WLWT: How one of Ohio’s newest lawyers went from federal prison to UC Law
UC Law alum Damon Davis is helping individuals without representation navigate the justice system
Damon Davis took the oath for the Ohio Bar Admissions this month and is now a Hamilton County public defender.
Davis, a 2022 graduate of UC Law, spoke with WLWT-TV about his journey from former federal prison inmate to accomplished attorney. Davis spent four-and-a-half years behind bars after being convicted of federal drug and gun charges in 2017.
He was introduced to law while working in the prison library. Davis was released homeless and with only $26 to his name before finding a factory job that reimbursed his college tuition and offered a path forward. Davis attended community college and later the University of Kentucky for a bachelor’s degree. He completed UC Law with scholarship assistance.
“It means a lot to be here and be able to help these people,” Davis told WLWT. “To understand what they're going through and to have faced personally the things they're going through.”
While at UC Law Davis was an Ohio Innocence Project (OIP) fellow who wrote appeals for individuals in the prison system. Now a freshly-minted public defender, Davis is making a positive difference in his community.
Listen to the WLWT segment.
Read a digital story on WLWT’s website.
Spectrum News also produced a segment on Davis.
See a story on Davis from Court News Ohio.
Learn more about Damon Davis at UC Law.
Featured image at top: Damon Davis. Photo/UC Alumni Association.
Related Stories
Rain, steep slopes put NY community at risk of landslides, geologist warns
April 23, 2026
UC Associate Professor Dan Sturmer tells News10 that heavy rain combined with steep slopes is a recipe for landslides in one New York community.
UC expands partnership with Thales for AI research
April 22, 2026
The University of Cincinnati’s interdisciplinary research facility Digital Futures welcomed its first industrial partner, Thales, at the beginning of Research + Innovation week. Thales is a global aerospace, defense and digital technology firm. Headquartered in France, it employs 83,000 people in dozens of countries, according to the Business Courier.
BearcatGPT: UC becomes first Ohio university to offer AI platform
April 22, 2026
Local news media highlight UC's private AI platform, BearcatGPT, that offers a suite of tools for students, faculty and staff.