Leslie Ann Reis is a lawyer, journalist, former law professor, and ardent policy wonk.  In addition to her legal skills, she is an experienced manager with a proven track record in leading people and organizational change. She recently returned to private practice after serving a term as General Counsel and Deputy Chief of Staff to Illinois Lieutenant Governor Sheila Simon. 

Before joining the Lt. Governor’s staff, Leslie was an Assistant Professor of Law and the Director of The John Marshall Law School’s Center for Information Technology and Privacy Law (now Center for Intellectual Property, Information and Privacy Law). There, she oversaw all aspects of the center’s degree programs as well as extra-curricular and non-curricular programs. She taught courses in legal ethics/professional responsibility, privacy rights, information law and policy, free speech, media law, and legal analysis. Her scholarly interests focus on the influence of technology on social and government policy, privacy rights, ethics, law and business. She is a nationally recognized privacy expert and Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP/US).

Leslie practiced law in Chicago, focusing on issues involving privacy, civil rights, and media. She was the recipient of a highly competitive legal fellowship with the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press where she provided legal advice and assistance to journalists and wrote extensively on media, open government, technology, and privacy issues for the Committee’s various publications. 

Prior to becoming an attorney, Leslie worked for more than 15 years as a broadcast journalist. She is the recipient of numerous awards including a Chicago Area Emmy Award for outstanding achievement in editing. 

Leslie earned her B.S., cum laude, from Syracuse University and her J.D. from The John Marshall Law School.