About Retired Judge Catherine Hammond
Professional Biography
In 1999, Judge Hammond joined the Henrico Circuit Court. She served full time for 16 years, including three non-consecutive terms as Chief Judge. Her docket included the full range of both civil and criminal matters, jury trials, and family law disputes, including all aspects of divorce as well as disputes over wills and estates. In 2002, she and Retired Judge Gary Hicks started the first Recovery Court in Henrico, providing an alternative pathway for criminal defendants who are diagnosed with substance use disorder. Henrico’s Recovery Court is now in its 25th year of success stories.
After retiring from the bench, Judge Hammond has concentrated on mediation, working with individuals, families, and businesses to resolve disputes outside of court. She focuses especially on family law, settling issues of child custody, parenting schedules, grounds for divorce (fault and no-fault), equitable distribution of marital property, tracing and classification of property, division of family-owned business assets, and disagreements over spousal support (alimony). She founded Hammond Mediation with a personal goal: to uphold fairness and integrity so that every party, regardless of the nature of their dispute, can navigate even the most difficult transitions with clarity and dignity.
Retired Judge Catherine Hammond brings a distinguished legal career to her mediation practice, one built on decades of courtroom experience and public service.
Judge Hammond began her legal career as a Law Clerk for a Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. She then joined McGuireWoods in Richmond, where she rose to partner in 1992, handling commercial disputes for a range of business clients. From 1994 to 1998, she served as Virginia's Deputy Attorney General for Civil Litigation, overseeing six practice groups. She appeared personally for the Commonwealth in milestone court cases such as Mandel v Allen (4th Cir.), Trigon Demutualization (SCC), Harper v Va. Dep’t. of Taxation (Va.), and Landsidle v Va. State Board of Elections (Va.).
Education
Denison University, BFA
University of Virginia School of Law, JD
Admitted in New York and Virginia
Professional Experience
Law Clerk, Judge Brieant, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York
Associate and Partner, McGuireWoods, Richmond
Deputy Attorney General, Civil Litigation Division, Commonwealth of Virginia
Circuit Court Judge, 14th Judicial Circuit (Henrico), 1999–2015
Judge Designate, Various Virginia Circuit Courts, 2015–Present
Mediator, Juridical Solutions PLC, 2016–2026; Owner 2018-2024
Owner and Mediator, Hammond Mediation PLLC, 2026–Present
History of Community Engagement
Faculty, National Treatment Court Institute (All Rise)
President, The John Marshall American Inn of Court
Board Member, Greater Richmond Bar Foundation
Member, Standing Committee on Commissioners of Accounts
Chair, Hammond Commission on Community Services and Inpatient Care
Chair, St. Andrew's School Board of Trustees
Editorial Board Member, Virginia Bench Book for Lawyers and Judges
Faculty Member, Virginia State Bar Professionalism Course
Graduate, Leadership Metro Richmond
Graduate, Virginia Executive Institute
Awards & Recognition
Award of Achievement
Lifetime Achievement Award, Virginia Recovery Court Advisory Committee
Legal Elite in Dispute Resolution
Hall of Fame Award