Born November 5, 1970 in Amritsar, India to Rajendra and Shukla (Mehra) Talwar, the oldest of two children. Meenu grew up in Maryland and graduated from The College of William and Mary in 1992. On August 6, 1994, she married Thomas Sasser and together they enjoyed an unparalleled partnership of love and devotion. She obtained her law degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1995 and entered private practice with Gunster Yoakley, becoming a shareholder in 2002. Meenu was appointed as a Palm Beach County Circuit Court Judge in 2009, and she actively served on the bench until her death.
Meenu had a passion for the law, the court system, and improving the lives of people in it. She was a highly regarded jurist, known for her leadership and efficiency in dealing with all cases that came before her. Meenu received numerous local and statewide honors during her tenure on the bench. She was known for her dedication to improving processes within the judicial system through innovation, and for her work in this area the NYU School of Law Civil Jury Project honored her as Most Innovative Jurist of the Year nationally in 2018. She was a tireless advocate for the advancement of women in the law and was a mentor to many lawyers and judges. Anything she could do to improve the legal system, she did.
Meenu’s passion for the law was only surpassed by her fierce devotion to, and love for, her family. They were the top priority in her world and she supported them in every way. She found deep inspiration in her family’s international travels, but with every visit to the mountains of Colorado she found herself restored and renewed. She was known for her fierce and unrelenting spirit, her drive to be fair and just, and her love for life. These traits were ever-present, until her last breath.
Meenu was preceded in death by her father, Rajendra, and her son, James. She is survived by her mother, Shukla; her husband, Tom; her children, Andrew, Caroline and William; her sister, Rinku (Robert) Tribuiani; and, her nieces and nephews.
The family will receive friends from 6:00 to 9:00pm on Thursday, July 11th, at Quattlebaum Funeral, Cremation and Event Center, 5411 Okeechobee Blvd, West Palm Beach. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at St. Matthew Catholic Church, 6090 Hypoluxo Rd, Lake Worth, at 2:00pm on Friday, July 12th. Interment will follow at Our Lady Queen of Peace Cemetery, 10941 Southern Blvd, Royal Palm Beach.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Palm Beach County Legal Aid Society or the AAML Foundation, both of which work to improve the lives of those with the least among us within our judicial system.
