Lawrence Wojcik and Ken Schmetterer, partners in DLA Piper’s Chicago office, received the Pillars of Justice Awards from Appleseed for their pro bono work. They were honored at Appleseed and Chicago Appleseed’s annual Pillars of Justice Awards reception on Wednesday, March 20 at the House of Blues in Chicago.

Lawrence Wojcik received the Pro Bono Champion Award for his more than 30 years of litigation.  He has represented children in juvenile courts and researched obstacles that children face leaving juvenile detention and returning to school.  He has also advocated for the fair sentencing of children and against juvenile life in prison without the possibility of parole. For more than 30 years, hehas focused his law practice on the defense of auditors, accountants, lawyers and other business entities and professionals. He has handled litigation involving business, securities, tax and intellectual property disputes, including representations before federal, state, and municipal regulators. He has represented clients throughout the country and has tried cases in federal and state courts in several jurisdictions.

Kenneth Schmetterer received the Pro Bono Champion Award.  He is pro bono counsel and director for the Umoja Student Development Corporation, a nonprofit that helps equip at-risk Chicago high school students to succeed in college through social and emotional learning and restorative justice.  He is currently leading a study and report examining challenges and recommending improvements to delivering special education services to children ages 3 to 5 in Chicago. He has served as trial counsel in a variety of federal and state court trials and has argued before state and federal appellate courts. He also has extensive experience before administrative bodies, including the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority and the American Arbitration Association.