Attorney Profiles

E. Dennis Benjamin

Dennis Benjamin practices in the areas of personal injury, wills and estates, real estate, municipal law, and family law. He is also a licensed real estate broker. Before forming Benjamin & James, PLLC, Mr. Benjamin spent 20 years with the New York State Police. With the NYSP, he investigated hundreds of accidents, which formed the basis for his unique understanding and approach to motor vehicle personal injury law. Additionally, after retiring from the New York State Police in 2008, Mr. Benjamin served as Assistant District Attorney for Seneca County for six years where he prosecuted many accident-related cases before returning to private practice.

Prior to and during his legal career, Mr. Benjamin served as a Civil/Military special operations officer in the United States Army Reserve, retiring as a Major (2005) having served on active duty during Desert Shield/Desert Storm (1991) and Operation Enduring Freedom (2003) and numerous other active duty missions. He is a graduate of the U.S. Army Officer’s Candidate School (OCS), the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare School, the Combined Armed Services Staff School, and the Civil Affairs Officer’s Advanced Course.

Mr. Benjamin is a 2000 graduate of Syracuse University School of Law and a 1983 graduate of Rochester Institute of Technology (B.S., Applied Science & Technology).

Professional Memberships

  • Member of New York State Bar Association
  • Member of Municipal Law Section of
    the New York State Bar Association
  • Member of the Fraternal Order of
    New York State Police
  • Member of the National Rifle Association
    and the Waterloo Rifle & Pistol Club

PRACTICE AREA SPECIALTIES

PERSONAL INJURY
FAMILY LAW
REAL ESTATE
MUNICIPAL LAW
WILLS & ESTATES

Susan James

Susan James concentrates her practice in the area of agency adoptions. She was also an Attorney for the Child in Seneca County for over ten years. She spent many years teaching writing to university students at Syracuse University and San Diego State University and was a legal writing professor at Syracuse University College of Law. She was also a fiction editor at a publishing company for adults with literacy challenges. After cutting her teeth on law firm life in Syracuse, NY, Susan formed Benjamin & James, PLLC with her partner in all things in 2005.

Susan is a cum laude graduate of Syracuse University College of Law where she served on Law Review and as the Pre-Law Advisor to undergraduates in the College of Arts and Letters. In addition to her J.D., Susan earned her master’s degree in American Literature and a Women’s Studies Certificate from Syracuse University and her Bachelor’s degree in English from San Diego State University.

PRACTICE AREA SPECIALTY

ADOPTIONS

In addition to her law practice, Susan is a writer and wellness practitioner.

Statement of Principles

EQUITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION

Human rights and freedoms for all people are paramount in the law. While the specific interpretation, application, and limits of the law of equality are always open to reasoned argument and respectful debate, the underlying concept of equality is as basic to modern law as mathematics is to engineering and biology is to medicine.

There is no basic human right to a license to practice law. The license is a privilege, but only one of many privileges that we have obtained as heterosexual, cis-gendered, and of European settler heritage, born (just as our parents were born) in the United States of America. That these privileges make life easier for us – and more difficult for others – only underscores our conviction that privilege must yield to the measure of equality pursued by a democratic society. We are proud to live in a democracy that has adopted many forms of equality, in both public and private spheres, as a matter of constitutional principle.

As lawyers licensed to practice in New York State, we promote and respect the dignity of our clients, our opponents, and our colleagues. This includes, but is not limited to, working toward the reduction of barriers faced by individuals due to their race, ancestry, place of origin, color, ethnic origin, citizenship, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, family status, disability or the receipt of public assistance.

[Original statement content provided by Benjamin Ries.]

COVID ANNOUNCEMENT

Our firm is in compliance with all New York State mandates and Executive Orders and New York State Health Department guidelines. 

Please understand that many of the institutions that we work with are observing a limited schedule or a workforce reduction that may impact the timing of court appearances, abstract redates, and surveys.

We appreciate your patience.

OFFICE

By Appointment Only
SEND US A MESSAGE

315-781-5111 (phone)
315-781-6611 (fax)

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HOURS

Monday - Thursday
9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.,
by appointment only

ADDRESS

696 Waterloo Geneva Rd
(Routes 5 & 20)
Waterloo, NY 13165

MAILING ADDRESS

PO Box 89
Waterloo, NY 13165