Jerold L. Jacobs

After serving in various attorney, supervisory, and quasi-judicial positions at the Federal Communications Commission and then as Special Counsel or Partner in the communications practice groups of two distinguished New York and Washington, D.C. law firms, on October 1, 2013 Jerold L. Jacobs (“Jerry”) opened his own law offices in Washington, D.C. Jerry’s practice emphasizes broadcast, digital television, and cable television issues. He regularly assists commercial and noncommercial AM, FM, TV, FM and TV translator, and LPTV clients in obtaining approval of innovative applications, waiver requests, and special authorizations by the FCC for new and existing broadcast stations. He also files comments in complex broadcast and cable rulemaking proceedings, most recently involving DTV implementation, industry EEO requirements, satellite program delivery, application streamlining, multiple ownership limitations, broadcast auctions, and FM channel allotments. In addition, Jerry represents cable and TV clients in signal carriage disputes before the FCC, and he litigates broadcast and cable issues in adversary pleading cases, negotiations, and FCC administrative hearings. Finally, Jerry advises clients concerning FCC policy issues and legislative developments in the communications area, and he handles FCC-related transactional matters. During Jerry’s tenure at the FCC, he spent 10 years in the cable TV area (two years as Deputy Chief of the Cable Television Bureau), two years as Chief of the Broadcast Bureau’s Broadcast Facilities Division, and seven years as the senor appellate judge on the FCC’s Review Board. As Broadcast Facilities Chief, Jerry directed the initiation of some 170 comparative broadcast licensing proceedings and headed a staff of 80 attorneys, engineers, and others responsible for approving all radio and TV construction permits and licenses for new and existing broadcast stations. On the Review Board, he authored or supervised some 125 decisions. Jerry is listed in Who’s Who in the East and Who’s Who in American Law. A native of Hewlett, Long Island, New York, he is a member of the District of Columbia and New York bars and the Federal Communications Bar Association. Jerry has been admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. He has written appellate briefs for both Circuits and has argued before the 11th Circuit. Jerry received his B.A. degree cum laude from Amherst College and his J.D. degree from Harvard Law School. Jerry and his wife Laura reside in Rockville, Maryland and have three grown children and six grandchildren.