Meet Attorney Marilyn D. York

MEET YOUR NEIGHBOR Attorney Marilyn D. York

Many of us call Reno’s Old Southwest home, but the neighborhood is also home to a few businesses as well. Many businesses have converted former homes into office space, retaining the charm of the neighborhood while also creating a comfortable work environment. One such business is the law firm of Marilyn D. York.

Marilyn’s office is located at the corner of Gordon and California Avenues, in a Tudor Revival home originally built in 1928 for William Graham who lived there for 40 years. The home was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.

Prior to the firm’s current location, Marilyn’s office was across Gordon Avenue in another former residence that has since been replaced by the recently constructed building that houses Desert Wind Homes. Marilyn bought the firm’s current office in January 2009. She had always loved the building’s architecture and dreamed of owning it someday. She jumped when she had the chance to buy it and took the opportunity to design and decorate it to accommodate the firm’s needs while keeping as much of the original detail and 1920s style as possible. When asked what drew her to the neighborhood initially, she said it was the charm of the area, but also the proximity to nearby courthouses.

Marilyn’s Nevada roots run deep. Her father was born and raised in Fallon, where her paternal grandparents started the first Grade A dairy in the state and owned and operated York Meats for more than 30 years. Fallon’s York Lane is named for her great grandfather.

Born in California, Marilyn has lived in Reno since 1989

William Graham residence built in 1928, home to the offices of attorney Marilyn York. Photo: Jon Roanhaus, Wikipedia

when she moved here from San Jose. She attended Swope Middle School, Reno High School and the University of Nevada, Reno. Upon graduation from the University, she moved to Los Angeles for law school. She graduated early—in just two years – and then began doing high-end Hollywood divorces before coming back to Reno to open her own practice in 2000.

Marilyn’s firm is well known for its controversial advertising. The firm solely represents men in divorce proceedings, so their advertising portrays a side of divorce that isn’t often considered. Marilyn says that while the firm’s ads can be controversial, their primary goal is to grab the audience’s attention. Marilyn’s creativity with the ads sets them apart from other firms. Regarding the advertising, Marilyn said, “We don’t consider our ads to be ‘scandalous,‘ but we’re exclusively a men’s and father’s rights firm with a passion for it, and that shows in our advertising.”

When asked why she chose to focus on representing men in divorce, Marilyn said, “We represent men because they need us! Men are still underdogs in family court, and they need strong women to advocate for them. We don’t represent men to hurt women! That’s not what our practice is about. Children need both of their parents whenever possible.”

Marilyn loves calling Reno home. When asked what she likes about the community, she said, “I love that everyone here knows everyone within a few degrees of separation. This keeps people honest. There is no real anonymity here, so the true nature of our community – good and bad – is just a few people or acts away from being known.”