HARRISBURG (Nov. 13, 2020) — Solo practitioner Elisabeth S. “Dolly” Shuster of Manheim is the recipient of the second annual Pennsylvania Bar Association (PBA) Civil and Equal Rights Champion Award, which will be presented virtually at an awards ceremony on Nov. 19 as part of PBA Committee/Section Day.
Developed by the Civil and Equal Rights Committee (CERC), this award honors an individual who champions for civil rights for all Pennsylvanians by making a significant impact through constitutional advocacy, legislative acts or advocacy or individual representation and development of case law.
Shuster has been a staunch advocate for equal rights throughout her career. From serving as deputy attorney general of the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General through her tenure as chief counsel of the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission (PHRC), she organized the PHRC legal office so that it would effectively implement anti-discrimination policies inherent to the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act, directed her staff to serve as a resource for claimants and advanced efforts to implement the act across the state.
In private practice, Shuster consults and performs contract work in the areas of discrimination and employment law.
An active PBA member, Shuster advocates for the advancement of equal rights for women and to protect those marginalized by discrimination throughout her work in numerous committees and sections, including the PBA Commission on Women in the Profession Executive Council, the commission’s Annual Conference, Diversity and Legislative committees and Governance Subcommittee; the Minority Bar, Immigration Law and Statutory Law committees; and Civil Litigation and Labor and Employment Law sections.
Shuster received a B.A. from Temple University and a J.D. from Villanova School of Law.
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.