Orphaned at age 11, Marlene Trestman shared childhood experiences with her mentor and remarkable biographical subject, Bessie Margolin, separated by a half century. Both grew up as wards of New Orleans's Jewish Orphans' Home (or its successor, the Jewish Children's Regional Service in Marlene's case) and for that reason were educated at the Isidore Newman School. While the two women developed a personal relationship in the 1970s and 1980s, little did Margolin realize she was inspiring her future biographer.
A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Goucher College, Marlene Trestman earned her law degree from George Washington University and an MBA from Loyola of Maryland's Sellinger Business School. After a three decade legal career devoted to consumer protection and public health, Marlene retired as Special Assistant to the Maryland Attorney General to complete Margolin's biography, Fair Labor Lawyer: The Remarkable Life of New Deal Attorney and Supreme Court Advocate Bessie Margolin. Marlene has received funding awards from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Hadassah-Brandeis Institute, and a literary award from the Supreme Court Historical Society. With a fellowship from the American Jewish Archives, Marlene is writing her second book, The History of New Orleans's Jewish Orphans Home: A Collective Biography. She lives in Baltimore, MD and loves visiting her native New Orleans.