As class president, John Jacob ’84 had the honor of leaving his classmates with these words in his commencement speech, “Let’s strive to participate and stretch ourselves as far as we can.”
These words were the culmination of years spent diving into everything Moravian Academy had to offer. John was a member of student government, the soccer team, the tennis team, Moravian Academy Singers, and also appeared on stage with roles including King Arthur in Camelot and Harold Hill in The Music Man. John even stretched himself beyond the grounds of Moravian and landed a short internship in the Family Law Division at the Northampton County Courthouse during his senior year, an experience that marked the first step in his career path as a lawyer.
His second step happened thanks to a fun summer spent in DC during his college years at Colgate. “The summer between my junior and senior year, my great friend and Moravian classmate, Jeff Fuisz ’84, had an extra bed in his townhouse in Georgetown, so I spent that summer in DC and fell in love with the town. Through friendships I made that summer, I landed a job as a paralegal at a Supreme Court and appellate boutique law firm where I worked for two years after graduation. I’ve been in DC ever since.”
Wanting to remain in the city after his time as a paralegal, Jeff attended law school at the American University, Washington College of Law. After landing a role as a summer associate at Akin Gump, he was offered an associate position in the firm’s Health Care practice after graduating in 1993. For eight years, he served as hiring partner and has been head of the firm’s Health Care & Life Sciences practice since 2016.
Reflecting upon his life and career, John said, “Simple acts of kindness have had a profound impact on my life and I’m a true believer in the importance and impact of being kind. I will never forget [former Headmaster] Mr. Devey standing out in front of Main Hall every day shaking our hands, saying good morning, and wishing each of us a great day by name. The power and impact of such a simple act still resonates with me. Although the context is different, I make an effort to incorporate a similar practice every day at my law firm.”
John currently lives in Chevy Chase, MD, with wife Karen and teenage daughters Eleanor and Kate. When not working, he admittedly likes to run (but not too far), read (until he falls asleep), and grill (as often as possible).
Read this article and other content in the Spring 2020 Moravian Academy Journal.