Ms. Trepel graduated from Vermont Law School and received her Bachelor of Arts from the State University of New York at Stony Brook. She was admitted to practice law in the State of New York in 1982 and admitted to the United States Supreme Court in 1996. She is listed in Who”s Who of American Women.
Mindy J. Trepel, Counsel to the law firm of Sweeney, Reich & Bolz LLP, devotes her practice primarily to Trust and Estates. This includes all aspects of estate administration and legal issues in both contested and uncontested matters. Ms. Trepel also assists the Counsel to the Public Administrator of Queens County in all aspects of the estates handled by the Public Administrator.
She served as a legislative aide to the New York State Assembly in 1981. She was formerly a law assistant to Justice William D. Friedmann. As his law assistant, her duties included legal research and writing, conferencing and assisting in the settlement of cases. In 1984 she became the Principal Law Clerk to the Surrogate of Queens County, Louis D. Laurino. During her tenure in the Surrogate”s Court, her responsibilities included legal research and writing, conferencing estate matters and presiding over various hearings, including those of guardianship and kinship. In 1992, Surrogate Robert L. Nahman appointed her as the Public Administrator of Queens County. She served as Public Administrator for ten years during which time she was responsible for the administration of hundreds of estates annually.
She has lectured at several seminars held by the New York State Bar Association on such practical skills as accountings and obtaining letters of administration and letters testamentary. She has also lectured for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn”s annual Wills and Estates Planning Program. Her articles, “”Public Administrator”s Office and the Fiduciary”s Responsibilities”” and “”Wrongful Death Compromises”” have been published in the Queens County Bar Association Bulletin.
Ms. Trepel is a member of the Trusts and Estates Section of the New York State Bar Association and is the representative of the Eleventh (11th ) District on its Executive Committee. She has served as President of the Queens County Chapter of the Woman”s Bar Association of the State of New York and is presently on its Board of Trustees.
Bar Admissions
- New York, 1982
- U.S. Supreme Court, 1996
Published Works
- Public Administrator’s Office and the Fiduciary’s Responsibilities, Queens County Bar Association Bulletin
Classes/Seminars
- Mock Trial of a Contested Probate Proceeding, R.C.Diocese of Brooklyn, April 25, 2009
- Wrongful Death Compromises in Surrogate’s Court, R.C.Diocese of Broklyn, April 12, 2008
- Contested Accounting, R.C.Diocese of Brooklyn, April 21, 2007
- Kinship Issues in Surrogate’s Court, R.C.Diocese of Brooklyn, March 25, 2006
- An Introduction To Estate Planning, New York State Bar Association, October 6, 2005
- Anatomy of a Probate Contest from Death to Trial, R.C.Diocese of Brooklyn, April 16, 2005
- Kinship Issues, R.C.Diocese of Rockville Center, 2004
- Settling an Estate, New York State Bar Association, May 26, 2004
- Simplifying the Administration of a Complex Estate, R.C.Diocese of Brooklyn, April 17, 2004
- Avoiding Litigation:Problems Planning For the Elderly and Infirmed, R.C.Diocese of Brooklyn, April 26, 2003
- Practical Skills-Probate and Administration of Estates Surrogate’s Court Proceedings, New York State Bar Association, May 31, 2000
Honors and Awards
- Who’s Who of American Women
Professional Associations and Memberships
- New York State Bar Association, Surrogates’ Courts Committee Member
- Queens County Bar Association, Trusts and Estates Committee Member
- Queens County Women’s Bar Association, President, 1994 – 1995
- Queens County Women’s Bar Association, Board of Trustees
- Brandeis Association, Member
Past Employment Positions
- City of New York, Public Administrator of Queens County, 1992 – 2002
- Surrogate Louis D. Laurino, Principal Law Clerk to Surrogate, January 2, 1984 – December 31, 1992
- Judge William D. Friedmann, Law Assistant, 1982 – 1983
- New York State Assembly, Legislative Aide, 1981
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