Biography

 

A. Patrick Hamilton

Patrick Hamilton graduated from Capital University Law School in 1979.  Prior to graduation, Pat served as a Court officer in the Franklin County Domestic Relations Court starting in 1977. After graduation Pat spent two years providing services to clients in need through the Columbus Legal Aid Society.  Hamilton Law Office was opened in 1981.  His practice has been focused on Adoption and Family Law for 27 years.

 Pat is a long standing member of the Columbus Bar Association and he has served on numerous committees including the Family Law Committee, the Community Service Committee and the Admissions Committee. Pat was one of the founding members of the Collaborative Law Counsel of Central Ohio, served on the Board for four years, and served as Treasurer for one year. 

Patrick has been a member of the American Academy of Adoption Attorneys since 2003.  As chair of the Guardian ad Litem Committee Patrick helped redraft the local rule regarding guardians ad litem.  Pat was also appointed by the Court to serve on the Mediation Committee, which considers modification of court policy and screens and approves new mediators.  In addition Pat served on the Board of Community Mediation Services. 

Pat has always considered community service to be an important commitment, both personally and professionally.  After his tenure with the Legal Aid Society of Columbus Pat continued to accept clients on a reduced fee or pro bono basis through the Legal Aid Referral Project.  He was awarded numerous Pro Bono Awards for his work with that organization.  Through a Legal Services Pilot Project, he and two other colleagues were able to serve 450 clients at no cost to them. 

In 1989, Pat was selected to serve the homeless in Central Ohio as the Director of the Columbus Bar Associations pro bono project.  This project recognized that homeless men and women were denied access to the legal system because they were not able to hire, or even travel to, a lawyer's office.  Pat coordinated the effort to get lawyer volunteers into four shelters each week so their legal needs could be addressed.  Even after his tenure with that organization ended in 1999, Pat has continued to serve as an attorney volunteer.

Pat has spoken on numerous occasions on many topics including adoption, the role of guardians ad litem, the Soldiers and Sailors Relief Act, agency adoptions and the pro bono responsibility of lawyers to name just a few.  Pat has continued with his personal commitment to give back to the community by serving as Board Chair for the Broad Street Presbyterian Church Food Pantry and by chairing the committee to reorganize The Compass Program, a program that attempts to help people before they lose access to their housing.

Pat has been married to Debra since 1977, and the two of them have worked together since 1992.  They consider their greatest accomplishments to be their three amazing children, Jaclyn, Andrew and Kate.  Patrick hopes that his commitment to compassionate and professional service to each client is reflected in his personal history.