Josh Hamilton
Biography
Josh Hamilton wanted to be a criminal defense attorney since he was a small child and began his career with Clay Hernandez immediately upon graduating from law school in New York City. Josh decided to leave New York and start working alongside Clay because he felt there was no better way to develop and hone his skills as a criminal defense attorney than to learn from one of the best in the business. Since relocating to Tucson in 2010, Josh has developed into a skilled defense attorney, successfully arguing cases before the Arizona Supreme Court and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, including a high-profile victory in a Supreme Court case which dismantled the abusive police practice of forcing suspects to submit to warrantless search following arrest. See State v. Butler, 232 Ariz. 84, 302 P.3d 609 (2013). Josh has expertly represented clients in many high-profile matters, including cases featured in the Arizona Daily Star, People Magazine, U.S. News and World Report, and NBC News.
Josh is one of the fastest-rising stars in criminal defense in Arizona, whose devotion and determination to protect the accused has led to successful outcomes in countless cases in Arizona. Josh is a proud Tucsonan and alumnus of the University of Arizona. He takes his role as a criminal defense attorney as serious as life and death. He has been recognized as a Rising Star by Southwest SuperLawyers and was featured as a Top Attorney in Arizona by Phoenix Magazine.
Resume
EDUCATION:
University of Arizona, B.A., 2006
New York Law School, J.D., 2010
LICENSED:
Arizona, 2010
District of Arizona, 2010
Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, 2013
U.S. Supreme Court, 2017
PRO HAC VICE ADMISSIONS:
Southern District of California, 2016
Ohio Supreme Court, 2017
PUBLISHED CASES:
Willis v. Bernini, 253 Ariz. 453 (2022)
Hansen v. Chon-Lopez, 252 Ariz. 250 (App. 2021)
United States v. Halamek, 5 F.4th 1081 (9th Cir. 2021)
State v. Murray, 250 Ariz. 543 (2021)
United States v. Voris, 964 F.3d 864 (9th Cir.), cert. denied 141 S. Ct. 2564 (2021)
State v. Murray, 247 Ariz. 583 (App. 2019)
United States v. Carpenter et al., 923 F.3d 1172 (9th Cir. 2019)
United States v. Guillen-Cervantes, 748 F.3d 870 (9th Cir. 2014)
State v. Butler, 232 Ariz. 84 (2013)
State v. Butler, 231 Ariz. 42 (App. 2012)
PROFESSIONAL COMMITTEES:
Arizona Attorneys for Criminal Justice, Board of Governors (2019-present)
Arizona Attorneys for Criminal Justice, Seminar Committee Chair (2022-present)
Criminal Practice & Procedure Committee, State Bar of Arizona (2019-2022)
United States District Court, Tucson Division, CJA Panel Selection Committee (2021-present)
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIP:
Arizona Attorneys for Criminal Justice (AACJ)
Lawyers for Literacy
National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL)
Pima County Bar Association
PROFESSIONAL RECOGNITION AND AWARDS:
Top Attorneys in Arizona (Phoenix Magazine)
Southwest Super Lawyers, Rising Star
National Trial Lawyers, Top 40 Under 40
Martindale-Hubbell’s “AV Preeminent” Rating, Individual & Firm
Best Law Firms by U.S. News & World Report
SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS:
Guest Lecturer, Handling Special Victim Unit (SVU) Cases: Considerations and Concerns for the Criminal Law Practitioner, University of Arizona Law School (Tucson, AZ 2023)
AACJ Annual Seminar, Grand Jury Practice—How to Represent Grand Jury Targets and Litigate Grand Jury Issues in State and Federal Courts (Phoenix, AZ 2023)
AACJ Winter Seminar, Ethics: Managing Client Property & Money Issues (Phoenix, AZ 2022)
Guest Lecturer, Grand Jury Practice, University of Arizona Law School (Tucson, AZ 2020)
Faculty, State Bar of Arizona, Course on Professionalism: Responsibilities to Clients and Others (Tucson, AZ 2021)
Guest Lecturer, Representing Clients at the Pre-Indictment Stage, University of Arizona Law School (Tucson, AZ 2021)
APDA Statewide Annual Conference, Representing Clients in Multi-Defendant Cases & Fees Paid by Non-Clients: A Discussion of Ethical Concerns (Tempe, AZ 2019)
APDA Statewide Annual Conference, Protecting Your Client Pre-Indictment: Investigation and Defense Strategy (Tempe, AZ 2018)
Criminal Justice Seminar, City High School (Tucson, AZ 2017)