Adria Lynn Silva - Tampa, FL
Attorney at Sass, Everhart & Silva, P.A. (formerly Sass Law Firm)
Education Law Lawyers in Tampa, FL
601 West Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard Tampa, FL 33603
- 1 Super Lawyers®
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28
Years
Experience
Tampa Education Law Lawyer
Updated: 03/12/2026
Areas of Practice
- Education Law 50%
- Discrimination 20%
- Sexual Harassment 20%
- Litigation 10%
Attorney Information
Overview
Ms. Silva is an attorney at Sass Law Firm with over 25 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 and is the NELA Vice President of Affiliate Relations. In 2025, Ms. Silva was elected to the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers and is serving on the Executive Council of the Florida Bar Labor and Employment Section.
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 her Resume CV at EmploymentLawTampa.com.
Awards and Honors
Honors
- Florida Super Lawyers® in Education – Thomson Reuters, 2023
- 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, (as President of Inn), 2013
- 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
Other Sources of Feedback About Adria Lynn Silva
Included on the 2026 Florida Super Lawyers list
Past Lists
- 2025 Florida Super Lawyers list
- 2024 Florida Super Lawyers list
- 2023 Florida Super Lawyers list
- 2012 Florida Super Lawyers list
Education
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Legal Education
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University of Miami School of Law,
Coral Gables,
Florida, December, 1997
J.D.
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University of Miami School of Law,
Coral Gables,
Florida, December, 1997
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Non Legal Education
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University of California,
Berkeley,
California, May, 1993
B.A.
Major: Latin American Studies
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University of California,
Berkeley,
California, May, 1993
Current Employment Position(s)
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Shareholder Attorney, since December 1, 2022
Languages
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English
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Spanish
Classes and Seminars
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Featured Guest, “Employee to Lawyer” Podcast, National Employment Lawyers Association Leadership, National Employment Lawyers Association (NELA) National, 2026
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Litigation and Technology Webinar Responding to Summary Judgment, The Florida Bar Labor and Employment Law Section, 2025
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The Intersection of Criminal Law and Employment Law The Corporate Miranda Warning: Does the Employee Have a Civil Claim?, National Employment Lawyers Association, 2025
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Discovery/Pre-Trial Advocacy: Organizing your Discovery for Success, National Employment Lawyers Association Annual Convention, 2024
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Remedies in Public Employee Cases (Public Employees), National Employment Lawyers Association Representing Federal and Public Employees, 2024
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Emerging Issues in Title IX Litigation (Public Employees), National Employment Lawyers Association Representing Federal and Public Employees, 2024
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Discovery Techniques & Strategies to Overcome Summary Judgment, National Employment Lawyers Association Summary Judgment Seminar, 2023
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Classification of Collegiate Athletes as Employees, Florida National Employment Lawyers Association Annual Conference, 2023
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Employment Law in the Education Setting, Hillsborough County Bar Association, 2023
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Collegiate Athletes as Employees: A Response to the Supreme Court’s decision in Cummings, American Bar Association Labor and Employment Law Section, 2022
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Leave Under Title IX and the Affordable Care Act, National Employment Lawyers Association, 2022
- Damages Under Spending Clause Legislation Post Cummings, Florida Chapter of the National Employment Lawyers Association, 2022
Bar Admissions
- United States Supreme Court, 2003
- Florida, 1998
- U.S. Court of Appeals 11th Circuit, 1999
- U.S. District Court Middle District of Florida, 1998
- U.S. District Court Northern District of Florida, 2009
- U.S. District Court Southern District of Florida, 1998
- Supreme Court of Florida, 1998
- U.S. District Court Eastern District of Michigan, 2020
Other Affiliations
- Florida Chapter of the National Employment Lawyers Association (Florida NELA), 2009 - 2010 (President)
- Collier County Public Schools Mock Trial Coach
- Michael R.N. McDonnell (f/k/a Thomas S. Biggs) American Inn of Court, 2012 - 2013 (President)
- Michael R.N. McDonnell (f/k/a Thomas S. Biggs) American Inn of Court, 2007 - Present (Executive Board)
- National Employment Lawyers Association (NELA) (Member)
- Collier County Legal Panel American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
- Florida Chapter of the National Employment Lawyers Association (Florida NELA), 2006 - 2013 (Board Member)
- National Employment Lawyers Association (NELA), 2023 - Present (Board Member)
- Voluntary Bar Committee for The Florida Bar Labor and Employment Law Section, - 2025 (Committee Chair)
- Florida Bar Labor and Employment Law Section, - 2025 (Executive Council)
- NELA Ethics and Sanctions Committee, - 2025 (Co-Chair)
- Affiliate Relations, NELA, - 2025 (Vice President)
- Election to College of Labor and Employment Lawyers (Induction November 2025)
- Florida Legal Services, Inc., 2014 - 2016 (Board Member Appointment)
- EEOC Liaison Committee, Florida Chapter, National Employment Lawyers Association, - 2013 (Chair)
Photo
Contact
601 West Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard
Tampa, FL 33603
Phone: 813-251-5599
Fax: 813.259.9797
Email: Send a message
Hours: Monday - Friday: 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
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