CHICAGO, October 30, 2025 – Todd A. Smith, founding partner of Smith LaCien LLP, received the Lifetime Achievement Award from Jury Verdict Reporter and Law Bulletin Media at the organization’s annual awards ceremony and reception at the RPM Events space here on October 29. Law Bulletin Media, a Chicagoland publication, has documented jury verdicts for decades.
The award recognizes the recipient’s sustained and outstanding contributions to a particular field throughout their career. It is the highest honor a professional organization or institution can bestow, recognizing longevity, significant impact, and a consistent track record of excellence that has inspired others and shaped the field.
Long active in the trial bar, Smith is a past president of the American Association for Justice (formerly the Association of Trial Lawyers of America) and is the immediate past chair of the AAJ’s Endowment Fund and is a board member of its Center for Constitutional Litigation. He is also a past president of the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association and the Illinois State Bar Association.
An elected member of the Inner Circle of Advocates (limited to 100 trial lawyers nationally), he belongs to the International Society of Barristers, the International Academy of Trial Lawyers (an invitation-only group of the top 500 trial lawyers in the world), and the American College of Trial Lawyers. He has won dozens of awards for his legal success and charitable endeavors and has been featured in national and local media.
A graduate of Loyola University of Chicago School of Law, Smith is the recipient of Loyola’s “Medal of Excellence” and the “Damen Award in Law.” A native of Evanston, Ill., he and his wife, lawyer Marcia Fridel-Smith, reside in Chicago. They have two adult children.
Smith LaCien concentrates in serious personal injury, medical malpractice, wrongful death, trucking litigation, birth injuries, and mass torts. The firm has an extensive track record of achieving exceptional results for clients, with more than $3.5 billion in verdicts and settlements, and over 100 settlements and verdicts resulting in outcomes of at least $5 million. Smith LaCien is located at 70 W. Madison, Suite 2250, Chicago, IL 60602; website www.smithlacien.com, phone (312) 509-8900, email: info@smithlacien.com.
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