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Biography

Biography

Elsa Van Gorp Rene is an associate at Kluger, Kaplan, Silverman, Katzen & Levine, P.L. with a primary focus on probate, trust and guardianship disputes. 

 

Prior to joining Kluger Kaplan, Elsa represented heirs, beneficiaries, fiduciaries, creditors and other interested parties in probate litigation, contested guardianship, and elder abuse cases at prominent probate and litigation firms in Miami, Florida. Previously, she served as a Miami-Dade Assistant Public Defender for more than five years where she gained extensive courtroom skills and experience through trials, evidentiary hearings, and motion practice advocating for individuals facing charges ranging from misdemeanors to serious felonies. Elsa has taken hundreds of depositions, tried more than 20 jury and bench trials, and argued countless motions.

Elsa earned her J.D. from the Mitchell Hamline School of Law and her B.A. in Philosophy with a minor in Social Justice from the University of Minnesota. 

She is a member of the Florida Bar’s Elder Law and Real Property, Probate, and Trust Law Sections, a volunteer member of the Abuse, Neglect & Exploitation Committee of the Elder Law Section, and a member of the Dade County Bar Association. Elsa is also a member and co-chair Young Lawyers Committee of the Miami-Dade Chapter of the Florida Association of Women Lawyers (MDFAWL), Board Chair of the MDFAWL and volunteers with the Florida Association for Women Lawyers (FAWL) “FAWL in Love with GAL” program mentoring youth aging out of the foster care system and transitioning to independence.

Education

Education

  • Mitchell Hamline School of Law, J.D.
  • University of Minnesota, B.S., Philosophy with a minor in Social Justice

Bar Admissions and Memberships

Bar Admissions and Memberships

Florida

Awards and Publications

Awards and Publications

Awards

  • Best Lawyers in America – Ones To Watch, Commercial Litigation, Trust & Estates, 2025