Women of Legal Tech: Anne Swanson is Flying with the Drones

There's a shortage of women in science, technology, engineering and math. And there's still a 17 percent gender gap in pay—across the board—in all of legal (18 percent at Big Law). But within the legal technology community there are many women with thriving careers. Monica Bay interviewed M. Anne Swanson, 63, a partner at Wilkinson Barker Knauer based in Washington, D.C. (She recently moved from Cooley, where she was a partner.)

Education: LL.M., Master of Laws (emphasis in taxation), Georgetown University Law School, 1997. J.D., Yale Law School, 1979. M.P.A, Masters in Public Administration, Woodrow Wilson School, Princeton University, 1979. B.S.J., Bachelor of Science (Journalism), West Virginia University, 1974. Admitted to D.C. bar.

Did you ever consider a career in science, technology, engineering or math? As a high school senior, I wanted to study engineering, but my father (an engineer) talked me out of it. These were the “dark ages,” and he said I'd be lonely as one of a few women in the class. Several years later, when he suggested that I go to a paralegal institute, rather than law school, I didn't take his advice.