Alumnae News & Highlights

Ann's Q&A with students

“I did not, under any circumstance, think I was going to go to law school,” says Ann Ford. “I was going to be a professional photographer.” After graduating from HB, in fact, she served as Photo Editor for Georgetown’s newspaper while double majoring in English and Political Science. But a slew of standardized tests post-graduation and a stint at a D.C. law firm pointed her toward law. After studying law at Case Western Reserve University and Duke, she’s been a practicing lawyer for more than 40 years and a partner at DLA Piper since 2000, working in trademark and copyright law. Ann has held multiple leadership roles in the firm (including Managing Partner of the D.C. office and member of the Global Board) while simultaneously staying committed to pro bono and volunteer service. “But the last 20-plus years, I’ve done my most critical piece of work,” she says today. “I was lucky to have two amazing kids and a wonderful husband. That’s the sum of it.”   

An important turning point in my life was...

“Having two kids. I felt like, if I could produce these two incredible beings, I could do anything. On the job front, it was when I was made a partner for the first time.”

I’m most proud of…

“The work I did with Pakistan, drafting new intellectual property laws with the U.S. Agency for International Development and the United States Patent and Trademark Office, which ultimately got the country off the blacklist. But honestly, I’m most proud of the family things. We’ve learned a lot from one another.”

The most valuable parts of my HB experience were...

“Running a project and not holding back. It gave me a sense of confidence that I could run things as an adult. And the friendships I treasure now more than ever.”

In hindsight…

“We had a really kind class, very respectful of one another.”

My favorite space at HB…

“The outdoor terrace, the senior room… and I liked walking down the hall at Christmastime, singing IDEO.”

My most valuable life lesson so far is...

“There is no ‘right path.’ What you think is the right path for you may very well change over the course of your life.”

Building the future means...

[HB students] are the citizens of the future, the new leaders, and I hope they are the ones who can change things and make them better.