HARRISBURG (April 15, 2019) — The Pennsylvania Bar Association (PBA) Commission on Women in the Profession will present its annual Lynette Norton Award to Dauphin County attorney Lisa M. Benzie of Navitsky, Olson & Wisneski LLP in Harrisburg at an awards luncheon held during the commission’s 26th annual conference, “The Credibility Gap: Why Women Are Still Striving to Be Heard,” May 15 at the Lancaster Marriott at Penn Square.
The Norton Award was created in memory of Lynette Norton, a founding member of the PBA Commission on Women in the Profession who died in 2002. Norton was an advocate for young women in the legal profession and worked to promote literacy and women’s rights. The award is designed to recognize and encourage female attorneys who excel in litigation skills and who are devoted to mentoring female lawyers.
Benzie’s practice focuses on representing claimants in workers' compensation matters and plaintiffs in civil litigation, including premises liability, medical malpractice, professional negligence, nursing home negligence and legal malpractice. Her cases often involve complex medical issues where she strives to be the best advocate for her clients, while being sensitive to their needs and prognosis.
Outside of the courtroom, Benzie dedicates time to improving the legal profession, especially for women lawyers, through bar association work. As president of the Pennsylvania Association for Justice (PAJ) in 2017, she appointed a Women’s Committee and its co-chairs to provide opportunities for women members to network and share ideas. Additional leadership positions at the PAJ include various officer positions and past chair of the New Lawyers’ Section, Workers’ Compensation Section and Legislative Committees.
As co-chair of the Dauphin County Bar Association’s Women in the Profession Committee in 2012, Benzie re-energized the committee scheduling meetings, networking events and informal opportunities for members to connect. She also spearheaded the creation of an annual award honoring the work of women member visionaries. In addition, Benzie is the association’s current president-elect and a past member of its board of directors. She has held leadership positions on various committees.
Benzie is a member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association where she is a former chair of the House of Delegates, a member of the Civil Litigation Section Executive Council, past co-chair of the PBA Political Action Committee (PBA PAC), past co-chair of the Commission on Women in the Profession, past co-chair of the Health Law Committee, and past chair of the Young Lawyers Division.
Active in her community, Benzie serves as the co-chair of the Salvation Army of Central Pennsylvania’s Shoe Strut Planning Committee and is a member of Women Involved.
Benzie received a B.S. from the University of Pittsburgh and a J.D. from Penn State Dickinson Law.
The Norton Award presentation and the WIP Annual Conference are held during the PBA Annual Meeting Conference, May 15-17, in Lancaster. For details and registration information, visit www.pabar.org/pdf/2019/2019AnnualMeetingBrochure.pdf.
Founded in 1895, the Pennsylvania Bar Association strives to promote justice, professional excellence and respect for the law; improve public understanding of the legal system; facilitate access of legal services; and serve the lawyer members of the state’s largest organized bar association.