Legacy of Purpose: Harriet Lewis on Giving Back Through Impact

Jackman Law donor and alum reflects on education, responsibility, and supporting the next generation.

For alum Harriet Lewis (LLB ’75), giving back to the Henry N.R. Jackman Faculty of Law at the University of Toronto began with reflection.

As she and her husband, Eldon Bennett (LLB ’76), approached the 50th anniversary of their respective graduating classes, they began looking back on the lives they had built. “We felt that we owed our successful careers to our legal education,” she explains, “and that we should acknowledge that in some way.”

With perspective that only time can bring, Lewis felt the most meaningful way to give back was to establish a graduate scholarship — the Lewis/Bennett Fellowship, awarded to a graduate student in the Henry N.R. Jackman Faculty of Law, with preference given to students who demonstrate an interest in environment, sustainability, or related areas of study and or research.

Focus on Environmental Impact

Her decision was also shaped by her professional experience. After many years working as General Counsel and University Secretary at York University, Lewis had supported scholarships there, particularly related to sustainability. When she looked at U of T, she felt drawn to support an area she believes is urgent for future generations.

“Environmental issues are of great concern.” she says. “We worry about what we’re leaving behind.” Through the Lewis/Bennett Fellowship, she hopes to support students who will “do some real work on environmental matters” and help advance thinking around environmental issues, including how they connect to planning, cities, roads, and energy.

Lewis’s giving to Jackman Law has also extended beyond environmental causes. She shared that when a classmate approached her, raising funds to support an Afghan judge who had escaped Afghanistan, Lewis made a donation and has since helped connect others to the initiative.  

A Career of Service  

Her path into law was shaped by values more than ambition. “When I applied to law school, I wasn’t really dying to be a lawyer,” she says honestly. “It was a feminist thing. I felt that women should be respected, and that the only way we could gain respect was by succeeding in areas that had traditionally been male-dominated.”

Although she had completed a master’s degree in English, she felt it was important to pursue further education in order to build a career. Law offered possibility. “I was interested in getting the degree and seeing what that future could bring” — the education opened doors she could not have predicted.

She articled at Goodmans LLP, where she practiced for approximately a year and a half, before spending a decade at Raymond and Honsberger. She later worked at another firm before a former colleague alerted her to a job posting at York University. At the time, she had two young children and decided to apply. She got the role — and what followed became a defining chapter of her life. She eventually became University Secretary, a role she describes as a deeply fulfilling chapter of her career.

Supporting Future Generations  

Upon retirement, Lewis continued consulting with universities on governance and served as an adjudicator with several Ontario tribunals. She eventually stepped back from some of that work, believing others needed those opportunities, and now divides her time between occasional consulting, mentoring, and family life — including time with her four grandchildren.

Looking back, she is realistic about the legal profession. She acknowledges the strain it can place on personal life and does not always encourage every student to pursue law without reflection. At the same time, she believes strongly in the value of legal education.

“We benefited tremendously from our choice of careers,” she says. “We owe something to our education — and we should benefit others, if possible.”

Her hope is simple and sincere: that the students supported through the Lewis/Bennett Fellowship will think deeply, contribute meaningfully, and help advance work on environmental issues that will shape the future. Through her generosity, honesty, and thoughtful engagement, Harriet Lewis leaves a legacy grounded not in recognition, but in purpose.