomy. He decided it was time to start his own firm and run it in the way he best saw fit.
Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (IL-9)
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It is difficult to encapsulate in a small phrase what Todd Smith has truly meant to the legal profession but I will do my best. Todd has received many awards and ac - colades for his time in the legal profession but they do not capture who he is. If you look at the arc of Todd’s career beginning as a public defender through his efforts to - day on behalf of people both as a lawyer and in his charitable pursuits, the common thread is that he is a champion for jus - tice for those that society would forget or would rather leave behind.”
Craig D. Tobin, Partner, Tobin & Munoz LLC
Todd with his wife, Marcia, and former President Bill Clinton at a Democratic National Committee event (2000).
60 JURY VERDICT REPORTER • 2025 ANNUAL TRIAL LAWYER EXCELLENCE AWARDS
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