Lawrence attorney William Pendleton is celebrating five decades in the legal profession, and friends, family and associates are gathering today for a reception honoring him.

The event is set for 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the American Legion, 3408 W. Sixth St.

He is senior partner at Pendleton & Sutton Attorneys at Law LLC, 1031 Vt.

A native of Lawrence, Pendleton served in New Guinea and Borneo with the amphibious engineers in World War II, and received undergraduate and law degrees from Kansas University.

He is a member of the Douglas County Bar Association, serving as president in 1981. From 1959 to 1967 he was judge of Lawrence’s Municipal Court.

Pendleton also is involved in the KU Chancellor’s Club and the Breakfast Optimist Club of Lawrence. He received Optimist of the Year awards in 1992 and 1997.