JACQUELINE A. LEIMER TO DIRECT IIT'S NEW M.S. PROGRAM IN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT AND MARKETS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) November 3, 2009 -- Jacqueline A. Leimer has been appointed a practitioner-in-residence at Illinois Institute of Technology’s Chicago-Kent College of Law, where she will develop and direct a new M.S. program in intellectual property management and markets. Ms. Leimer most recently was vice president and associate general counsel for global intellectual property at the global headquarters of Kraft Foods, in Northfield, IL.

At Chicago-Kent, Leimer will direct a unique, one-year M.S. program designed for the wide range of professionals who deal with intellectual property matters. The 30-credit program will be taught by faculty from Illinois Institute of Technology’s schools of law, business, engineering, design, and computer science. The program is scheduled to begin in the fall of 2009.

“Our goal is to afford professionals a multi-dimensional understanding of intellectual property so that they will be positioned to help companies and organizations in whatever role they play – whether marketing, IP or business portfolio management, mergers and acquisitions, law or research,” said Leimer.

At Kraft, Leimer had responsibility for the overall management of intellectual property legal issues worldwide from 2005 to 2009. She began her affiliation with Kraft in 1996 as chief trademark counsel. Prior to joining Kraft, Leimer was a partner at Kirkland & Ellis in Chicago, concentrating in trademark, copyright and advertising law matters. She also has 10 years of in-house intellectual property experience with The Quaker Oats Company in Chicago.

Leimer was president of the International Trademark Association in 2004 and has served for many years as a director of that organization. Appointed by former U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez, she served from 2006 to 2009 on the Trademark Public Advisory Committee, which provides oversight of U.S. Patent and Trademark Office operations.

Leimer earned her undergraduate degree in psychology from Valparaiso University. She graduated from Valparaiso University School of Law, where she was editor-in-chief of the Valparaiso University Law Review.

Chicago-Kent College of Law is the law school of Illinois Institute of Technology, a private, Ph.D.-granting institution. Chicago-Kent currently offers a J.D. certificate program in intellectual property law and in 2002 became the first American law school to offer a one-year LL.M degree in International Intellectual Property Law. In 2009, U.S. News and World Reports ranked Chicago-Kent’s program in Intellectual Property Law among the top five in the United States and the top-ranked program in the Midwest.

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