Jody Thomas López Jacobs

Born and raised in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Jody Thomas López-Jacobs grew up in a diverse household that stressed the importance of social and economic justice for all. After working his way through high school and college, Mr. López-Jacobs joined an employment law firm where he helped workers fight for unpaid wages, safe work conditions, and equal treatment on the job.

His passion for the law and helping others took him to Temple University Beasley School of Law, where he graduated in the top 10% of his class, interned with a state and federal judge, and won second place in a national writing competition. He also continued his pursuit for justice by investigating claims of innocence at the Pennsylvania Innocence Project, demanding unpaid wages on behalf of low and middle-income workers, and helping a local nonprofit combat corporate efforts to eliminate the right to a jury trial through mandatory arbitration agreements.

After law school, Mr. López-Jacobs clerked for the Honorable Mark A. Kearney, a federal judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Mr. López-Jacobs is well acquainted with the rules and procedures governing our federal court system.

Mr. López-Jacobs is devoted to the cause of consumers and cherishes the opportunity to help consumers enforce their rights. He believes consumers deserve to be free from harassment, deception, and other illegal conduct they are too often forced to bear. He looks forward to advocating for your rights. 

Since joining the firm in 2017, Mr. López-Jacobs has had great success in obtaining relief for consumers whose rights have been violated.  In recognition of his superior advocacy, Mr. López-Jacobs was recognized as a Super Lawyers "Rising Star" in 2021 through 2024. 

Mr. López-Jacobs is the Pennsylvania Chair of the National Association of Consumer Advocates.

Education

J.D., Temple University Beasley School of Law, Philadelphia, PA

  - Magna cum laude 
  - Order of the Coif
  - Rubin Public Interest Law Honor Society, Fellow
  - Temple Law Review (2014-2015), Research Editor
  - Beasley Scholarship Recipient

B.A., Sociology, Millersville University, Lancaster, PA

Dean's List

Publications

Jody Thomas López-Jacobs, Storytelling Tips for Lawyers, THE PENNSYLVANIA LAWYER (Sept./Oct. 2019)

Jody Thomas López-Jacobs, First But Not the Last: Judge Cathy Bissoon, HOUSTON'S LEGACY (Pa. Bar Assoc. Spring 2019)

Cole et al., A Changing Landscape:  Pennsylvania Counties Reevaluate Policies on Immigration Detainers (2015).

Jody Thomas López-Jacobs, Comment, Is There a Border Exception to the Exclusionary Rule?  87 Temp. L Rev. 611 (2015)

Jody Thomas López-Jacobs, Who Owns the Tips: Chevron and Tip Ownership under the FLSA, The College of Labor & Employment Lawyers (2014)

Awards and Honors

Equal Justice Award - 2022
Community Legal Services of Philadelphia

Super Lawyers "Rising Star", 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024

Honorary Member, Order of the Coif, 2015

Nat N. Wolfsohn Memorial Award in Real Property, Temple University Beasley School of Law, 2015

Fellow, Rubin Public Interest Law Honor Society, 2015

National Writing Competition, Second Place, The College of Labor & Employment Lawyers, 2014

Award Recipient, Judicial Internship Opportunity Program, 2013

Associations

Pennsylvania Bar Association 

Montgomery Bar Association

Philadelphia Bar Association

National Association of Consumer Advocates

Presentations

2023

National Consumer Law Center & National Association of Consumer Advocates, The Consumer Rights Litigation Conference and Consumer Class Action Symposium
"Personal Jurisdiction in the wake of Mallory v. Norfolk Southern and Rule 7.1 corporate disclosures amendment"
Chicago, IL

Lancaster Bar Association
"Consumer Protection Law and Litigation"
Lancaster, PA

National Association of Consumer Advocates, Spring Training
"How to Get Evidence to Prove Willfulness"
New Orleans, LA

Legal Services of New Jersey, Basic Consumer Law Training, Webinar
"State of Solar Fraud in New Jersey"

2022

National Association of Consumer Advocates, Spring Training
"New Trends in Identity Theft"
Phoenix, AZ

National Association of Consumer Advocates, Webinar
"Discovery Confidentiality"

2019

National Consumer Law Center, Consumer Rights Litigation Conference and Class Action Symposium
"Repossessions: FDCPA Claims, Breach of the Peace, and Big Verdicts"
Boston, MA

2018

Superior Court of Pennsylvania En Banc Arguments
Hosted and summarized the review of important cases to be argued before all nine judges of the Superior Court of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA

2017

Financial Literacy & Entrepreneurial Empowerment  Symposium, "Protecting a Consumer's Rights"  
Temple University
Philadelphia, PA

Admitted to Practice

Pennsylvania

New Jersey

United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit

United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania

United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania

United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania

United States District Court for the District of New Jersey

United States District Court for the Central District of Illinois