Adria Lynn Silva, Attorney

The Law Office of Adria Lynn Silva, L.L.C. represents employees in Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) cases and in employment discrimination cases, including discrimination based on age; gender; national origin; race; religion; sexual orientation; family status; marital status; pregnancy; and disability.

In addition, Ms. Silva represents homeowners and tenants under the Fair Housing Act and customers and patrons in cases of discrimination in places of public accommodation like hotels, gas stations, restaurants, and department stores.

Ms. Silva also represents students and employees in Title IX gender discrimination and Title IX retaliation cases.

TITLE IX

Title IX makes it illegal for secondary (high school); post secondary educational institutions (colleges and universities); and other schools which receive federal funding to discriminate, harass, or retaliate against an individual because of gender equity issues. Title IX issues include, but are not limited to the following.

 Access to higher education, especially in areas of study where women, including women of color, are and have been traditionally underrepresented.
 Equal opportunity and access to athletics, including adequate funding of women's' sports; equal access to practice times, facilities, and transportation; access to scholarship monies; and pay equity among male and female coaches.
 Sexual harassment.
 Education for pregnant and parenting students.
 Employment, including tenure and pay equity issues.
 Discrimination based on sexual orientation.

Typical Title IX cases include, but are not limited to retaliation cases against students and employees for complaining about sexual harassment or gender inequities. Other typical Title IX cases include discrimination in academics, sports, or the provision of other services.

Ms. Silva's Title IX practice includes representing students and employees in a school or university's internal investigation of claims of Title IX gender discrimination or Title IX retaliation. In addition, Ms. Silva represents employees and students in Title IX administrative proceedings before the Office of Civil Rights (OCR), in litigation, and at the appellate level.

Ms. Silva has presented and prepared continuing legal educational materials for employment lawyers on Title IX and Employment Law and is currently preparing further continuing legal educational materials regarding Title IX and Pregnancy Discrimination.

Employment, Housing, and Customer Discrimination

The Law Office of Adria Lynn Silva, L.L.C. represents employees who are involved in an employer's internal investigation of claims of discrimination or harassment - whether the employee is complaining about discrimination or is a witness.

In addition, Ms. Silva represents employees who are attempting to request or negotiate a reasonable accommodation for a disability or who are seeking Family Medical Leave. Ms. Silva also represents homeowners and tenants who are requesting a reasonable accommodation for a disability from their landlords or homeowners association and homeowners who may be the victims of discriminatory lending practices.

Ms. Silva also represents employees in administrative proceedings before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Florida Commission on Human Relations (FCHR), as well as homeowners and tenants in administrative proceedings before the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the FCHR; customers and patrons in administrative proceedings before the FCHR.

Finally, Ms. Silva represents employees, homeowners and tenants, customers and patrons, and students in litigation and at the appellate level.

Qualifications

Ms. Silva is a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley and the University of Miami School of Law. Ms. Silva began her legal career in April 1998 with Florida Rural Legal Services, Inc. in Immokalee, Florida, representing migrant farm workers in employment discrimination cases and cases brought under the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act (AWPA) and the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).Ms. Silva has been in private practice since 2001.

Ms. Silva is licensed to practice in United States Supreme Court; the State of Florida; the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals; the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida; and the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida. Ms. Silva has been on the executive board of the Florida Chapter of the National Employment Lawyers Association (FL NELA) for five years and is currently serving as President. Ms. Silva was also recently appointed to the executive board of the Thomas S. Biggs Inns of Court.

The Law Office of Adria Lynn Silva, L.L.C.  reviews Title IX, Fair Housing, and Customer Discrimination cases throughout the state of Florida, including but not limited to: Naples, Ft. Myers; Tallahassee; Gainesville; Tampa; Jacksonville; Orlando; Ft. Lauderdale; West Palm Beach; and Miami as well as  Lee, Collier, Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Sarasota, Hillsborough, Duvall, Alachua, and Leon counties.