She earned a J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law and a Ph.D. in the fields of criminology and criminal justice from that university's graduate program. In addition, she also has years of prior experience as a police and corrections officer in Clearwater, FL. Hamilton's research interests are oriented toward interdisciplinary scholarship involving interpersonal violence, sex crimes, mental health and the law, sentencing, and civil commitment. Her scholarship includes traditional legal analysis as well as empirical studies, and she regularly publishes in law reviews, policy journals, and social science periodicals. Hamilton is well-versed on gun control and took a few minutes to answer questions about the controversial issues.