Partner, Dinsmore & Shohl LLP
By Kensie Westerfield
JILL BENTZ was born in West Virginia, grew up on its border and is happy to call the Mountain State her home. Having grown up just across the river in Marietta, Ohio, Bentz has always been a West Virginian at heart. She always knew she wanted to be a lawyer and understands that West Virginia has played a key roll in her success.
“Professionally, I think West Virginia provides young people with a sturdy platform to succeed early in their careers,” explains Bentz. “I have been afforded so many opportunities to work with civic groups and decision makers in our State Capitol. I have been exposed to sophisticated legal matters that affect individuals and businesses, and I have been able to influence public policy—all at a very early stage of my career.”
As the younger of two children, her family always played a big role in her life both personally and professionally. Her older brother was integral in her relocation to West Virginia as she initially wanted to practice law with him once she graduated from the West Virginia University College of Law. It was, however, during a clerkship in Charleston that she was first exposed to the Capitol City. “My brother brought me here, the running trail on the Kanawha River in Charleston kept me here, and I now cannot imagine calling anywhere else home.”
Her mother and her wonderful colleagues have taught her some important life lessons along the way as well. “My mother taught me to be strong and to make my own way,” she says. “My brother taught me how to think and write like a lawyer. I have had several colleagues who have mentored me in my practice, teaching me tricks of the trade, that nothing is a substitute for preparation and that if you are going to do something, be the best at it.”
Being the best is a message that Bentz tries to translate into all she does. Whether it is being super mom to her 10-year-old son, Adam, serving as the president of the PTO or working with her clients, she gives everything she has.
Professionally, Bentz is most proud of the role that she played in the passage of West Virginia’s comprehensive insurance and civil justice reform in 2005. “When I went to Girls’ State when I was 17, I loved campaigning and experienced my first taste of politics,” says Bentz. There, she met Ohio’s then-Secretary of State Sherrod Brown, who now serves as one of Ohio’s U.S. Senators. “He told me that a law degree would be a versatile degree if I wanted to get into politics. I was hooked.” It was this interest and focus that led her to develop a government relations practice and take the roles of president of the West Virginia Insurance Federation and the lead lobbyist for the property and casualty insurance industry in West Virginia in 2004, positions she continues to hold.
In 2007, Bentz founded Dinsmore & Shohl’s government relations practice, which today covers three states and Washington, D.C. She also is a member of the firm’s Litigation Department, the Professional Development Committee and the Recruiting Committee. Bentz maintains an active litigation practice and has represented hospitals and other health care providers throughout West Virginia in certificate of need cases before the West Virginia Health Care Authority and obtained the certificate of need for United Hospital Center’s newly-opened $300 million hospital in Bridgeport.
She has worked hard to achieve her success but understands that there are some very important characteristics that have helped land her there. “I relate well to people and am able to assess people and situations very accurately and quickly,” she explains. “I have a lot of energy, am very competitive, very driven and have a deep desire to achieve. I thrive on my drive and have always sought out opportunities, stepped over failures and disappointment and had clear goals.” It is these characteristics along with her love for her family, job and clients that keep her motivated.
Photography by Tracy Toler
