About John L.
John L. Mlnarik grew up studying two different ways of reading the world: numbers and narratives. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and English from Santa Clara University in 2000, then returned to law school and received his J.D. from Lincoln University in 2008. Those degrees set the stage for a career that has moved between hands-on legal work and community leadership.
He began in the legal field as a paralegal, first at Walkers Global in 2002 and later at Ericksen Arbuthnot in 2005. Those early roles gave him practical courtroom and case preparation experience. He handled document drafting, assisted on filings and supported attorneys in managing client matters. The paralegal years informed how he approaches cases as an attorney: detail-minded and pragmatic.
In 2009 he started The Mlnarik Law Group and serves as its principal lawyer and founder. Since taking that step he has built a practice that appears rooted in both courtroom procedure and client counseling. He is admitted to practice in California and has federal admission to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, allowing him to work on matters that move beyond the state level.
His involvement in professional organizations has been a constant. He has been a member of the William A. Ingram Inns of Court since 2006. He joined the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Lawyers in 2009 and maintains that membership. Locally, he has been active in the Santa Clara County Bar Association since 2009 and has served as its president beginning in 2015. Those roles have kept him engaged in local legal issues and in mentoring newer attorneys.
Colleagues describe his practice as hands-on. He draws on experience from both his paralegal background and his time running a firm. He has experience handling filings in state courts and appellate work in the Ninth Circuit. His membership in the consumer bankruptcy association signals ongoing involvement in consumer bankruptcy matters and related litigation.
Outside of courtrooms and meetings, he has continued to run The Mlnarik Law Group from its Santa Clara office. The firm handles litigation and bankruptcy-related matters at the state and federal level. He currently leads the firm and concentrates on consumer bankruptcy and related litigation in California and the Ninth Circuit.
