If she hadn’t gone to law school, personal injury attorney Melinda C. Ghilardi would have likely become a social worker. In addition to truly helping her clients, she also enjoys the intellectual stimulation of working in an always-changing field and staying on top of the latest developments in the law. Prior to joining Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys, Melinda worked in the Federal Public Defender’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania for over three decades. She began her career as an Assistant District Attorney in Lackawanna County.
In 2019, Melinda left the Federal Public Defender’s Office. Not content to rest on her laurels, Melinda was looking for her next challenge. When her fellow Scranton Preparatory School alum Marian Munley contacted her, Melinda decided that it was time to shift gears into private practice at one of the Commonwealth’s most highly respected firms. And while civil law is a big change from her many years in criminal law, Melinda has found a key throughline in this latest stage of her career—the satisfying work of helping individuals connect to the resources they need and delivering the best possible legal outcomes.
In her spare time, Melinda enjoys traveling with family, friends, and colleagues, occasionally fostering pets, and staying closely connected to her nieces and nephews. She lives in Lackawanna County with her husband, a retired lawyer and Air Force Veteran.
Notable Settlements & Verdicts
Speaking Engagements
Personal Injury Law Conference 2023 – Civil Practice Primer
Federal Practice Institute
WIP Report Card: What We've Learned in 30 Years
Federal Practice Institute
Insurance Broker/Agent Liability
State of Women in the Law in Pennsylvania: Lessons from Two Pennsylvania Initiatives to Track Advance Women Leaders and Lawyers
Best Sentencing Practices in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
Sentencing Strategy Session for Federal Public and Community Defenders (Restorative Justice, Challenging Relevant Conduct, Mental Health, Brainstorming Immigration Cases, Crimes of Violence/Violent Felonies, Consequences of Race, Ethnicity and Wealth Inequality, The Future of Sentencing)
Federal Criminal Defense Training (Ethics, The Ins & Outs of Social Media Records, Sentencing Guidelines Update, Case Budgeting and Excess Compensation Cases, E-Voucher 101, Third Circuit Update & Practice Tips, Update on Johnson Litigation)
Impact and Preview of the Supreme Court of the United States on Federal Practice
Community Involvement
Women's Resource Center of Scranton
University of Scranton Panuska College of Professional Studies
Girl Scouts in the Heart of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence
Circle 200 Forum for Senior Level Executive Women
Professional Organizations
Pennsylvania Bar Association
Pennsylvania Bar Foundation, Board of Directors
Pennsylvania Bar Association, Board of Governors
Woman Governor, 2012 – 2015
Pennsylvania Bar Association, Bar Leadership Institute
Pennsylvania Bar Association, Commission on Women in the Profession
Executive Counsel, 2003 - present
Secretary 2003 – 2004
Pennsylvania Bar Association, House of Delegates, Zone Five
American Association for Justice
Nursing Home Litigation Group
Women Trial Lawyers Caucus
Melvin M. Belli Society
Pennsylvania Association for Justice
PA Judicial PAC Trustee, 2023 - present
Auto Law Section
Women Leaders Section
Lackawanna Bar Association
Wilkes-Barre Law and Library Association
Lackawanna Bar Foundation
Association of Women Lawyers of Lackawanna County,
