Alexis Crawford receives the 2010 Dolores K. Hanna Trademark Prize

Alexis Crawford, a third-year student at IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law, has been selected to receive the 2010 Dolores K. Hanna Trademark Prize. The prize was established in 2006 at Chicago-Kent by the law firm of K&L Gates LLP (formerly Bell, Boyd & Lloyd LLC) to honor Dolores K. Hanna, a 1952 Chicago-Kent graduate who served as the firm's special trademark counsel. Hannah retired from active practice in June 2006.

The Dolores K. Hanna Trademark Prize is awarded at the end of the school year to a Chicago-Kent student based on outstanding performance in an intellectual property course. Recipients are selected by Chicago-Kent faculty who teach the law school's program in intellectual property law.

"Dolores Hanna's exemplary legal career has spanned more than five decades," said Robert M. Barrett, who heads K&L Gates' intellectual property practice. "During this time she consistently provided leadership in and service to the practice of intellectual property law. She has tirelessly served the organized bar and mentored students and young lawyers in the field. We are pleased to recognize Dolores' commitment by presenting this award."

Dolores Hanna practiced intellectual property law with distinction for more than 50 years. Prior to joining Bell, Boyd & Lloyd in 2000, Hanna practiced at the law firm of Hill & Simpson and also served as trademark counsel for Kraft Inc. From 1985 to 1987, she chaired the federal Trademark Review Commission, and recommended changes that were enacted into the Trademark Law Revision Act of 1988, the first comprehensive update of trademark law since passage of the Lanham Act in 1946. Active in local, county and state organizations, Hanna has served as president of the Intellectual Property Law Association of Chicago, the Women's Bar Association of Illinois, the Women's Bar Foundation, and the Cook County Court Watchers. She is also a past president of the International Trademark Association.

Awardee Alexis Crawford is a May 2011 J.D. candidate. At Chicago-Kent, Crawford is president of the Moot Court Honor Society and serves as executive articles editor of the Journal of Intellectual Property.

Crawford graduated with a dual degree in journalism and political science from Northwestern University. Prior to law school, she held editorial positions with Northwestern University and The Advanced Business Intelligence Solutions Group, and completed magazine internships. In 2008, Crawford formed Alexis Inc., a consulting firm that provides writing, editing and publishing services to clients in the health care, business and journalism industries. As a Chicago-Kent student, she has worked as a law clerk in the Saper Law Offices in Chicago, as a judicial extern for the Honorable Morton Denlow of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, and as an intellectual property intern with the Fox Entertainment Group in Los Angeles.

Chicago-Kent College of Law is the law school of Illinois Institute of Technology, a private, Ph.D.-granting institution with programs in engineering, psychology, architecture, business, design and law. Chicago-Kent established one of the first programs in intellectual property law in the United States more than two decades ago and is nationally recognized as a leader in the field.