Chicago Intellectual Property Alliance Launches New Mentorship Program

The Chicago Intellectual Property Alliance held its inaugural Mentorship Program Luncheon on January 28, 2010 at Loyola University School of Law.  The luncheon marks the beginning of CIPA’s newest program, which is designed to provide mentorship to Chicago’s next generation of IP attorneys.  The program matches interested and motivated second-year law students with practicing IP lawyers.  At today’s luncheon, mentors and mentees were able to meet each other, as well as other participants in the program. 

“The mentors have the opportunity to pass along their own successes and experiences and feel good about helping others,” according to Meggan Duffy, an attorney at Marshall,  Gerstein & Borun LLP, Co-Chair of CIPA’s Law School Committee, and CIPA mentor.  Cynthia Ho, a professor at Loyola and member of the Law School Committee, notes that “This provides students with an opportunity to meet and learn from a practicing IP lawyer, practice interpersonal skills, and begin to expand their network.”

The first-year program includes 30 students from Loyola, Chicago-Kent, DePaul, and John Marshall.  Twenty-nine mentors have volunteered from several law firms and corporations.

The mentorship program was created by CIPA’s Law School Committee, whose members include Meggan Duffy, Cynthia Ho, Barbara Bressler, Richard Gruner, Olufunmilayo Arewa, and Mickie Voges-Piatt.