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Jasmine Jacobs Authors St. Louis Law Journal Article on Navigating Bias in Law

St. Louis, Mo. (January 9, 2025) – St. Louis Associate Jasmine Jacobs recently authored an article on navigating bias in law as a Black woman for the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis’ (BAMSL) bimonthly publication, St. Louis Law Journal. Ms. Jacobs serves as Section Chair for the organization’s “Minorities in the Legal Profession.”

Ms. Jacobs describes her upbringing in a predominantly white town in Franklin County, Missouri, where she experienced numerous instances of racism and microaggressions from high school classmates. This continued even after she started practicing law, with opposing counsel incorrectly assuming her role to be a court reporter, paralegal, or assistant.  

In her day-to-day work as a lawyer, Ms. Jacobs writes about the exhaustion that she has felt after repeated instances of stereotypical comments about her as a Black woman in the profession. These include blanket statements that assume different races to be monoliths, callous disregard for the types of cases she is working on from previous supervisors, and unwarranted comments about her hair and appearance in the courtroom.

In the article, Ms. Jacobs offers three practical tips for those who are interacting with attorneys of color at work. She encourages attorneys to actively listen to colleagues from minority backgrounds, be mindful of ways they can make others’ experience more comfortable, and welcome new attorneys through DEI initiatives that make them feel seen and supported.  

Ms. Jacobs is a member of Lewis Brisbois’ General Liability, Healthcare, Medical Malpractice, and Long-Term Care practice groups.

Read the full St. Louis Law Journal article here.

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