Marlon A. Hill: Lawyer by Chance, Community Leader by Choice

Marlon Hill never expected to run for office, or become a lawyer for that matter. He did not anticipate that he would have an integral role in building a courtroom at a Miami middle school. But, the influence of a few individuals, a hurricane and Hill’s natural inclination to follow his passions and curiosities, helped guide the path to where he is today.

Born in Kingston, Jamaica, Hill came to the U.S. at age 14 and finished high school in Miami. Hill is a double ’Nole, having graduated from the College of Business with a degree in international business and finance, with a minor in Spanish.

“It’s always been a dream of mine to hold some sort of global, international, corporate position,” he said. Hill was very involved with the Caribbean Students Association as an undergraduate student and met former law professor Elwin Griffith through the group. It was Griffith who encouraged Hill to consider law school. In 1992, Hill’s family had just endured Hurricane Andrew and Miami was devastated and offered few job opportunities. Hill decided to stay in Tallahassee and continue his education at Florida State Law.

During law school, Hill took interest in classes such as Immigration and International Business, both for which he received a Book Award. Hill was also a member of the Journal of Transnational Law & Policy and a research assistant for professors in the area of international law. “I was on the transactional track as opposed to the litigation track because I was continuing my interest in international law, which was a reflection of my undergraduate studies and in part, my upbringing,” he said.

After graduation in 1995, Hill worked a number of part-time jobs before attorney George Knox offered him a position at Adorno & Zeder. “There wasn’t really an opening for me at the firm, but he made it happen and that opened so many doors for me. He continues to serve as a shining light.”

Hill’s first assignment was appeals and he recalls being “way out of his comfort zone.” Soon, he was given the opportunity to work on corporate, real estate and government transactional matters. Hill was also responsible for managing the firm’s Employees’ Charitable Fund. That exposed him to the world of philanthropy and community engagement, which would play an important role in his life. 

In 2001, Hill left Adorno & Zeder after his wife and college sweetheart Carla was diagnosed with a rare kidney disease and he needed to make an adjustment. With his high school friend Michelle Delancy, Hill opened delancyhill, P.A. In 2008, they were able to survive the economic downturn by digitizing their firm. Cloud office technology allowed them to save more than 50% of their operating expenses. Seven years later, they connected with friends and merged into minority-owned Hamilton, Miller & Birthisel, LLP (HM&B) in Miami.

Now a partner in the firm’s Miami office, Hill is outside general counsel to for-profit corporations, mid-size companies, family-owned companies and multi-national companies, handling a suite of corporate transactions for his clients, protecting intellectual property and handling business immigration questions. Hill also manages the firm’s strategic community engagement.

In addition to his practice, Hill finds time to play or watch soccer, and spend time with his wife and many nieces and nephews. He enjoys Miami arts and culture events, especially Caribbean and Latin American concerts and festivals.

In 2015, Hill was selected as a Genius Fellow by the BMe Community and awarded $10,000 for an issue or project. BMe is a network of Black innovators and leaders across the country who are helping to create more caring and prosperous communities. With his firm, Hill adopted nearby Brownsville Middle School in the Miami urban core as their signature community engagement project. Attorneys from HM&B worked during MLK service days, and served as guest speakers and mentors at the school. Hill and HM&B, in collaboration with other community partners and Miami Dade Public Schools, also successfully raised funds to convert two Brownsville Middle School classrooms into a modern courtroom.

The courtroom, dedicated on May 29, 2018, is retrofitted with cameras, seating for 24 jurors and three jury deliberation rooms. It can also be rented by law firms, litigation consulting firms, and community organizations for mock trials and community meetings.

“We’re just trying to give students an opportunity to have a vision that they could be part of the legal profession, whether it’s as a bailiff or an attorney or as a judge,” said Hill. “We’re exposing the opportunity of the world of jurisprudence to them through the courtroom and through the curriculum.”

In 2018, HM&B’s ground-breaking legal studies partnership at Brownsville Middle School was recognized as the Most Outstanding 2018 American Bar Association Law Day Student Program Activity.

Hill is also very involved in the Miami community from a civic standpoint. He has served on the boards of many organizations, including The Miami Foundation, The Orange Bowl Committee, and the Miami Book Fair. And just a few months ago, he decided to run for Miami-Dade County Commission Seat District 9 in S.W. Miami-Dade County.

“Someone has to step into the gap of leadership,” Hill said. “It’s another platform for me to do what I’ve already been doing in the community at large, and I’m pursuing the opportunity with passion and purpose.”

Although Hill’s career path diverged, in some regard, from his original vision of being an international businessman, it wasn’t all by chance or coincidence. “I think it’s important for you to have some semblance of a vision for yourself without knowing whether that vision can be accomplished so that you can be guided by the types of classes you may take or the mentors you may choose,” he said. “That comes with a lot of self-awareness and reflection on who you are and what you want to be… I think it’s important to give yourself that chance by visualizing the possibility.”

As printed in the 2019 issue of Florida State Law magazine.