Born and raised in Alaska, Mrs. Benninger moved to Chapel Hill in 1978. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the School of Journalism of the University of Oregon in 1970, her law degree from Yale Law School in 1978, and a Master of Accounting degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1990. She has been licensed to practice law in North Carolina since 1978 and is also admitted to practice before the North Carolina Federal Middle District Court and the United States Tax Court. She is a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys and the Orange County Bar Association.
Ms. Benninger practices principally in the areas of estate administration and probate, trust administration, and taxation.