Jacob Madison Small

I hired Jacob for an employment case in which I was the victim of abuse, harassment, and discrimination. Upon meeting Jacob (over the phone) I expressed to him a handful of emotions; more or less "venting". After my lengthy catharsis, during which he never interrupted, he validated my concerns; rep...eating the words I had used and the context in which I had used them. He had truly listened to me... every word. Over the next nine months, Jacob responded to my emails morning, noon and night, weekdays and weekends. He explained everything he planned to do, why he was doing it, and how it would impact our case. He would ask how I felt about his approach, and asked if I had any questions. Even if he had to explain the same thing three different ways, he did so with patience and exceptional knowledge. It was my case and as expected, I had some decisions to make. Jacob explained all of my options in detail, answered any questions I had, and never pressured me to make one decision over another without thoughtful consideration. Let me make clear that Jacob was not charging by the hour. I knew his time on the case was not spent entirely on the phone with me; I trusted he was doing exceptional work at any normal or odd hour. He proved time and again how exceptional his time was spent. At one point during the case a situation came up and I thought "oh man... what are we going to do now?". I was doubtful and kind of scared that all would be lost. Jacob calls me up and said "I have been planning on this very scenario for months and have a response prepared". He never reacted to anything, he was prepared for everything. The categories to rate Jacob include Trustworthy, Responsive, Knowledgeable, and Kept me Informed. He was not just excellent in all categories, but above and beyond exceptional. Jacob deserved every cent of his share of the settlement. He earned it and so much more. If only I had been awarded more! I am proud to have had Jacob as my lawyer and almost look for people in the same situation so that I can refer him! Thank you Jacob.

Early this fall I was in need of legal advice and representation for a petition to the Virginia Circuit Court to be approved to conduct wedding ceremonies. I am and Endorsed Celebrant authorized by the Humanist Society to conduct weddings, funerals, baby welcomings and coming of age ceremonies. Un...fortunately, the Clerk of Court was unfamiliar with Religious Humanism, so she deferred my application, which techinically satisfied Virginia Code 20.23. I became, due to a simple, but significant, lack of understanding, a victim of religious discrimination. This is why I sought legal help. Finding Jacob was just the help I needed and for that I remain grateful. Jacob was willing to take my case and is experienced in supporting people facing discrimination. In this, he is part of creating a more inclusive America, where we are all treated fairly and justly and in that, more humanely. Jacob was professional throughout the process as well as kind an clear spoken. I was able to understand most everything he explained to me. He was more than willing to explain something in different words when I had questions. What struck me most about Jacob, in addition to a sense that he is ethical, honest and genuinely dedicated to seeing justice served, in addition to all of that, he has a natural ability to translate complicated legal ideas into words that are understandable. Language for regular people who are not lawyers. Throughout our phone conversations and emails, Jacob was impeccably respectful, as he was kind, caring and compassionate to my situation. How fortunate I am to have Jacob Small support me through the process of navigating the legal process, which I could never have done on my own. Jacob asked me to send him copies of documents and paperwork that he felt would support my petition. He secured an affidavit from the head of the Humanist Society and conferred with David Niose from the Appignani Legal Center. But people like Jacob are changing that and making America a more inclusive, more just nation. Jacob presented my petition to a Virginia Circuit Court Judge on November 18th, 2014. The decision was deferred, pending additional information and consideration of the constitutionality of the Virginia Code that applies to marriage celebrants. Jacob assured me that he would continue to fight for my rights and so he did! Jacob dedicating himself to providing as much support material as to me seemed humanly possible, and in early January, sent copies of those support documents with more exhibits than I would have imagined possible back to the clerk. He was very thorough and I believe provided the Judge all that was possibly available to support my petition. His goal was to help help the court understand what Religious Humanism is, why as an Endorsed Celebrant of the Humanist Society who is active and committed to my organization must be treated like an minister from any faith, for our constitution does not allow for one religion to be favored over another. Jacob was successful in arguing for my rights and tomorrow morning I will go back to the Clerk and be sworn in as a marriage officiant in the Commonwealth of Virginia. How grateful I will ever be, for the legal expertise, attention to detail and kindness that combined to make this literally, the best experience with a lawyer I have ever had. And I'm not a person to use the word ever, very often, and I rarely give anyone or anything, 5 stars all across the board, for the record...

Has your employer terminated you through no fault of your own and is now trying to deny you your unemployment benefits? A sad and all too common story. Jacob is your guy. He carefully went over the entire incident (reviewing documents my old job generated that I was easily able to upload to him) a...nd helped me plan a course of action for the upcoming hearing. As the day approached, we practiced with each other about what to say, and on the big day, Jacob was by my side on the phone in the hearing and asking my former employer questions she found herself refusing to answer. She slung all the mud she could at me, but Jacob put a stop to that and helped me to win the case! Jacob's passion for us regular people is his greatest asset. He's an advocate for anyone victimized by bad management, questionable business decisions, or just plain malfeasance. As a worker, you are an important part of the American Landscape and you deserve to be treated fairly! Trust me on this guy. He saved my butt. I can't recommend him strongly enough.

Jacob is an extremely responsive and dedicated advocate. He rapidly reacted when a bad situation with my employer deteriorated overnight and I needed professional representation. Jacob rearranged his caseload with other lawyers in his practice to be sure that he had the time and attention and urg...ency needed for my case. He engaged with opposing counsel on a daily basis for nearly two weeks, and worked to find an amicable solution. He updated me regularly as the case evolved, and we worked together to find the best approach. When we could not find a mutually agreeable way for me to return to work, Jacob aggressively tried to get me the best severance arrangement, and to protect me against retaliation. It was a complicated case, and I felt that Jacob worked hard to understand its different facets and to come up with creative legal approaches and recommendations. This experience was extremely stressful, but it would have been far more challenging had I not retained Jacob as my counsel. I also believe that the outcome would have been far worse. My former employer was working hard to protect its interests, even if this meant harming my character. I worried about my immediate financial health, but I was more concerned about my reputation and ability to maintain my good name as I move forward in my career field. I can’t afford to compromise my future earnings and work potential for the sake of a few dollars now. I was glad when I saw that Jacob understood this. I needed someone to protect both current and future interests and I was glad to have Jacob as an ally. A few weeks ago, Jacob also represented me well with the Virginia Employment Commission (VEC) when my former employer contested my right to benefits. As a result of Jacob’s excellent representation in the arbitration, the VEC investigator ruled in my favor.