We recently had an opportunity to sit down with South Carolina personal injury attorney Jacob Born.
Here’s what we learned:
Beginnings
Jacob grew up in northeast Columbia, where he graduated from Ridge View High School. He then attended the University of South Carolina, where he studied experimental psychology.
Although both of Jacob’s parents were registered nurses, Jacob took a job as a student working alongside Mark Chappell at Chappell, Smith & Arden and never looked back.
“I wanted to give a voice to people who were unable to speak for themselves.”
In 2008, Jacob attended the Charleston School of Law. He graduated from law school in 2011 and accepted a job at Chappell, Smith & Arden the following year.
Career
Jacob quickly rose the ranks to become a partner at Chappell, Smith & Arden. His practice focuses on personal injury cases, including truck accidents, industrial worksite injuries, and nursing home abuse cases.
Jacob is licensed to practice law in both state and federal courts throughout South Carolina and Georgia. He is a contributing member of the American Association of Justice, the South Carolina Association for Justice, and the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association.
Jacob has been nominated as a “Rising Star” with Super Lawyers Magazine, which is awarded to the top 5 percent of lawyers in their practice area.
Jacob has had a number of memorable experiences over more than a decade of practicing law, including his first jury verdict and securing a confidential settlement for a golfer who was attacked by an alligator at Fripp Island Resort.
However, Jacob’s proudest moment might be obtaining compensation for a dog bite victim. The case was an uphill battle and it took three separate lawsuits and more than five years to obtain the money his client deserved. During those grueling five years of litigation, Jacob had to remind himself of the prophetic advice he received in law school: “There’s no substitute for hard work and dedication.”
Advice for prospective clients
Jacob knows that the legal system can be a challenging and exhausting place to operate. He recommends prospective clients find an attorney who has the experience and ability to face adversity.
If you become his client, Jacob sees his role in the attorney-client relationship as being an advocate who also protects his clients from harm.
“Being an attorney requires me to think two and three steps ahead.”
Jacob advises all of his clients to tell the truth and to be respectful and authentic. “Juries want to help nice people that tell the truth,” Jacob explains. “If we have a great case, you have nothing to hide.”
Free time
In his rare free time, Jacob enjoys spending his days with his family, playing golf, working on do-it-yourself (DIY) projects around his home, and skiing.
He can also be found watching Rainmaker, the 1997 film starring his favorite fictional attorney Rudy Baylor.
About Chappell, Smith & Arden, P.A.
