Prior to joining Foley, Ms. Hanson served as an Afghanistan analyst in the Directorate of Intelligence at the Central Intelligence Agency, during which time she received many performance awards for her analytic skills. In March 2002, she was invited by the President's Envoy to Afghanistan and Iraq to serve as the associate director for Afghanistan, Islamic Outreach, and Southwest Asia Initiatives at the National Security Council at the White House, which she did until September 2003. During her time at the National Security Council, Ms. Hanson traveled extensively in Afghanistan, Iraq, and other parts of the Middle East and Central Asia, and took part in negotiations with heads of state and other leaders regarding United States post-9/11 foreign policy.

Ms. Hanson received her bachelor's degree from Macalester College (cum laude) in 1995 and her master's degree from Georgetown University in 1998. She earned her law degree from the University of Chicago (with honors) in 2006.

Ms. Hanson is admitted to practice in Illinois and in the Northern District of Illinois.