Adria Lynn Silva

Ms. Silva is an attorney at Sass Law Firm with over 24 years of experience in labor and employment law matters, representing employees suffering discrimination and harassment based on age, disability, family status, gender/sex, marital status, national origin, pregnancy, race, religion, and sexual orientation. She has extensive experience representing students and employees in Title IX claims against high schools, vocational schools, and universities, regarding a variety of issues including claims of pregnancy discrimination, access to athletics, equal pay, harassment, and retaliation. She currently serves as a Board Member of the National Employment Lawyers Association. 

In addition to her employment and Title IX practice, Ms. Silva has represented homeowners and tenants under the Fair Housing Act and customers and patrons in cases of discrimination in places of public accommodation.

Before joining Sass Law Firm, Ms. Silva spent years in her own private practice representing students and employees in discrimination, retaliation and harassment cases. She began her legal career with Florida Rural Legal Services, Inc. in Immokalee, Florida, representing migrant farmworkers in employment discrimination cases and cases brought under the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act (AWPA) and the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Most recently, she worked at another employee rights law firm for two years.  She is bilingual in English and Spanish, and Ms. Silva has dedicated her career to advocating for individuals affected by discrimination, harassment or retaliation. 

Ms. Silva graduated from the University of California at Berkeley and the University of Miami School of Law. Ms. Silva is licensed to practice in the United States Supreme Court, the State of Florida, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida, the United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida, and the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida.

Ms. Silva previously served on the executive board of the Florida Chapter of the National Employment Lawyers Association (Florida NELA) for seven years and served as the President in 2009-2010. Ms. Silva was the 2012-2013 President of the Thomas S. Biggs American Inn of Court (now Michael R. N. McDonnell American Inn of Court) and is currently serving on the Inn executive board. Ms. Silva often speaks on various topics in employment and Title IX law and contributed to a book, The Pregnancy Discrimination Act: A Guide for the Plaintiff’s Employment Lawyer, on pregnancy discrimination regarding Title IX and pregnancy.

For a full list of Adria’s awards, publications, speaking engagements, associations and committees, check out the below categories or her Resume CV.

Adria Lynn has received the below recognition:

Florida Super Lawyers® in Education – Thomson Reuters, 2023 to present

500 Leading Plaintiff Employment and Civil Rights Lawyers – Lawdragon, 2023

Florida Bar Diversity Grant Recipient, Michael R.N. McDonnell (f/k/a Thomas S. Biggs) American Inn of Court, 2013 (as President of Inn)

IOTA Summer Public Interest Fellow, University of Miami School of Law

Deans Certificate of Achievement ADR; International Law – University of Miami School of Law

Christermon Foundation Scholarship Recipient, University of California at Berkeley

LULAC Scholarship Recipient, University of California at Berkeley

Adria Lynn is admitted to the following:

The Florida Bar, 1998

United States Supreme Court, 2003

Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeal, 1999

Sixth Circuit Court of Appeal, 2022

United States District Court, Middle District of Florida, 198

United States District Court, Northern District of Florida, 2009

United States District Court, Southern District of Florida, 1998

United States District Court, Eastern District of Michigan, 2020

Florida Supreme Court, 1998

Adria Lynn is a member of:

Board Member – National Employment Lawyers Association, 2023-present

Board Member – Michael R.N. McDonnell (f/k/a Thomas S. Biggs) American Inn of Court, 2007-present

Board Member Appointment – Florida Legal Services, Inc., 2014-2016

President – Michael R.N. McDonnell (f/k/a Thomas S. Biggs) American Inn of Court, 2012-2013

Member– Florida Chapter, National Employment Lawyers Association

Chair– EEOC Liaison Committee, Florida Chapter, National Employment Lawyers Association, 2013

Board Member – Florida Chapter, National Employment Lawyers Association, 2006-2013

President– Florida Chapter, National Employment Lawyers Association, 2009-2010

Adria Lynn attended:

Juris Doctor– University of Miami School of Law, Coral Gables, Florida, 1997

Bachelor of Arts– University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, California, 1993

The materials linked below are being made available for informational purposes only and are not to be relied upon as legal advice.

Chapter Author of Title IX: Discrimination in Education and Ch. 9(v) The Fair Housing Act, The Pregnancy Discrimination Act: A Guide for the Plaintiffs Employment Lawyer (P. Daniel Williams, BNA Books), 2011

Collegiate Athletes as Employees: A Response to the Supreme Court’s decision in Cummings, American Bar Association Labor and Employment Law Section, Washington, D.C., November 2022

Damages Under Spending Clause Legislation Post Cummings, Florida Chapter of the National Employment Lawyers Association, St. Augustine, Florida, August 2022

Leave Under Title IX and the Affordable Care Act, National Employment Lawyers Association, San Francisco, California, July 2022