AMELIA HAMILTON

We hope you enjoy this month’s opportunity to get to know Amelia Hamilton, Assistant District Attorney General with the Sixth Judicial District. Amelia describes her primary role as a “table DA” in Knox County Criminal Court Division II, where she takes on cases that have not been assigned to a specialized unit. She is a December 2021 graduate from the Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law and also holds the following degrees: Northern Arizona University, Bachelor of Arts in French; Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center, Associate of Arts in Korean; and Austin Peay State University, Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice with a focus in Homeland Security. In addition, Amelia is a U.S. Army veteran, and we thank her for her service.

Before law school, I was an officer with the Knox County Sheriff’s Office. One of my assignments was in the City County Building as a Court Services Officer. My various duties included sitting in court and managing the flow of inmates and new arrestees to and from the various courtrooms. During this time, I had the opportunity to speak with attorneys about their jobs and to watch the many stages of the criminal court system. After moving to another unit within the Sheriff’s Office, I eventually came to the decision that I wanted to do something more challenging but stay somewhat within the same field of work, which led me to law school.

Bringing equal justice to all, even if that means working with opposing counsel to solve a drug dependency or mental health issue over sending someone to prison. It is really rewarding to see someone come back to court looking healthy and succeeding in life, when just a few months or a few years ago they were lost within their addiction.

Where are you from?

I was born and raised in Homer, Alaska. After high school, I moved to Idaho and then to Arizona for my first undergrad degree (including a year in France). After graduation, I joined the Army as a Cryptologic Linguist (Korean) where I served on active duty for five years. In the Army, I bounced around from Missouri to California to Texas, then Korea, followed by Hawaii, from which I deployed to Eastern Afghanistan. I ended up in Knoxville after leaving the Army in 2012, and I have been here ever since.

What are your hobbies?

My hobbies focus on music and veteran’s-related issues. I am a member of the Knoxville Community Band (KCB), and when needed, I volunteer as a trombone tutor with the Joy of Music School, which provides music lessons free of cost to children. KCB puts on free concerts in the community throughout the year, including at the Rossini Festival and at the Clayton Center of the Arts during Christmastime.

I am also a member of a group called Irreverent Warriors, an organization with the Mission “to bring veterans together using humor and camaraderie to improve mental health and prevent veteran suicide.” I enjoy going to get-togethers with fellow vets, assisting with fundraisers for the organization and the local Knoxville branch, and bringing awareness to the community about Veteran Suicide. We spend time together so that we are not alone with our own thoughts. I personally like to organize events that include getting out into nature and taking in fresh air.

What do you think it is most important for lawyers early in their career to know about work-life balance?

YOU MUST DO THIS!! I was lucky to learn work-life balance early on in law school, albeit coming at the expense of my own health. Set goals, look at your schedule far in advance, make time for yourself, and write things down. I deal with so many cases on a daily basis that if I don’t make notes right then and there I will forget, which means time wasted later trying to re-figure things out. And don’t be afraid to ask for help. I go to my coworkers, secretaries, coordinators, officers, clerks, and former professors all the time for advice. In the future, I hope that I can be that source of information for someone else. I’ll even guide my defense attorney friends from law school if there is something I can help them with. The system works when we all work together.

What is your favorite movie?

What About Bob? with Bill Murray. It brightens my day every time I watch it. Bob shows me that a mere change in perspective can change your whole life.

By: Miranda Goodwin, J.D.