Julia Sylva, Founder, Law Offices of Julia Sylva
Julia Sylva is the sole shareholder of the Law Offices of Julia Sylva, A Law Corporation, a full-service litigation and transactional law firm with offices in Los Angeles and the Greater Long Beach Area. Ms. Sylva successfully practices real estate, land use, business and corporate law, including the representation of nonprofit organizations. She serves and she has served as general and special counsel to various public entities in the State of California including, counties, cities, community colleges, school districts, and special districts, specializing in the areas of political reform act, elections law, land use and planning, real estate/redevelopment matters, and public finance. As legal counsel to small business clients, she is well versed in corporate formation, governance, conflicts, contracts and finance.
Ms. Sylva is active in many civic and community activities that promote women in appointive and elective public office namely, the National Women’s Political Caucus, where she currently serves as President of the Los Angeles Metro Chapter and Chair of the Los Angeles County Coordinating Council. She is also a Member of the Governing Board of the Loyola Law School Alumni Association.
Ms. Sylva is the youngest and first woman elected to the City Council, City of Hawaiian Gardens, where she served as Mayor (2 terms); she is the first Latina to be elected Mayor in the United States*. Ms. Sylva also served as a Director of the Hawaiian Gardens Redevelopment Agency. She is a former member of the Citizens’ Economy and Efficiency Commission, County of Los Angeles, where she was appointed to the Executive Committee and served as Chair of Economic Development Task Force (served 12 years).
Ms. Sylva is also a former member of the California State Bar, Executive Committee, Public Law Section, the California State Commission on Technology and Learning, and the California Law Revision Commission. She is a founding member of the Loyola Law School Hispanic Endowment Fund and the Latina Lawyers Political Action Committee. Throughout her career in local government, spanning more than 30 years, Ms. Sylva has acquired and cultivated relationships with elected and appointed public officials; she now assists clients in matters as a legislative advocate and in public affairs.
Education
- California State University Long Beach, 1978; Loyola Law School, 1983 (scholarship recipient)
*(Source: U.S. Conference of Mayors)
