The phrase "the lawyer addressed the bench" is an example of metonymy. In this figure of speech, a word or phrase is used to represent something else that it is closely associated with. In this case, "the bench" is used to represent the judge or judges who are sitting on the bench in a courtroom, and "the lawyer" is addressing them in court. The use of "the bench" in place of "the judge" is a common metonymy in legal contexts.