May 12, 2025
Lori J. Bentley Named 2025 Local Bar Leader of the Year
Lori J. Bentley, member of Johnson Ayers & Matthews Counselors at Law, was awarded the Local Bar Leader of the Year by the Conference of Local and Specialty Bar Associations (CLSBA). Bentley has served in a leadership capacity on the Roanoke Bar Association (RBA) for a decade in numerous positions and was the president of the association from 2022 to 2023.
Bentley was nominated by Amy H. Geddes of OPN Law, who said she's known her since 1996, working with her on cases representing adverse parties and through the RBA. ”Lori is a long-standing member of the RBA and has served in a variety of positions on the Board of Directors since 2015 when she began her service as chair of the membership committee," Geddes said. "In addition, Lori participated in the reorganization of the Judicial Endorsement Procedure utilized by the RBA and has served on multiple judicial endorsement certification committees from 2019 to the present."
Geddes added that during Bentley's time as president of RBA, she oversaw the Bar's service project entitled Operation Family Time, which resulted in the remodeling of the rooms used by Roanoke City Department of Social Services for supervised visits of children. "Lori worked tirelessly to raise funds for the event and personally oversaw the purchase of new furniture, rugs, play mats, fans and plug covers, diaper changing stations, highchairs, washable couch covers, lamps, a Bissell cleaning machine, stools for the observation room, paint and painting supplies, and a video recording system that allows the social workers to record the visits for use in court."
As a result of these renovations, the clerk's office for the Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court for the City of Roanoke was able to inherit space formerly occupied by the Court Services Unit. The Honorable Judge Frank W. Rogers III, also one of Bentley's nominators, said that with a contribution from the association's foundation, the four spaces were renovated to provide for offices, including two new attorney/witness rooms.
"These new rooms offer quiet, private areas for lawyers to meet with their clients before or after court," Rogers says. "The feedback from lawyers has been uniformly positive and appreciative."
Bentley also spearheaded the remodeling of the Oliver Hill Justice Center's Juvenile and Domestic Relations attorney/client rooms. Macel Janoschka, another one of Bentley's nominators, and Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney for the City of Salem, said these initiatives not only demonstrated her commitment to the community but also showcased her ability to manage complex projects and bring meaningful change to the legal infrastructure of the Roanoke area.
"Lori's involvement in the RBA goes beyond administrative roles," Janoschka says. "She embodies the values of mentorship, collaboration, and dedication to the legal profession."
Bentley will receive her award on June 13 at the CLSBA breakfast at the VSB Annual Meeting in Virginia Beach.