About J. David
J. David Hammond earned his law degree from Syracuse University College of Law in 2004 after completing undergraduate studies at North Carolina State University in 2000. He began his legal education at a time when military service and government work were common pathways for new lawyers, and those threads appear throughout his early career.
Soon after law school Hammond joined the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps. He served as trial counsel beginning in 2008, moved into operational law in 2011, and took on the role of battalion judge advocate in 2012. In 2014 he served as appellate defense counsel. Those positions gave him courtroom experience and exposure to appellate practice under military rules and procedures.
After leaving active military service, Hammond opened a solo practice in 2016 under the Law Office of J. David Hammond. He then joined Carden Dotzler Hammond, PLLC as a partner in 2017, expanding his civilian practice and caseload. In 2022 he became a founding partner of The New York Traffic Ticket Lawyers, a practice devoted to traffic matters in New York.
Across those moves, Hammond has worked in trial courts and on appeal. His background in military appellate defense has informed how he approaches post-trial and appellate issues in civilian matters. He has handled a range of cases that require courtroom presence, written pleadings, and oral argument.
Hammond is licensed to practice in New York. He has combined public service and private practice in a career that spans courts-martial, operational legal advising, and municipal and state-level representation. The shift from military roles to a mixed civil practice reflects a transition many former JAG officers make as they apply procedural rigor and trial experience to civilian litigation.
Colleagues describe his work as methodical and litigation-oriented; clients seek him out for contested traffic and criminal matters and for appeals that need careful briefing. He has experience running a solo office as well as working in a multi-partner firm environment, managing case strategy and client communication across different practice settings.
Hammond maintains offices at Carden Dotzler Hammond, PLLC and operates The New York Traffic Ticket Lawyers. He lives and practices in New York and focuses his practice on traffic and criminal defense, appellate representation, and military-related legal matters.
