Meet Josh - The Spinal Cord Injury Law Firm, PLLC

My Story

Josh Basile grew up in Maryland with an active lifestyle defined by sports and academic promise. In high school, he attended the Bullis School, where he served as the number-one singles player on the varsity tennis team and was recruited to play collegiate tennis at Skidmore College. He played one year of college tennis, spending his freshman year at Skidmore, until a single moment in the summer of 2004 changed the course of his life forever.

In August 2004, while on a family vacation in Bethany Beach, Delaware, a powerful wave picked up 18-year-old Josh and slammed him headfirst into the ocean floor. The impact shattered his fifth cervical vertebra, leaving him paralyzed from the shoulders down. His injury was catastrophic—he was rushed to the hospital and spent weeks on a ventilator, unable to breathe on his own. During that time, he could only communicate by blinking his eyes to spell out messages to family and friends. But even in those earliest days, Josh’s determination never wavered.

From the moment Josh regained his ability to speak, he found a new purpose: advocacy. Lying in a hospital bed, he resolved not only to fight for his own life but to help others facing similar challenges. Only months after his injury, at the age of 19, Josh turned this resolve into action by forming a nonprofit organization to support the spinal cord injury community. He founded the Determined2Heal Foundation, Inc., a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to empowering and educating those impacted by spinal cord injuries on how to live active, healthy lifestyles. He has since gone on to mentor over 4,000 spinal cord injury families one-on-one through their journeys and was inducted into the National Disability Mentoring Coalition’s Class of 2019 – Mentoring Hall of Fame.

Josh also launched SPINALpedia.com, an innovative video-based mentoring network for people with paralysis. Over the years, SPINALpedia has grown into the world’s largest paralysis video archive, with over 40,000 videos that help individuals discover what is possible and connect with mentors who can guide them through life after injury. Through Determined2Heal and SPINALpedia, Josh created a positive outlet for his energy and a lifeline for thousands of fellow survivors. His personal journey—from a devastating injury to becoming a community leader, mentor, and advocate—set the stage for everything that came next.

Education and Experience

Josh’s injury may have changed the way he moved through the world, but it never altered his ambition. From the moment he left rehabilitation, he set his sights on using his education to make a meaningful impact—not only in his own life but in the lives of others. Determined to continue his academic journey, Josh enrolled at the University of Maryland, College Park, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communication in 2010, graduating cum laude with a 3.8 GPA. While in college, he found new ways to advocate for the disability community, laying the groundwork for the legal career that would follow.

Josh then attended the University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law, an institution known for its commitment to public service. His time in law school solidified his passion for disability rights and social justice. He thrived in an environment where advocacy was not just encouraged but required, graduating magna cum laude in 2013 with a 3.6 GPA. While in law school, he was selected as Senior Editor of the Law Review, further developing the legal writing and research skills that would serve him throughout his career.

Josh wasted no time gaining hands-on experience in the legal field. He held multiple prestigious legal internships, including working for a U.S. District Court judge, the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. At the U.S. Senate, he worked directly on disability-related policy research under the leadership of Senator Tom Harkin, a key architect of the Americans with Disabilities Act. These experiences deepened his understanding of both the legislative and judicial processes, reinforcing his desire to fight for people whose voices often go unheard.

Josh passed the Maryland Bar Exam in December 2013 and was later admitted to the District of Columbia Bar in May 2015. He immediately put his knowledge into action, joining the esteemed trial law firm Jack H. Olender & Associates, P.C. in Washington, D.C., where he would spend over a decade as a medical malpractice and catastrophic injury attorney. During his time at the firm, Josh worked on some of the most complex, high-stakes personal injury cases—many involving spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, birth injuries, and wrongful death lawsuits. He fought tirelessly for his clients, helping to secure multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements while ensuring that justice was served.

My Passion

While Josh has built an impressive career as a trial attorney, his work extends far beyond the courtroom. He is a leader in the disability community, holding prominent board positions and advocacy roles across multiple organizations. Josh serves on the Board of Directors for the United Spinal Association, where he holds the position of Board Secretary, guiding the largest nonprofit organization supporting individuals with spinal cord injuries. His work with Maryland’s Statewide Independent Living Council, where he was appointed by Governor Hogan and Governor Moore, allows him to shape policies on housing, employment, and transportation for individuals with disabilities throughout the state.

Beyond his legal career and advocacy, Josh’s greatest joy comes from his family. A pivotal chapter of his life began when he met Katie Fava, the woman who would change everything. The two quickly fell in love, forming a deep bond built on shared values, mutual respect, and unwavering support for one another. Katie’s daughter welcomed Josh into her life with open arms, and when the couple welcomed their son, Josh fully embraced the role of father, mentor, and protector. Becoming a dad gave Josh a renewed sense of purpose, deepening his commitment to breaking down barriers—not just for himself, but for his family and future generations.

Yet, despite everything he has built, Josh faces one of the most personal and painful injustices of disability law: the marriage penalty and tax. For the first five years of their relationship if he and Katie were to legally marry, he would have lost the Medicaid-funded caregiving he relies on for daily survival—simply because his household income would exceed the restrictive limits placed on people with disabilities. After years of advocacy, Josh changed this law in Maryland on January 1, 2024 for all Marylanders enrolled in the Employed Individuals with Disabilities program. Unfortunately, the Governor would not change the marriage penalty tax which Josh is still working to amend. These unjust policy forces countless couples, like Josh and Katie, to make an impossible choice between marriage and independence. Determined to change the law, Josh has become a national voice in the fight to eliminate marriage penalties and taxes for people with disabilities. He has testified before state and federal lawmakers, spoken out in major media outlets, and helped spearhead legislative efforts to reform Medicaid regulations. His work is about more than policy—it’s about love, dignity, and the right to build a future without discrimination. In recognition of his impact, Josh was named to the inaugural Forbes Accessibility 100 list in 2025 under the Law & Government category.

Whether representing a client in the courtroom across the country, advocating for policy changes in Washington, or mentoring newly injured individuals adjusting to life with a disability, Josh’s legal expertise and lived experience make him a force for change. His career has been dedicated to ensuring that people with disabilities are heard, protected, and empowered to live full and independent lives. But beyond the advocacy, the legal victories, and the policy reforms, Josh’s greatest passion is simply being a partner to Katie and a father to their children. Every fight he takes on, every law he works to change, and every case he wins is not just for his clients—but for his family and the future they deserve.

Josh Basile

My Story

Education and Experience

My Passion

In the Media