Jacob G. Blackstone

Jacob Blackstone grew up in Indiana but lived all over before moving to Valparaiso in 2008. While still attending Terre Haute South Vigo High School, he joined the U.S. Army in 1999 at the age of 17. Jacob went to basic training before his senior year, then returned to serve his country after graduation. He eventually came back to Terre Haute and attended Indiana State University while working as a correctional officer for the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Despite a full work schedule, Jacob earned his Bachelor’s degree in criminology with honors. He then moved to Texas and worked as a U.S. Border Patrol Agent on the Mexican border. After years of considering law school, Jacob took the Law School Admissions Test in 2007 before attending Valparaiso University School of Law.

While in law school Jacob was very active with the International Moot Court Team. He was the overall winner of VU’s 2009 International Moot Court Intraschool competition. In 2010, he placed among the top competitors at the Midwestern Regional Round of the world’s largest moot court competition. In addition, he was the 2010-11 Dean W. Kohlhoff Award Winner for Excellence in Environmental Law and taught legal writing to first-year students as a Teaching Assistant.

Jacob stayed busy outside of school as well, working a part-time job and continuing his service in the U.S. Army Reserves. After 11 years of active duty and reserve service, he retired in 2010 from his position as a Human Intelligence Collector specializing in interrogations. He also worked with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in Chicago, assisting the ICE Chief Counsel’s office with immigration and asylum cases.

Despite graduating a semester early, Jacob graduated near the top of his class in December of 2010 and received his Juris Doctor with magna cum laude honors. He took the bar exam and is now licensed to practice law in the state of Indiana. After graduation, Jacob took a temporary job in Virginia, where he analyzed claims against BP arising from the Gulf Coast Oil Spill. He then returned to Indiana to teach legal studies & criminal justice students and work as a contractor for the Bureau of Prisons legal department.

Jacob still teaches part-time but left the BOP in October of 2011 to join Gordon A. Etzler & Associates, LLP. He continues to work with law students as well, serving as the administrator for the Midwestern Regional of the Phillip C. Jessup Moot Court competition in Chicago.