Caroline Jacobs

Position: Career Law Clerk for Magistrate Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley
Past Fellows

2000-2002 DRA Fellow

What drew you to DRA? I went to law school knowing that I wanted to do civil rights work. During law school, I tried a number of different fields, from direct services to immigration law to impact litigation at the National Center for Youth Law. Impact litigation was the most meaningful personally because I felt like I was effectuating real change. Working on impact litigation as a fellow at DRA offered me that opportunity.

 What were the highlights of your fellowship experience? I had the opportunity to work on the Bates v. UPS case representing a nationwide class of deaf and hard of hearing UPS workers who had been denied accommodations and promotions. I was involved in every aspect of the case from class certification through trial.  It was an incredible experience for a young lawyer and so rewarding see the effect that our work had on such an important social issue.  I was fortunate enough to stay on beyond my fellowship, and the five years I spent at DRA were full of challenging, rewarding work. I feel extremely lucky to have worked with the talented and dedicated individuals at DRA and within the disability rights community generally to create tangible improvements in people’s lives.

How did your fellowship affect what you went on to do?  My fellowship provided me with the unique opportunity to obtain in-depth litigation experience.  While I ultimately concluded that litigation was not the best path for me, I continue to rely on my passion for the law and the people behind the cases in my work as a career law clerk to a judge in the Northern District of California.  Fellowships provide young lawyers a crucial vehicle to obtain hands-on experience in a particular field, and DRA’s fellowship program is unparalleled in the depth of litigation experience that it provides.