Hilary Hammell, Attorney at Law

Licensed to practice in California.

J.D. University of Washington 2012

B.A. Yale 2004

Hello! I am a lawyer and I love my job. Really!

Here’s my attempt to explain why.

My children attend an Oakland public school where, every morning, they recite the school’s motto. Part of the motto is: “it feels good to do the right thing.” That sums up why I do this work. I get to help people for a living. And I get to help people gain justice, fair treatment, and dignity, and I get to help regular folks who are called to serve on juries do the amazing work of enforcing our laws. What an honor. It feels good to do the right thing.

I love practicing employment law in California because our laws protect people from unsafe workplaces, from discrimination, and from being punished for speaking out. If we win a trial and get punitive damages, it can send a message to companies far and wide. If we win a class action or an appeal, it has ripple effects that can affect the whole state and even resonate nationally.

I do this work not just because of the important impact we can make. I love analyzing the facts, talking to the witnesses, making sure my clients are heard, seen, and empowered. I even love the process of dealing with the other side - whether through collegial negotiations or tense court battles (or often both) - to win justice for my clients and ensure that they are treated fairly not just in terms of the outcome, but throughout the process.

This isn’t just a job for me - it’s a calling.

I am fluent in Spanish and have lived in Chile, Honduras, and Mexico. Before becoming a lawyer I held countless hourly jobs including car valet, ski instructor, retail sales clerk, and hotel receptionist, and I’ve worked in the restaurant industry in both the front and back of the house. My least favorite part of working in the kitchen was beating the floor mats at closing time (3 a.m.) every day. My favorite part of restaurant work was getting to interact with so many people, who often showed kindness to me even when I dropped nine plates of the chef’s special. I know first-hand what it’s like to live paycheck to paycheck, and how hard it can be to stand up for your rights when you need that paycheck just to make ends meet.

I had the honor of going to the greatest law school in the world, the University of Washington (Go Huskies!) on the greatest public service scholarship in the world — the Gates Scholarship. Because of that generous opportunity, I have been able to devote my entire legal career to fighting for justice for real people who who have been treated unfairly by companies or by the government. During law school, I worked at the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on a major case of sexual assault and harassment of immigrant farmworkers. After law school I clerked for Judge Stephanie Seymour on the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit — the first female judge appointed to the Tenth Circuit. Following my clerkship I was awarded a Skadden Fellowship to do impact litigation for educational equity in California, and I then provided direct legal services to residents of Bayview/Hunters Point in San Francisco as a Senior Staff Attorney at the groundbreaking, award-winning legal aid nonprofit, Open Door Legal, where I built the organization’s employment-law practice. I’ve published two law review articles, have won awards for my writing and leadership, and have appeared in the media and at conferences to speak about defending women’s rights to fair treatment at work.

Prior to launching my own practice, I was an associate at the nationally-renowned law firm of Levy Vinick Burrell Hyams LLP in Oakland.

I am the proud mom of two mischievous little boys and used be the proud mom of a lazy pit bull named Tuna (RIP). When I am not prosecuting my cases or chasing my children, I like to surf in Santa Cruz or attempt to surf (mostly get pummelled by the whitewater) at Ocean Beach, read mystery novels by (the GOAT) Michael Connelly, watch stand-up comedy, and do the New York Times Spelling Bee.

My favorite book of all time is A Pattern Language by Christopher Alexander, and my current favorite television show is SNL:UK.

Thanks for reading my bio. If you are looking for an employment lawyer, I am sorry that you’re in that position, but I look forward to meeting you nonetheless to see if I can help.