Joanne S. Hawana

Practice Areas

Joanne is an associate at Arent Fox. She focuses on food and drug work, as well as life sciences issues encompassing biotechnology.

Previous Work

Prior to joining Arent Fox, Joanne was a student attorney for the Maryland Intellectual Property Legal Resource Center and a legal intern at the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO). She also spent a summer as a National Institutes of Health Fellow working with the National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity. Before attending law school, Joanne was an editor and reporter for a science policy and biomedical research trade newsletter; and before becoming a reporter, she conducted fundamental research on the regulation of gene expression, with a focus on cancer genetics.

Professional Activities

Joanne is a member of the American Bar Association, the Maryland State Bar Association, the National Association of Women Lawyers, and the American Constitution Society.

Publications, Presentations and Recognitions

Joanne, along with Arent Fox partner Brian Waldman, is the co-author of "Are Federal Regulations in a Funk Over Functional Foods?," published in the Food and Drug Law Institute's Update magazine (September / October 2009, Issue 5). Joanne is also the author of “Drug Pedigree Rules In Effect, Yet Remain in Flux,” published in the Food and Drug Law Institute's Update magazine (November/December 2008, Issue 6). She also wrote “Non-Medical Application of Reproductive Genetic Technologies Highlight the Pressing Need for Government Oversight: Sex Control by Prospective Parents Raises Concerns about Discrimination,” published in Biotech Briefing/Newsletter of the Biotechnology Committee (ABA Section of Science and Technology Law); Spring 2007 (Vol. 3, No. 2).

Bar and Court Admissions

District of Columbia Bar
Maryland Bar

Education

University of Maryland School of Law, JD (cum laude), 2007
- Manuscripts Editor, Journal of Health Care Law & Policy
University of Medicine and Dentistry, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, MS (molecular genetics and microbiology), 2002
College of William and Mary, BS (biology), 1999

Life Beyond the Law

Joanne spends her free time with her husband, Thatcher, and together they enjoy cooking (and eating), hiking, and biking. They also enjoy traveling and are fortunate to have family members in many countries, so they always have a good excuse to visit somewhere new.