James B. Jacobs
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James Barrett Jacobs (April 25, 1947 – March 19, 2020) was the
Warren E. Burger Warren Earl Burger (September 17, 1907 – June 25, 1995) was an American attorney who served as the 15th chief justice of the United States from 1969 to 1986. Born in Saint Paul, Minnesota, Burger graduated from the William Mitchell College o ...
Professor of Constitutional Law and the Courts at
New York University School of Law The New York University School of Law (NYU Law) is the law school of New York University, a private research university in New York City. Established in 1835, it was the first law school established in New York City and is the oldest survivin ...
, where he was a faculty member since 1982. He was a specialist in criminal law, criminal procedure, and criminal justice.


Personal

Jacobs was born in
Bronxville, New York Bronxville is a Administrative divisions of New York#Village, village in Westchester County, New York, Westchester County, New York (state), New York, United States, located approximately north of Midtown Manhattan. It is part of the Adminis ...
. He and his brother Daniel (born 1952) grew up and attended public school in
Mt. Vernon, New York Mount Vernon is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States. It is an inner suburb of New York City, immediately to the north of the Borough (New York City), borough of the Bronx. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, Moun ...
, where his father, Milton Jacobs, had a law practice. In 1975, Jacobs met Jan Sweeney, a British-born academic accountant. They married in 1977. Their first child, Thomas, was born in 1978 and their second child, Sophi, was born in 1980. They have 4 young granddaughters (Rowan and Aurora Krause and Anna and Alma Jacobs). Jacobs lived in
Greenwich Village Greenwich Village, or simply the Village, is a neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City, bounded by 14th Street (Manhattan), 14th Street to the north, Broadway (Manhattan), Broadway to the east, Houston Street to the s ...
and had a keen interest in classical music, opera, ballet, and modern dance. Until 2019, when he was diagnosed with ALS, he was an avid skier. Jacobs died on March 19, 2020.


Professional

Jacobs earned his BA (1969) at
Johns Hopkins University The Johns Hopkins University (often abbreviated as Johns Hopkins, Hopkins, or JHU) is a private university, private research university in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Founded in 1876 based on the European research institution model, J ...
, where he majored in sociology and minored in Russian. After completing military training (U.S. Army Reserves), he spent most of 1970 in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union as a Thomas J. Watson Fellow. In the fall of 1970, Jacobs began study at the
University of Chicago Law School The University of Chicago Law School is the Law school in the United States, law school of the University of Chicago, a Private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois. It employs more than 180 full-time and part-time facul ...
. During the summer of 1971, he served as a research assistant to the eminent criminal law professor Norval Morris. Professor Morris enjoyed a close relationship with the Illinois Director of Corrections, Peter Bensinger, and arranged for Jacobs to spend his 1972 summer doing research at Stateville Penitentiary in
Joliet, Illinois Joliet ( ) is a city in Will County, Illinois, Will and Kendall County, Illinois, Kendall counties in the U.S. state of Illinois, located southwest of Chicago. It is the county seat of Will County, Illinois, Will County. It had a population of ...
. Jacobs’ research, focusing on how several Chicago-based super gangs operated within the prison, resulted in “Street Gangs Behind Bars,” published in the sociology journal ''Social Problems'' in 1973. This was the first scholarly article to deal with gangs in prison and launched Jacobs' career. After graduating with a JD with high honors from the
University of Chicago Law School The University of Chicago Law School is the Law school in the United States, law school of the University of Chicago, a Private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois. It employs more than 180 full-time and part-time facul ...
in 1973, Jacobs became a full-time PhD student in the University of Chicago's Department of Sociology. The sociologist
Morris Janowitz Morris Janowitz (October 22, 1919 – November 7, 1988) was an American sociologist and professor who made major contributions to sociological theory, the study of prejudice, urban issues, and patriotism. He was one of the founders of military s ...
was the chair of his PhD committee, which also included Norval Morris, Barry Schwartz, and Edward Shils. Under Janowitz’s guidance, Jacobs’ prison research grew into a dissertation (PhD 1975) and a book, ''Stateville: The Penitentiary in Mass Society'', now regarded as a classic in American
penology Penology (also penal theory) is a Academic discipline, subfield of criminology that deals with the philosophy and practice of various societies in their attempts to repress crime, criminal activities, and satisfy public opinion via an appropriate ...
. In the fall of 1975, Jacobs became an assistant professor of law and sociology at
Cornell University Cornell University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university based in Ithaca, New York, United States. The university was co-founded by American philanthropist Ezra Cornell and historian and educator Andrew Dickson W ...
. He received tenure in both departments in 1980, but subsequently switched his appointment full-time into the law school, where he taught criminal law. During these years, Jacobs wrote ''Guard Unions and the Future of the Prisons'' (Institute of Public Employment, New York State School of Industrial and Labor Relations, 1978), ''Individual Rights and Institutional Authority: Cases and Materials'' (Bobbs-Merrill Co., 1979), and began work on ''New Perspectives on Prisons and Imprisonment'' (Cornell University Press, 1983). Jacobs served as a visiting professor of law at
New York University School of Law The New York University School of Law (NYU Law) is the law school of New York University, a private research university in New York City. Established in 1835, it was the first law school established in New York City and is the oldest survivin ...
for the 1981-82 academic year. He arrived at NYU the same day as
John Sexton John Edward Sexton (born September 29, 1942) is an American legal scholar. He is the Benjamin F. Butler Professor of Law at New York University where he teaches at the law school and NYU's undergraduate colleges. Sexton served as the fifteenth ...
, who later became the law school’s dean and NYU’s president, and with whom Jacobs has shared a close and lasting friendship. At the end of that academic year, Jacobs resigned from
Cornell University Cornell University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university based in Ithaca, New York, United States. The university was co-founded by American philanthropist Ezra Cornell and historian and educator Andrew Dickson W ...
to become professor of law at NYU and director of the law school’s Center for Research in Crime and Justice. Jacobs has been a member of the
NYU Law The New York University School of Law (NYU Law) is the law school of New York University, a private research university in New York City. Established in 1835, it was the first law school established in New York City and is the oldest surviving ...
faculty ever since, regularly teaching criminal law, criminal procedure, and such other courses as federal criminal law, juvenile justice, and specialty criminal justice area seminars on such topics as drunk driving, gun control, corruption and corruption control, prison law and policy, labor racketeering and organized crime control, the drug war, vice crimes, sentencing, privatization of criminal justice, criminal records policy and jurisprudence, cyber crime, and asset forfeiture and money laundering. Jacobs has co-taught seminars at NYU Law with David Garland, Ron Goldstock, Robert Stewart, Norval Morris, Jerome Cohen, Ronald K. Noble, Sharon Levin, Chester Mirsky, Joseph Viteritti, Anne Milgram, Judith Germano, Thomas Wiegand, John Gleeson, Eric Ruben, and Peter Kougasian. As a champion of the law school’s criminal law program, Jacobs has been instrumental in recruiting to the law school some of its most distinguished faculty members, including David Garland, Stephen Schulhofer, Rachel Barkow, Erin Murphy, and Jerome Skolnick, who became co-director of the Center for the Research in Crime and Justice upon joining the NYU Law faculty in 1997. Jacobs has also, over the years, undertaken research collaborations with dozens of students of the law school and fellows of the Center for Research in Crime and Justice, including co-authoring books with Frank Anechiarico, Kimberly Potter, Coleen Friel, Robert Raddick, Christopher Panarella, Jay Worthington, Kerry Cooperman, and Zoe Fuhr, as well as co-authoring scores of scholarly articles. And he has maintained strong ties with criminologists and other scholars from around the world, including Cyrille Fijnaut (Netherlands), Elena Larrauri (Spain), Xiuimei Wang (China), Dirk van Zyl Smit (South Africa and UK), and Henner Hess (Germany). With the support and encouragement of NYU alumnus, Alan Fortunoff, Jacobs launched the law school’s monthly Fortunoff Criminal Justice Colloquium in 1983. Fifteen years later, when Fortunoff died, the distinguished criminal defense lawyer,
Jack Hoffinger Jack may refer to: Places * Jack, Alabama, US, an unincorporated community * Jack, Missouri, US, an unincorporated community * Jack County, Texas, a county in Texas People and fictional characters * Jack (given name), a male given name, inclu ...
, became the colloquium's benefactor. The multidisciplinary Criminal Justice Colloquium meets each month during the academic year. It features a public lecture by a leading criminal justice or criminology scholar, followed by questions and discussion. The Hoffinger Colloquium serves as a magnet for criminal justice professors, researchers, policymakers, and practitioners from the metropolitan area and beyond. With Ron Goldstock’s support, Jacobs also established the law school’s weekly criminal law faculty seminar, which has furthered community-building among NYU Law’s diverse full-time and adjunct criminal law faculty, criminal law fellows, and visiting researchers. In 1995, Jacobs served as
Fulbright The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright–Hays Program, is one of several United States cultural exchange programs with the goal of improving intercultural relations, cultural diplomacy, and intercultural competence between the people ...
teaching fellow at the
University of Cape Town The University of Cape Town (UCT) (, ) is a public university, public research university in Cape Town, South Africa. Established in 1829 as the South African College, it was granted full university status in 1918, making it the oldest univer ...
. In 1988, Jacobs was visiting professor of law at
Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...
. In 1998, then dean (and later NYU president)
John Sexton John Edward Sexton (born September 29, 1942) is an American legal scholar. He is the Benjamin F. Butler Professor of Law at New York University where he teaches at the law school and NYU's undergraduate colleges. Sexton served as the fifteenth ...
awarded Jacobs the Warren E. Burger Chair of Constitutional Law and the Courts. Since 2000, Jacobs has been a fellow of the
American Society of Criminology The American Society of Criminology (ASC) is an international organization based on the campus of Ohio State University whose members focus on the study of crime and delinquency. It aims to grow and disseminate scholarly research, with members wo ...
. He served for many years as chair of the advisory board of
NYU Press New York University Press (or NYU Press) is a university press that is part of New York University. History NYU Press was founded in 1916 by the then chancellor of NYU, Elmer Ellsworth Brown. Directors * Arthur Huntington Nason, 1916–193 ...
. For many years, he also served on the advisory board of the
NYC Criminal Justice Agency New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive wit ...
. In 2010, Attorney General Eric Holder appointed Jacobs to the
National Institute of Corrections The National Institute of Corrections (NIC) is an agency of the United States government. It is part of the Federal Bureau of Prisons. History The NIC was created by the United States Congress in 1974, based on the recommendation of the Nationa ...
’ advisory board; Holder renewed the appointment in 2011. In 2012, the
International Association for the Study of Organized Crime International is an adjective (also used as a noun) meaning "between nations". International may also refer to: Music Albums * ''International'' (Kevin Michael album), 2011 * ''International'' (New Order album), 2002 * ''International'' (The T ...
awarded Jacobs its lifetime achievement award. In 2012, the
John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation The John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation is a private foundation formed in 1925 by Olga and Simon Guggenheim in memory of their son, who died on April 26, 1922. The organization awards Guggenheim Fellowship Guggenheim Fellowships are Gr ...
named Jacobs a 2012–2013 fellow. On October 3, 2019, his colleagues honored him with a gala tribute celebrating his scholarship and his community-building at the law school. Speakers included U.S. and foreign scholars.


Publications

Jacobs is the author, or co-author, of seventeen books. In 1989, he published ''Drunk Driving: An American Dilemma'', a wide-ranging jurisprudential and policy analysis of drunk driving as a social phenomenon, criminal offense and target of socio-legal control. He also took up a multi-year consulting position with the
New York State Organized Crime Task Force New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 ** "New" (Paul McCartney song), 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, 1995 * "New" (Daya song), 2017 * "New" (No Doubt song), 19 ...
(OCTF), whose director was
Ronald Goldstock Ronald Goldstock is an American attorney known for his work in organized crime law enforcement. He has served as the Director of the New York State Organized Crime Task Force, New York State Commissioner of the Waterfront Commission of New York H ...
. Jacobs worked with the OCTF on a study and investigation of
Cosa Nostra The Sicilian Mafia or Cosa Nostra (, ; "our thing"), also referred to as simply Mafia, is a criminal society and criminal organization originating on the island of Sicily and dates back to the mid-19th century. Emerging as a form of local protect ...
penetration of the NYC construction industry. The study was published in 1990 as ''Corruption and Racketeering In The New York City Construction Industry: The Final Report of the New York State Organized Crime Task Force''. It was the first of five books that Jacobs was to write over the next twenty years on various aspects of the government's legal attack on the
Cosa Nostra The Sicilian Mafia or Cosa Nostra (, ; "our thing"), also referred to as simply Mafia, is a criminal society and criminal organization originating on the island of Sicily and dates back to the mid-19th century. Emerging as a form of local protect ...
. Jacobs’ collaboration with OCTF also brought him in touch with
Hamilton College Hamilton College is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Clinton, Oneida County, New York, Clinton, New York. It was established as the Hamilton-Oneida Academy in 1793 and received its c ...
’s public administration scholar, Frank Anechiarico, with whom Jacobs published a pathbreaking book on corruption and corruption control, ''The Pursuit of Absolute Integrity: How Corruption Control Makes Government Ineffective'' (University of Chicago Press, 1996). Jacobs has also written books on political corruption, hate crime, gun control, and criminal records. Research for ''The Eternal Criminal Record'' was supported by a 2012–13
Guggenheim Fellowship Guggenheim Fellowships are Grant (money), grants that have been awarded annually since by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, endowed by the late Simon Guggenheim, Simon and Olga Hirsh Guggenheim. These awards are bestowed upon indiv ...
. He has also written well over one hundred articles on diverse criminal law and criminology topics, most recently on the jurisprudential and policy issues related to gun control. Many of his articles, and several books, have been collaborations with students associated with the Center for Research in Crime and Justice. His most recent book, ''The Toughest Gun Control Law in the Nation'',The Toughest Gun Control Law in the Nation: The Unfulfilled Promise of New York’s SAFE Act, James B. Jacobs, Zoe Fuhr, NYU Press, 2019, was co-authored with Zoe Fuhr, a recent NYU Law LLM graduate.


Published works

* ''The Toughest Gun Control Law in the Nation: The Unfulfilled Promise of New York's SAFE Act'' (New York University Press, 2019) (with Zoe Fuhr) * ''The Eternal Criminal Record'' (Harvard University Press, 2015) * ''Breaking the Devil’s Pact: The Battle to Free the Teamsters from the Mob'' (New York University Press, 2011) (with Kerry Cooperman) * ''Mobsters, Unions, and Feds: The Mafia and the American Labor Movement'' (New York University Press, 2006) * ''Can Gun Control Work?'' (Oxford University Press, 2002) * ''Gotham Unbound: How NYC Was Liberated From the Grip of Organized Crime'' (New York University Press, 1999) (with Coleen Friel and Robert Raddick) * ''Hate Crime: Criminal Law and Identity Politics'' (Oxford University Press, 1998) (with Kimberly Potter) * ''The Pursuit of Absolute Integrity: How Corruption Control Makes Government Ineffective'' (University of Chicago Press, 1996) (with Frank Anechiarico) * ''Busting the Mob: United States v. Cosa Nostra'' (New York University Press, 1994) (with Christopher Panarella and Jay Worthington) * ''Organized Crime & Its Containment: A Transatlantic Initiative'' (Kluwer Law and Taxation Pub., 1991) (with Cyrille Fijnaut) * ''Corruption and Racketeering in the New York City Construction Industry: The Final Report of the New York State Organized Crime Task Force'' (New York University Press, 1990) * ''Drunk Driving: An American Dilemma'' (University of Chicago Press, 1989) * ''Socio-Legal Foundations of Civil Military-Relations'' (Transaction Books, 1986) * ''New Perspective on Prisons and Imprisonment'' (Cornell University Press, 1983) * ''Individual Rights and Institutional Authority: Cases and Materials'' (Bobbs-Merrill Co., 1979) * ''Guard Unions and the Future of the Prisons'' (Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations Press, 1978) (with Norma Crotty) * ''Stateville: The Penitentiary in Mass Society'' (University of Chicago Press, 1977)


References


External links


Jacobs's web page at NYUComprehensive list of references and publications
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jacobs, James B. 1947 births 2020 deaths University of Chicago alumni University of Chicago Law School alumni Cornell University faculty New York University faculty People from Greenwich Village Place of birth missing