About Rebecca Ann
Rebecca Ann Smith built her legal foundation in Pennsylvania classrooms and courtrooms. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Political Science from Dickinson College in 2002, then continued at Dickinson School of Law, receiving her Juris Doctor in 2005. Those formative years set the stage for a career spent entirely in-state.
She moved into practice immediately after law school. In 2005 she joined the Berks County Public Defender's Office as an assistant public defender. That work put her in front of judges and juries early in her career. The caseloads typical of a county defender offered steady trial experience and repeated exposure to courtroom procedure and evidence work.
After several years in public defense, she entered private practice. In 2012 she became an associate at Bentley Law Offices, P.C. Two years later she advanced to partner at Bentley, Gibson, Kopecki, Smith, P.C., a position she has held since 2014. Her progression from assistant public defender to partner reflects a move from government service into firm-based representation and firm leadership responsibilities.
Ms. Smith is a member of the Pennsylvania State Bar. Her practice spans the state courts where she began her career. She represents clients at trial and in pretrial proceedings. The background in public defense continues to shape how she approaches cases, especially those that require courtroom advocacy.
Her work has taken her across multiple office locations. She maintains a presence in Lancaster and Lebanon, along with work out of a main office. That geographic spread allows her to handle matters arising in different counties and to appear in local courtrooms where her clients’ cases are heard.
Colleagues and clients describe her as pragmatic and direct in court. She approaches each matter with an eye toward the procedural rules that often determine outcomes. She also spends time preparing witnesses and building factual records necessary for trial, tasks that were central to her early years in public defense.
She continues to practice law in Pennsylvania, representing clients in state courts and handling criminal matters that require trial experience and courtroom preparation.
