President's Letter

Dear IPLAC Members,

I am very honored to lead IPLAC as your 133rd President at this critical time as the intellectual property landscape continues to shift in response to judicial and legislative changes in the law.

Let me take this opportunity to acknowledge the many initiatives that were undertaken by Serena Pruitt (current Immediate Past President), Alisa Simmons (outgoing Immediate Past President), the officers, the Board, and the committee leaders throughout this past year – from our annual Field Day and Judges Dinner to our amazing committee-led CLEs and social events.  Without all of our active members we would not be able to accomplish our mission.  Thank you all for your continued service to our organization.

I have three main goals during my tenure as president.  First, I would like to encourage all IPLAC members to get or stay involved with the organization.  In this regard, if anyone would like to get involved, I would ask you just reach out to me, another officer, or a Board member, and we will actively work to facilitate your request – from connecting you with the appropriate committee chair, to entertaining your idea for a new program or committee, or otherwise addressing your suggestions.  This is your organization so please do not hesitate to reach out to us with your thoughts on how to make it better.

Second, we need to continue improving our website.  In this regard, I am coordinating a special website committee meeting on June 6th to pinpoint any issues that may exist with our website and to identify ways and procedures through which we can best leverage the capabilities of our website to best serve our members, our committee leaders, and the Board.

Third, I wish to build on the past successes and tremendous efforts of our committees.  Their work is the lifeblood of our organization.  Our committees develop and/or host a variety of projects and events for our members – from amicus briefs and comments to the USPTO to educational, networking, and social functions throughout the year.  I will work to encourage our committee leaders to continue this tradition of excellence.

I look forward to working with my fellow officers and the IPLAC Board of Managers to best serve the members of IPLAC and the Chicago community at large.

Very truly yours,
Paul R. Kitch
President