Mr. Silva is a founding member of Adams Silva & McNally LLP. Mr. Silva’s legal career has been dedicated to education law and provides him with diverse legal expertise including representation of school districts in special education, students, labor and employment matters, charter schools and general education law. He has appeared on behalf of clients in state and federal court, before the Public Employment Relations Board, the Department of Fair Employment and Housing, the Office for Civil Rights and the Office of Administrative Hearings.

Mr. Silva’s passion for education originated when he was an elementary school teacher in the Coachella Valley Unified School District. Later, while a student at Rutgers University School of Law, he worked at the Special Education Law Clinic, representing students and their parents in a range of special education matters. The knowledge gained during this time gives Mr. Silva valuable insight into the representation of his education clients.

Mr. Silva is a prolific speaker and skilled trainer. He conducts workshops for education decision-makers in conjunction with the California School Boards Association, the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials, the California Latino School Boards Association, the Association of California School Administrators, LRP, the San Diego Council of Administrators of Special Education, and for individual school district clients. Topics have included superintendent contracts, special education issues, labor relations, and Brown Act compliance.

During law school, he was co-recipient of the A. Jennifer Smaldone Memorial prize in recognition of his contribution to the legal rights of the disabled and was named one of Hispanic Business Magazine’s 100 Most Influential Hispanic Leaders of 2009.