James Hamill
James Gail Hamill is an Oklahoma City native who served 34 years in the Municipal Counselor’s office, beginning in 1960. He retired in 1995, serving as Municipal Counselor from 1989 until then. He graduated from Oklahoma A&M College, now Oklahoma State University served in combat with the Marine Corps in Korea, completed law school at the University of Oklahoma, and was in private practice before going to work for Oklahoma City. He continued his military career in the Marine Corps Reserve until 1989 when he retired from the Corps with the rank of Colonel.
During much of his time in the Counselor’s office, he was the face of Oklahoma City at the state capitol, where he gained credibility among legislators as a trusted advisor and confidant on local government issues. His reputation with the legislature and Governor’s office was essential in helping the municipal league in 1977 to pass Title Eleven - “The Oklahoma Municipal Code”. As of yesterday, Jim has been a valued speaker for the past 40 consecutive years at conferences of the Oklahoma Association of Municipal Attorneys. During this time, he also was a mentor to numerous municipal attorneys and other local government officials across the state
Hamill has served as president of the Oklahoma City Title Attorneys Association; as chairman of the Real Property Section and vice chairman of the Legislative Committee of the Oklahoma Bar Association; and as a director of the Oklahoma Association of Municipal Attorneys. In addition, he served on the Advisory Board for the Municipal Legal Studies Center of the Southwestern Legal Foundation, now known as The Center for American and International Law.
In 2002, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Real Property Section of the Oklahoma Bar Association. Upon retirement in 1995, the Oklahoma Municipal League, the City Management Association of Oklahoma, and the Mayor of Oklahoma City honored his long litany of accomplishments. Each took note of the statewide impact of his work influencing governmental tort liability, land records, competitive bidding, and vacating public ways.
The Oklahoma State Senate in 1995 adopted a Citation of Commendation recognizing him for serving with distinction and sharing his expertise as a member of numerous legislative study committees. Hamill retired from the active practice of law in 2007.