Hamilton received her Bachelor of Arts from Vanderbilt University in 1979. She then earned a Master's degree at Pennsylvania State University and a Juris Doctor from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, where she was editor-in-chief of the Law Review.

Hamilton served as a law clerk for Justice Sandra Day O'Connor of the Supreme Court of the United States and Chief Judge Edward R. Becker of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.

She was the lead counsel for the city of Boerne, Texas, in Boerne v. Flores before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Hamilton is a critic of the Utah Attorney General's office for not vigorously prosecuting polygamists in the state. She indicated that arguments against prosecution based on due process violations and alleged violations of religious freedom had no merit. However, this position has been criticized as one based on legal theory that ignores the reality of limited amounts of evidence and limited government resources.

Her children are William Kuzma and Alexandra Kuzma.

Hamilton appeared on The Daily Show in 2005 to discuss her book God vs. the Gavel. She advocates for the removal of religious exemptions for medical neglect, where Christian Scientists and others are permitted to only pray for children who are dying of easily curable diseases.

Legal/Social Commentary

• God vs. the Gavel (2007), ISBN 0-521-70338-7
• Justice Denied (2008), ISBN 0-521-88621-X

Reviews

• Book Review of Justice Denied at Letters on Pages