Jill A. Lesser -- Biography
Jill A. Lesser
Deputy Director, Law and Public Policy
Senior Counsel
Jill Lesser is Deputy Director, Law and Public Policy at America Online, Inc. in Dulles, Virginia, where she aids in the direction of the company's international, federal, and state public policy, regulatory and industry relations activities. She also serves as Senior Counsel within the AOL Legal Department. She joined AOL recently in September, 1996.
Prior to joining AOL, Jill was the Deputy Director of Public Policy and Director of the Civic Media Project at People For the American Way, a Washington, D.C.-based civil liberties organization. There her duties included directing the organization's public policy initiatives relating to telecommunications and the First Amendment. She was the organization's chief spokesperson on all telecommunications policy issues, appearing regularly on national television and radio programs. Jill's responsibilities at People For also included organizing and managing several coalitions to promote public interest-oriented telecommunications policy, drafting testimony for House and Senate committees, drafting legislation and lobbying Congress. On behalf of People For the American Way, she was also a member of the advisory committee of the U.S. Congressional Internet Caucus.
Prior to joining People For the American Way, she was a litigation associate in New York with the law firm of Debevoise & Plimpton for more than three years. She earned her B.A. with honors in Political Science form the University of Michigan in 1987 and a J.D. from Boston University School of Law where she was an Article Editor of the Boston University Law Review and the recipient of several awards, including the G. Joseph Tauro Distinguished Scholar Award.