2025 Equal Justice Conference

Jennifer Bentley has served as the Executive Director of the Michigan State Bar Foundation since January 2017. The MSBF provides statewide leadership and funding to advance access to justice for low-income households and improve the administration of justice.
Prior to the Foundation, she worked in legal aid for 20 years, holding various positions, including staff attorney, managing attorney and chief development officer. Jennifer has devoted her career to access to the civil justice system since graduating from law school in 1997. Jennifer also received her Certificate in Fundraising Management from the Center of Philanthropy at Indiana University. Jennifer has provided leadership, through planning, innovation and resource development, to many statewide initiatives to increase access to justice.
Jennifer serves on the Executive Team of Michigan’s Justice for all Commission, the Executive Team of Michigan’s Commission on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Judiciary, and on the State Bar of Michigan’s Justice Initiatives Committee. In addition to many statewide task forces and committees, Jennifer serves on the Board of Directors of Management Information Exchange and on the Board of the National Association of IOLTA Programs (NAIP), as immediate past president.