HARRISBURG (April 16, 2021) — The Pennsylvania Bar Association (PBA) Commission on Women in the Profession will present its annual Lynette Norton Award to Pittsburgh attorney Carla Schiff Donnelly, a principal at Gentile, Horoho & Avalli PC, on May 19 at an awards luncheon during the Commission on Women in the Profession (WIP) Annual Conference held as part of the Pennsylvania Bar Association (PBA) Virtual Annual Meeting.
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.
Donnelly’s nominator notes, “Carla has not only touched my life in such a strong and meaningful way but has also made an impact on so many other people’s lives. …It is an honor and a privilege to have her in my circle and she has made a strong imprint on not only the local legal community in Allegheny County, but for greater Pennsylvania.”
At Gentile, Horoho & Avalli PC, Donnelly is unselfish with her time with younger lawyers, especially with female lawyers, as well as with those in the broader community. She is an active member of the PBA WIP, serving on its Executive Committee as secretary and as a member of the WIP Fall Retreats Subcommittee. Donnelly also is a member of the Allegheny County Bar Association Women in the Law Division.
A well respected trial attorney, Donnelly focuses her practice on divorce litigation and mediation, with a concentration on complex financial and custody issues, including international divorce cases. She also specializes in preparing and negotiating prenuptial and postnuptial agreements and is trained in collaborative law, mediation and parent coordination.
Donnelly’s other bar involvement includes: a former representative to the PBA House of Delegates, and a member of the PBA Family Law Section and the Allegheny County Bar Association Family Law Section and its Council.
Donnelly graduated from Lehigh University and Emory University School of Law.
For more information on the WIP awards luncheon or the PBA Virtual Annual Meeting, visit https://www.pabar.org/pdf/2021/2021AnnualMeeting.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.