Judith A. Kopen

PRIMARY AREA OF PRACTICE

Ms. Kopen's practice consists primarily of municipal law, property tax litigation, personal injury litigation, insurance defense litigation, and adoptions and guardianships.

REPRESENTATIVE EXPERIENCE

Ms. Kopen has successfully litigated numerous property tax appeals, foreclosures, personal injury suits, tenancy matters and first party insurance claims.  Ms. Kopen is the Municipal Attorney for the Townships of Kingwood and Independence, New Jersey. In that capacity she advises those municipalities, represents them in court proceedings, drafts municipal ordinances and negotiates and drafts agreements regarding the acquisition of municipal easements and the purchase and sale of public property. She also handles property tax matters and provides advisory opinions for municipalities including the Town of Clinton, Borough of Washington, East Amwell Township, Borough of Hampton, Holland Township and Knowlton Township. Ms. Kopen also handles adoption and guardianship applications.

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND

Ms. Kopen received her preparatory education at Miami University of Ohio (B.S., Ed., cum laude, 1974) and her legal education at William Mitchell College of Law (J.D., 1982). She was admitted to the Bar of Minnesota in October of 1982, and admitted to the Bar of the State of New Jersey in June of 1986.

Ms. Kopen is currently a senior associate at Gebhardt & Kiefer, which she joined in March of 1988. Prior to that time she was staff attorney at Probation Services, the Administrative Office of the Courts of the State of New Jersey from September 1985 through February of 1988.