Career Success

Wendy Hawkins Hermes is a trial and appellate attorney. She is licensed in Texas and Oklahoma. She is admitted to practice in federal court before the Northern and Eastern Districts of Texas, the United States Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, the United States Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the United States Supreme Court. Ms. Hermes has both first and second chair trial experience. She has experience in state and federal civil litigation, health care liability defense, employment law, municipality/police officer civil defense, and first amendment law.  She has also maintained a successful appellate practice. 

"I look back at my time at TCU as the time that I was able to fully appreciate my desire to go to law school.  My criminal justice and political science professors invested in me and were pivotal in my decision to pursue a career in law.  TCU has always felt like a family to me, as my father and grandfather also are alumni.  As TCU has expanded and broadened its academic reach, I am grateful that it still feels like family, and that the connections between faculty and students remain strong.  It is an honor for me to be able to give back to the program and the university that gave so much to me."

My name is Elise LeMire and I graduated from the TCU Criminology & Criminal Justice Undergraduate Program in May of 2024. I am currently working in an administrative capacity for the Department of Justice in Alabama. Since I am currently apart of a training unit, a majority of my job consists of supporting our different courses, organizing materials and students, and updating supervisors on student progress and data patterns. This full-time opportunity became a reality after I interned at the same office during the summer of 2023 (between my Junior and Senior year at TCU) and I was able to discuss pursuing something more permanent post-grad.

After reflecting in my post-grad life, I firstly appreciate the TCU Criminology & Criminal Justice Department’s diverse group of professionals. Having professors who served previously in positions throughout the CJ world helped me narrow my focus and hone skills necessary to succeed in a career. Second, I appreciate the leadership development while in the Department. I had the honor of serving as the Criminal Justice Society President and that experience allowed me to build a meaningful network with other Criminal Justice professionals, as well as practice leadership competencies in a supportive environment before speaking to them in job interviews. Lastly, the professors I interacted with not only had a breadth of knowledge in Criminology but also in the professional world as a whole. Regardless of your career goals, they go out of their way to see you succeed post-grad. I can confidently say that I would not be where I am today without my TCU experience, specifically with the Criminology & Criminal Justice Department. I am forever grateful for my time at TCU!

I graduated from TCU in 1993 with a BA in History and a minor in Sociology. My original plan was to attend law school. But after taking several very interesting classes from Dr. Patrick Kinkade and Dr. Michael Katovich, I decided to pursue graduate school in Sociology. I earned my MA at Louisiana State University and my PhD at the University of Georgia.

After graduating in 2000, I spent three years as an Assistant Professor at the University of Houston and two years as an Assistant Professor at Rice University. Since 2005, I’ve been at the University of Denver where I was promoted to Associate Professor and now serve as a full Professor in the Department of Sociology and Criminology. I’ve served as department Chair, and the Director of the Socio-Legal Studies Program.  

Over the course of my career, I’ve conducted research on law, conflict, and violence. Instead of practicing law, I study it! My primary area of expertise is the death penalty. In addition to writing articles on the topic, I’ve consulted and testified as an expert witness on state and federal cases. My research has also been featured in USA Today and The New York Times, and I recently published a book (with Mark Cooney) entitled: Geometrical Justice: The Death Penalty in America. 

Following in the footsteps of my TCU mentors, I also strive to be an excellent teacher. At the University of Denver, I teach: Capital Punishment, Conflict and the Law, Crime Over Time, Criminology, Statistics, and Wrongful Conviction. In addition, I enjoy working with students on their Senior Theses and helping them publish their work.

I married a fellow Horned Frog and I’m a TCU sports fan who loves to get back to Fort Worth – or wherever the Frogs are playing!  In my spare time, I enjoy reading, hiking, and spending time with my wife and two teenage children.