Professor Wilson, a New York native, graduated magna cum laude from Rice University, with a Bachelor of Arts in political science. After receiving a juris doctor from Stanford Law School, Wilson served as law clerk to the Honorable Robert L. Hinkle, at the United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida from 1996 to 1998. After her federal court clerkship, Wilson remained in Florida to practice law as an associate attorney for the Earthjustice Legal Defense Fund from 1998 to 1999. Wilson then served 10 years as an Assistant Federal Public Defender, first in the Southern District of Texas and then in the Western District of North Carolina.

For 13 years, Wilson provided legal and policy advice to the United States Sentencing Commission, first as Deputy General Counsel, and for the last six years as director of the Commission's Office of Education and Sentencing Practice.