Debra Lynn Shapiro - Oakdale, MN
Attorney at Mortel Law, PLLC
Estate Planning, Wills, and Trusts Lawyers in Oakdale, MN
7845 3rd Street North Suite 110 Oakdale, MN 55128
Oakdale Estate Planning, Wills, and Trusts Lawyer
Updated: 02/28/2026
Areas of Practice
- Estate Planning, Wills, and Trusts
- Probate and Trust Administration
Attorney Information
Overview
Debbie Shapiro is an estate planning attorney whose career blends years of legal practice with decades of higher education teaching and training. Her path reflects a deep commitment to service, adaptability, and client-centered advocacy. After beginning her career in law, she stepped away to care for her children, later reimagining her professional life in higher education, where she served as a law professor, director of student support, educational consultant, and national trainer.
Returning to full-time legal practice with renewed purpose, Debbie now blends her legal expertise with an educator's skill set which includes active listening, clear communication, and compassionate guidance. She brings unique insight into estate planning, shaped in part by her own family's experience with a contentious estate dispute. That personal history underscores the necessity of precision and ethical diligence when preparing end-of-life documents, and it continues to fuel her passion for teaching Professional Responsibility as an adjunct professor.
In addition to her legal work, Debbie has designed and delivered hundreds of professional development trainings nationally and internationally. Her teaching portfolio includes Professional Responsibility, Legal Research and Writing, and bar exam preparation. Her teaching has sharpened her analytical and writing skills while enhancing her ability to explain complex ideas with clarity.
Debbie's strengths are grounded in years of legal practice, raising a family, and supporting students and clients through important decisions. Whether guiding clients through estate planning or mentoring aspiring attorneys, she approaches her work with integrity, compassion, and an unwavering commitment to helping others navigate challenges with skill and confidence.
Education
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Legal Education
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University of Iowa College of Law,
Iowa City,
Iowa
J.D.
Honors: Iowa law Review - Associate Editor
Honors: University of Iowa Foundation Scholarship
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University of Iowa College of Law,
Iowa City,
Iowa
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Non Legal Education
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University of Iowa,
Iowa City,
Iowa
B.A.
Honors: summa cum laude
Honors: Phi Beta Kappa
Honors: President's List and Dean's List
Major: Psychology
Minor: Spanish
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University of Iowa,
Iowa City,
Iowa
Current Employment Position(s)
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Attorney
Classes and Seminars
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Co-Presenter for Association of Academic Support Professionals: Magical Thinking: Using Charts to Teach the “A” in IRAC (2025)
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National and international professional trainer and presenter for AVID in Writing for Disciplinary Literacy, Reading for Disciplinary Literacy, and Critical Thinking & Inquiry (2011-2025)
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Co-Presenter for Association of Academic Support Professionals: The Golden Ticket: Using PR to Teach and Assess UBE and NextGen Skills (2024)
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Co-Presenter for Association of Academic Support Professionals: Thinking Outside of the Box: 10 Tools Academic and Bar Success Educators Can Use in the Classroom to Increase Student Engagement and Learning (2023)
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Co-Presenter for Association of Academic Support Professionals: Destigmatizing Academic Support: Three schools. Three perspectives. One Goal (2023)
- Co-Presenter for National Association of Law Professionals: What Firms Value: Insights from the 2020 Survey of Law Firm Competence Expectations for Associate Development (2021)
Published Works
Articles
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Juarez-Torres, R., Gerdes, K., and Shapiro, D., et al. (2021). Texas Peer Mentor Network Curriculum Guide, Texas Peer Mentor Network. Amarillo, TX.
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Berry, M., Brodin, K., Friedman, L., Organ, J., and Shapiro, D. (2021). Report on 2020 Survey of Law Firm Competency Expectations for Associate Development, NALP, New York, NY.
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Berry, M., Brodin, K., Friedman, L., Organ, J., and Shapiro, D. (2021). What Firms Want: The Use of Competency Models in Associate PD, NALP, New York, NY.
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Shapiro, D. (2018). Career Navigations, AVID Press, San Diego, CA. Digital publication.
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Shapiro, D., and Cuseo, J. (2018). High Engagement Practices for Teaching and Learning, AVID Press, San Diego, CA.
- McKinney, C., Glazebrook, B., Sanders, J., and Shapiro, D. (2018). AVID Writing for Disciplinary Literacy: A Schoolwide Approach, AVID Press, San Diego, CA.
- Custer, H., et. al (2011). Postsecondary Strategies for Success 2nd edition, AVID Press, San Diego, CA.
Bar Admissions
- Minnesota, 1990
Contact
7845 3rd Street North
Suite 110
Oakdale, MN 55128
Phone: 651-515-1004
Fax: 651-288-2843
Email: Send a message
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