Third-year John Marshall Law School students Natalie Laczek and Michon Stuttley had the same idea to begin a Fashion Law Society—they just had not yet met each other.
Shortly after the two were introduced at the start of the fall 2012 semester by Miss Marilyn Criss, administrative assistant in Student Affairs, they organized the newest student organization and began work on the society’s kickoff event, the Fashion and Design Law Symposium, set for 8:30 to 4:30 p.m. on April 12 at the law school. It is the first symposium of its kind in Chicago.
Laczek hopes the symposium will initiate collaborative efforts between Chicago designers and lawyers to protect the creative pursuits.
“We are trying to demonstrate the need for lawyers in the industry,” Laczek explained. “Chicago is considered a ‘fly-over’ city for fashion, between New York and Los Angeles. I’m hoping in the next 10 years we’ll be able to bring the city into the forefront.”
Laczek has a strong interest in trademark and copyright issues as well as sustainability in the fashion industry. She wanted to share her insights with students.
“Fashion is a niche in IP that is often overlooked. With the amount of money companies spend on marketing, there’s a lot of legal work involved with protecting the brand,” Laczek explained.
Laczek hoped to model John Marshall’s Fashion Law Society after the Fashion Law Institute formed by the Council of Fashion Designers of America. The institute is hosted by Fordham Law School in New York and designer icon Diane von Furstenburg.
Both fashion society co-founders have backgrounds in fashion. Laczek co-founded iKnitware, a hand-knit scarves and accessories company, with her mother.
Fashion is Stuttley’s world. “I eat, sleep, breathe and dream fashion, and have been in the IP program since I stepped foot in John Marshall.” She has owned the Chicago boutique Ms. Catwalk since 2004, which sells women’s clothing and accessories, with a pop-up location in Oakbrook Center, Oak Brook, Ill.
When plans to form the Fashion Law Society were started, Laczek and Stuttley met with Professor Doris Long, director of the Center for Intellectual Property Law at John Marshall, who encouraged their efforts, agreeing fashion law doesn’t get the IP recognition it deserves.
“I went to Professor Long with the idea for this society because I knew she would understand the importance IP has in this industry,” Stuttley said.
Today Fashion Law Society has 25 members.
Laczek and Stuttley are busy with final plans for the Fashion and Design Law Symposium. They will be welcoming fashion law experts and advocates from throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Topics include “Legal Issues in the Fashion Industry: Creating and Protecting Your Intellectual Property;” “North American Comparative Fashion Law: Policies and Perspectives;” “Advertising Fashion Focus: Designers and Lawyers Perspective;” “Tariffs, Thimbles and Thread: Customs Law for the Fashion Industry;” “Walking the Walk: Labor and Employment Law Issues Related to Fashion Models.”
In soliciting speakers, Laczek noted many of them responded enthusiastically. “They all see the need to have this discussion.”
Presenters are Shara Harris of WFML, PC in Chicago; Professor Roberto Frías, Law School of the Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City; Ashlee Froese of Gilbert’s LLP in Toronto; Victoria Watkins, assistant to the mayor for the City of Chicago and chief editor of B.A.F.F.L.E.D.; Mareissa Terrell of SBC IP Law Group in Washinngton, DC; Aleksandra M.S. Vold of Siprut PC in Chicago; Frances Hadfield of Grunfeld, Desiderio, Lebowitz, Silverman and Klestadt LLP in New York City; Michael Hodes of Hodes Keating & Pilon in Chicago; Tracy Agyemang, trial attorney for the U.S. Department of Labor in New York City; Shelley Whitehead of Whitehead Freelance Law, LLC, in Chicago; Professor Maureen Collins, faculty advisor for the Fashion Law Society; and Professor Doris Long, director of the Center for Intellectual Property Law.
Symposium registration is $20. Registrations are being accepted through April 4 at https://jmls2013fashionlawsymposium.eventbrite.com/. Attorneys can earn approximately 5.5 hours of CLE for this program.
There will be a 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. cocktail reception following the symposium. For additional information, contact the Fashion Law Society at jmls.fashionlaw@gmail.com.