Formerly, Dean Barton served as an attorney with the Federal Trade Commission’s Bureau of Consumer Protection in the Division of Marketing Practices. In this capacity she worked on policy and law enforcement issues related to Internet fraud and deception. Dean Barton focused on several Internet-related consumer protection policy initiatives, including licensing issues associated with software and other high-tech products and services, the Uniform Computer and Information Transactions Act ("UCITA"), and the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act ("Esign"). In addition, as a core member of the FTC’s Internet Investigations Training team, she trained numerous law enforcement agencies in new technology, Internet case law, and investigation techniques.

Prior to joining the FTC, Dean Barton served as a Visiting Assistant Professor at Villanova University School of Law where she taught Computer Law, First Amendment and Regulation in Cyberspace, the Legislative and Administrative Process (Clinic), and Digital Law. At Villanova, Dean Barton also served as the Faculty Director of the Global Democracy Project (GDP), a program dedicated to advancing the development of civil societies and promoting the rule of law through Internet technology. GDP initiated projects in many regions of Central and Eastern Europe, Costa Rica, Rwanda, and most notably in Bosnia where the Project successfully implemented an operational Internet infrastructure through grants from the U.S. State Department and other institutions.

Dean Barton received her Bachelor of Science degree cum laude in physics from Moravian College, where she was a member of the Sigma Pi Sigma, the National Physics Honor Society, and her law degree from Villanova University School of Law, where she received the Herman Mitchell Schwartz Award (awarded annually to the person in the graduating class who, in the opinions of the faculty, has contributed the most to the achievement of equality of opportunity and treatment for women). Following law school, Dean Barton was the Director of Technology and Director of Operations for the Center for Information Law and Policy (CILP), an organization dedicated to exploring issues at the intersection of law and technology. Additionally, she served a two-year position as a Teaching Fellow at the Law School.

Dean Barton's scholarly interests focus on law and technology. Her most recent publications include "Norm Origin and Development in Cyberspace: Models of Cybernorm Evolution," "Copyright Law Tackles Yet Another Challenge: The Electronic Frontier of the World Wide Web," and "Internet Red Light Districts: A Domain Name Proposal For Regulatory Zoning of Obscene Content."