About Rebecca
Rebecca Hamilton built her legal career in and out of the courtroom. She learned the pace and pressure of criminal work early on and chose a path that kept her there.
Hamilton earned a B.S. from West Virginia University. She entered public service at the turn of the millennium. In 2000 she joined the Pinellas County Public Defenders Office as a defense lawyer. That post exposed her to heavy caseloads and tight timelines. It also gave her steady trial experience and routine contact with clients facing serious charges.
After several years in the public defender’s office, Hamilton set up her own practice. In 2005 she founded Hamilton Law Services and took on the title of criminal defense lawyer. Starting a solo practice shifted responsibilities. She went from handling courtroom work to managing the business side of a law firm. That included client intake, case strategy, motions practice and courtroom appearances. She continued to take cases to trial and to argue pretrial matters on behalf of clients.
Her work has centered on criminal defense at the state level. She represents clients charged with misdemeanors and felonies, handles pretrial negotiations, files motions, and conducts bench and jury trials. She has worked cases that required quick strategic adjustments, and others that called for longer investigative work. The practice has involved both short-window interventions and more prolonged litigation.
Colleagues and former clients describe her as steady in court and direct with clients. She tends to take a clear, evidence-based approach in hearings and jury instructions. She balances that courtroom posture with time spent preparing discovery, consulting expert witnesses when necessary, and coordinating with investigators.
Hamilton’s career path — from public defender to solo practitioner — reflects a continuous involvement in criminal justice work. She has stayed in trial practice rather than moving into broader corporate or civil litigation. That choice has shaped how she runs Hamilton Law Services and how she allocates her time.
She currently practices criminal defense at Hamilton Law Services, representing clients in state criminal matters.
