Michael Swistara

As a Staff Attorney, Michael Swistara works to develop creative legal strategies to improve the status and lives of animals through the legal system. Michael has a particular interest in using the law to combat factory farming and build a more just food system.

Michael earned his J.D. and M.P.P. from The George Washington University. At law school, Michael was a member of The George Washington University Law Review and the Alternative Dispute Resolution Board. He served as Secretary of the Environmental and Energy Law Association, President of the Student Animal Legal Defense Fund, and Student Coordinator for the GW Law Animal Welfare Pro Bono Project. He was the 2021-22 recipient of the Samantha Animal Law Scholarship and was a 2021-22 Emerging Scholars Fellow at the Brooks Institute for Animal Rights Law and Policy. Michael also holds a B.A. in Political Science and Economics from McGill University and an M.A. in Economics from Columbia University.

Outside of work, Michael is active in the American Bar Association and currently serves as Newsletter Vice Chair for the International Animal Law Committee and Young Lawyers Vice Chair for the TIPS Animal Law Committee. He enjoys reading, cooking, running, and cycling. Michael lives in Chicago, Illinois with his companion cat, Matilda.

See bar admissions of our attorneys.