Clinical Professors Conyers and Schmidt Honored
Clinical professors Randall D. Schmidt and Herschella G. Conyers were honored with separate awards last month for their pro bono and advocacy work.
Conyers, who runs the Criminal and Juvenile Justice Clinic with Clinical Professor Randolph N. Stone, was honored as a First Defense Legal Aid “20 for 20,” which recognizes advocates for their commitment to the Chicago group’s mission of protecting the rights of suspects in police custody.
An early volunteer and trainer for FDLA, Conyers has been focused on the defense of youth charged as adults, as well as an overhaul of the system that routinely fails them. Before joining the Law School’s clinical faculty in 1993, Conyers served as an assistant public defender, a supervisor, and a deputy chief in the office of the Cook County Public Defender’s Office. As a board member of the Juvenile Justice Initiative, Conyers has worked to highlight the connection between youth violence and the need for increased fairness in the juvenile justice system.
Schmidt, Director of the Law School’s Employment Discrimination Clinic, was given the Award for Excellence in Public Interest Service by the United States District Court in conjunction with the Chicago Chapter of the Federal Bar Association. The 16th annual awards recognized area attorneys for their contributions in helping people most in need of assistance before the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.
Schmidt, who practiced commercial litigation at the Chicago law firm of Aaron, Schimberg, Hess, Rusnak, Deutsch and Gilbert before joining the Law School’s clinical faculty in 1981, specializes in employment discrimination cases. His primary focus is on litigating discrimination cases in federal court and before administrative agencies. He is also interested in using legislative advocacy as a method for reforming and improving the rules, procedures, and remedies that apply to employment discrimination cases in Illinois.
“Randy and Herschella have long been leaders in their fields and have worked tirelessly to advance the mission of the Mandel Legal Aid Clinic to advocate for people typically denied access to justice,” said Clinical Professor Jeff Leslie, the Law School’s Director of Clinical and Experiential Learning. “These awards are well-deserved recognitions of their efforts, as well as those of their students. We are very proud of Randy and Herschella.”