Attorney
Marlena R. Mlynarska
Founder, MRM Law, APC
Marlena R. Mlynarska is the founder of MRM Law, APC, a civil defense firm representing public entities, law enforcement agencies and personnel, and employers in complex litigation throughout California.
Marlena@MRM.Law
Practice Focus
Introduction
Marlena R. Mlynarska is the founder of MRM Law, APC, a civil defense firm representing public entities, law enforcement agencies and personnel, and employers in complex litigation throughout California.
Ms. Mlynarska's practice focuses on public entity defense, police liability, civil rights litigation, employment defense, wrongful termination, FEHA claims, wrongful death, Monell liability, use-of-force matters, and general liability defense. She represents public entities, law enforcement agencies and personnel, and employers in both California state and federal courts.
Her practice is grounded in strategic advocacy, meticulous case preparation, and a commitment to providing public-sector clients with sophisticated and responsive representation in matters carrying significant legal, financial, and institutional consequences.
Practice
- Public Entity Defense
- Civil Rights Litigation
- Police Liability
- § 1983 Defense
- Employment Defense
- FEHA and Wrongful Termination
- Wrongful Death
- Monell Liability
- Use-of-Force Matters
- General Liability
Experience
Early Career
Ms. Mlynarska began her legal career in civil defense while attending Chapman University School of Law, first working as a Summer Associate in 2016. Following law school, she developed a significant portion of her litigation practice defending the Orange County Sheriff's Department and its personnel in high-stakes law enforcement, civil rights, and public entity matters.
Practice Focus
Her experience includes the defense of officer-involved shootings, police use-of-force claims, federal civil rights actions, Monell claims, wrongful death actions, employment matters, wrongful termination and FEHA claims, and other public entity and general liability matters in both California state and federal courts. Prior to founding MRM Law, that experience extended through federal jury trial proceedings and appellate proceedings before the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
Litigation Strategy
Ms. Mlynarska's practice encompasses litigation strategy from a matter's earliest stages through discovery, depositions, dispositive motion practice, and trial preparation. She has also represented and prepared members of law enforcement executive command for deposition and court testimony in significant litigation involving complex factual records, sensitive institutional issues, and substantial potential exposure.
MRM Law, APC
Today, through MRM Law, APC, Ms. Mlynarska brings this experience to the representation of public entities, law enforcement agencies and personnel, and employers in significant civil matters throughout California. She provides defense in both state and federal court, with particular emphasis on police liability and civil rights litigation, public entity defense, employment litigation, FEHA and wrongful termination claims, wrongful death, Monell liability, use-of-force matters, and general liability.
Firm Philosophy
MRM Law, APC was founded on the principles that have defined Ms. Mlynarska's practice: drive, preparation, dedication, tenacity, and creative problem-solving. The firm's mission is to provide public entities and institutional clients with high-caliber defense representation while maintaining the responsiveness, flexibility, and personal attention of a focused practice.
Her experience includes defending the Orange County Sheriff's Department in P.E.O.P.L.E. v. Rackauckas, litigation initiated in 2018 by People for the Ethical Operation of Prosecutors and Law Enforcement (P.E.O.P.L.E.) and individual plaintiffs, represented by the ACLU and Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP. The litigation concerned the Orange County Sheriff's Department's use of custodial informants and alleged violations of federal constitutional and state law. In 2025, the plaintiffs voluntarily dismissed the action with prejudice as to the Orange County Sheriff's Department.
Read the Orange County Sheriff's Department ReleaseEducation
- Chapman University School of Law — J.D., 2019, Cum Laude; Moot Court Honors Board; Editor, Chapman Law Review
- University of La Verne — B.A., 2015, Magna Cum Laude
Judicial Experience
Before entering private practice, Ms. Mlynarska served as a judicial extern to the Honorable Raymond J. Ikola, Associate Justice of the California Court of Appeal, Fourth Appellate District, Division Three.
Beyond the Practice
Outside of her practice, Ms. Mlynarska enjoys surfing, hiking, rock climbing, island hopping, and spontaneous trips along the California coast.
Contact
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For inquiries regarding representation, litigation, training, or public-sector legal matters, contact MRM Law.