Dirk J. Hamel

I was born and raised in Dubuque, Iowa.  I have two brothers and three sisters.  

My Dad worked at the Dubuque Packing Company and also had his own sodding and landscaping company.  I do not know when he slept.  My mother took care of everything else, and I think her job was even harder.

I started working summers for my Dad's landscaping business when I was 12 and continued that work through college.  During high school and college I also had jobs delivering auto parts, stocking shelves, selling appliances and working third shift clean up at FDL Foods.

During law school I worked as a prosecuting intern for the Dubuque County Attorney and the Johnson County Attorney.  These jobs gave me a tremendous opportunity to handle trials in low level offenses, and get a head start on gaining trial experience.

I graduated from law school and started practicing law in 1986.  In my early days as a lawyer I handled a lot of different types of cases.  However, I quickly figured out that I enjoyed litigation the most, and over the years developed my practice in that direction.  

I handle workers' compensation and personal injury cases all over the State of Iowa.  I enjoy getting to travel around the state and meet new people and see new places.