Areas of Practice

Medical Malpractice
Wrongful Death
Personal Injury

Litigation Percentage

100% of Practice Devoted to Litigation

Bar Admissions

Ohio, 1995
U.S. Bankruptcy Court Northern District of Ohio, 1995
U.S. Supreme Court, 2013

Education

Cleveland State University, Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, Cleveland, Ohio
- J.D. summa cum laude – 1994
- Law Review: Cleveland State Law Review, Managing Editor
University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- RN-BSN – 1989
- Major: Bachelor Science in Nursing

Published Works

Common Myths of HIPAA’s “Final Rule”- What Every Practitioner Should Know, Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Journal, Vol. 6, No. 8, March 25, 2014
Female Perspective in a Woman-Friendly Firm, The Gavel- Cleveland State University College of Law- Winter, Edition, May 8, 2013
Women in the Profession – Still Changing the Practice of Law, Ohio Lawyer, Nov. -Dec. 2012, November 8, 2012
Federal Plan for Healthcare Cost Containment: Changes are Coming, Academy of Medicine of Cleveland and Northern Ohio Magazine, July/August 2011, July 7, 2011
Moment of Truth, Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association Journal, February 15, 2011
Health Care and the Role of Litigation, Cleveland Marshall Law School Course Syllabus- Summer 2011, February 1, 2011
Recouping Improper Medicare Payments, October 1, 2009

Classes/Seminars

“Reducing Obstetric Malpractice Claims: Addressing Ways of Reducing Maternal Morbidity/Mortality and Preventable Medical Errors”, 18th annual Advanced Forum on Obstetric Malpractice Claims, June 2019.
“Getting Sued, and the Deposition Process”, Society for Simulation in Healthcare, January 2019 to present
“Watch a Doctor Get Sued: A Live Medicolegal Simulation”, Society for Academic Emergency Medicine Annual Meeting, May 2018 to present
Leadership and Public Speaking Program with Judge Brendan Sheehan (Professional Development Series), Case Western Reserve Law School, November 2016 to present
“System Errors Expanding Liability in Medical Malpractice Claims”, OAJ’s 2016 Winter Convention, November 2016

Honors and Awards

Best Lawyers® 2024 Personal Injury “Lawyer of the Year” in Cleveland
Top 25 Women Cleveland Super Lawyers- 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
Top 50 Cleveland Super Lawyers- 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2023, 2024
Ohio Super Lawyers- 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
Top 100 Ohio Super Lawyers – 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2023, 2024
Top 50 Women Ohio Super Lawyers- 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
Listed in Best Lawyers in America© since 2010 for her work in medical malpractice and personal injury law.
Recognized by Marquis “Who’s Who of American Women”

Professional Associations and Memberships

Ohio State Bar Association
Ohio Women’s Bar Association
Ohio Women’s Bar Foundation, President, 2013 – 2014
Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association
Justinian Forum
American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA)
National Italian-American Bar Association
International Society of Barristers
Adjunct Professor at CSU College of Law – 2022 to present

Languages

English
Italian

Before co-founding DiSilvio Young, Marilena spent 17 years at a prominent Cleveland defense firm, where she served on the Executive and Management Committees and chaired the Health Care Law Practice Group. Her experience on the defense side gives her a strategic advantage in representing plaintiffs—allowing her to anticipate defense tactics and hold negligent parties accountable. Following her time in the defense bar, she spent 10 years at one of Ohio’s largest personal injury law firms, further sharpening her advocacy for those harmed by medical negligence and wrongful conduct.

In 2024, Marilena was named Best Lawyers® Personal Injury “Lawyer of the Year” in Cleveland, and she has been recognized in Best Lawyers in America for over a decade. She holds an AV Preeminent Rating from Martindale-Hubbell, reflecting the highest level of professional excellence and ethical integrity.

Marilena’s achievements have also earned her national recognition by Super Lawyers Magazine, including:

Top 50 Women Ohio Super Lawyers (2010–2025)
Top 25 Women Cleveland Super Lawyers (2012–2024)
Top 50 Lawyers in Cleveland (2012–2019, 2021, 2023–2025)
Top 100 Lawyers in Ohio (2011–2019, 2021, 2023–2025)
She has also been listed in Marquis Who’s Who of American Women for her professional accomplishments.

Beyond the courtroom, Marilena is deeply committed to public service and legal education. She served as President of the Ohio Women’s Bar Foundation in 2013 and as Co-Chair of the 2014–15 Leadership Institute. She is a Trustee of LifeAct, a nonprofit focused on teen suicide prevention, and a Founding Member of the Ohio Advisory Group to the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, D.C.

Marilena also shares her expertise as an Adjunct Professor at CSU College of Law, where she teaches and mentors future attorneys, further strengthening the next generation of advocates.

With decades of experience, a background in healthcare, and an unwavering commitment to justice, Marilena DiSilvio is a trusted advocate for those harmed by medical negligence and workplace injustice.

Marilena DiSilvio Partner DiSilivio Young Law Lisa Roberts Photography

Marilena DiSilvio

Partner | DiSilvio Young

Marilena DiSilvio is a founding partner of DiSilvio Young and one of Ohio’s most respected trial lawyers in the fields of medical malpractice, birth injury, personal injury, and wrongful death. A former registered nurse and seasoned litigator, Marilena brings unmatched insight into the intersection of medicine and law. She has tried over 60 medical negligence cases to verdict, including matters involving catastrophic birth injuries, cerebral palsy, brachial plexus injuries, paralysis, and wrongful death.

Your case. Our cause. Contact DiSilvio Young today for a free, confidential consultation. No legal fees unless we win your case.