Ann S. Jacobs is the founder of Jacobs Injury Law. Her practice includes automobile accidents, nursing home abuse and neglect cases, financial abuse/fraud, as well as medical malpractice cases.
She is a Cum Laude graduate of University of Wisconsin Law School, where she was a member and coach of the Intellectual Property Moot Court Team. She completed her undergraduate at University of Wisconsin with distinction, winning the Leon Epstein Award for Outstanding Student in American Government.
Ms. Jacobs began her legal career as a public defender, litigating dozens of jury trials over nearly a decade, from juvenile cases to homicides. She honed her trial skills during that period, and championed cases for her clients. During that time, she was one of the original authors of the Wisconsin Juvenile Law Handbook, published by the State Bar of Wisconsin, writing the original chapter on the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction Act.
Ms. Jacobs left the public defenders office and began her career as a trial attorney in private practice, advocating for the rights of the injured. Since then she has represented hundreds of clients in a wide variety of cases, winning outstanding results for them, including at trial.
In recognition of her outstanding work on behalf of her clients, she has been honored as one of the Top 50 Lawyers in the state of Wisconsin from 2011 through 2021, among the top 25 lawyers in Milwaukee from 2011 through 2021, and one of the top 25 Women Lawyers in the State of Wisconsin by Superlawyers every year from 2005 to 2022, as seen in Milwaukee Magazine. She was also honored as a “Wisconsin Woman in the Law” by the Wisconsin Law Journal in 2010. Magazine of Milwaukee also named her a “Leading Lawyer” in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 in both Personal Injury and Medical Malpractice. Click here to download brochure.
In 2018, Ms. Jacobs was honored by her peers and named “Trial Lawyer of the Year” by the Wisconsin Association for Justice. This Award recognizes an individual who has demonstrated strong commitment to the goals for which the Wisconsin Association for Justice was established: Promotion of the administration of justice for the public good Upholding the honor and dignity of the profession of law Upholding the right of trial by jury Preserving and enhancing the rights of persons to have access to the Courts and our system of justice, and to afford everyone a full, fair and timely remedy for wrongs done. https://www.wisjustice.org/index.cfm?pg=Awards
In 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023, Jacobs Injury Law, S.C. was listed among the Best Lawyers® in the category of Personal Injury Litigation for Plaintiffs and among the Best law firms for 2022 and 2023.
In addition to her strong practice, Ms. Jacobs is one of the authors of the Law of Damages book published by the State Bar of Wisconsin, co-writing the chapter on pain and suffering. She also co-authors a chapter in the State Bar Book Advising Older clients in Wisconsin which addresses negligence claims for the older client. She is also a frequent lecturer to attorneys across the state and nationally on many topics, including subrogation, ethics, election law, nursing home neglect, and has presented on those topics many times.
In 2013 she was elected President of Wisconsin Association for Justice, (Wisconsin’s Trial Lawyer Association), and continues to serve on their Board of Directors. She is a founding member of the organization’s Women’s caucus, which began in 2007 and remains an active part of that group.
She was elected in 2012 to the Milwaukee Bar Association Board of Directors, serving until 2015. Additionally, she had served as chair of the Milwaukee Bar’s Lawyer Referral Information Service (LRIS) Committee from 2006-2015. In recognition of her long-standing expertise in the area, the American Bar Association appointed her to their National LRIS committee, which oversees the certification of Lawyer Referral Services across the United States.
In 2016, she was appointed to a 5-year term on the State of Wisconsin’s newly-formed State Elections Commission and served as its vice-chair. The Commission has oversight over all of Wisconsin’s election administration functions.
Ms. Jacobs is fluent in Spanish and represents many non-English speaking clients in a wide variety of cases. She is a member of the Wisconsin Hispanic Lawyers Association. She is a life-long resident of Milwaukee, residing on the east side with her husband and three children.
Bar Admissions
- State Bar of Wisconsin
- Wisconsin Eastern District
- Wisconsin Western District
- Federal Court of Claims (Vaccine Injury)
Presentations & Writings
- Presenter – State Bar of Wisconsin Car Crash Symposium, Avoiding Inconsistent and Improper Verdicts: Keeping the Case You Won, 2019
- Presenter – Wisconsin Association for Justice, Winning Your Trip & Fall Case, 2018
- Presenter – Medical Malpractice from Start to Finish, NBI Seminars, 2018
- Presenter – State Bar of Wisconsin, Women in the Law: A Candid Discussion, 2018
- Women in the Law: A Candid Discussion (with Ann Jacobs) – Brief video interview on how to include and support women in the legal field, 2018
- Author – Advising Older Clients: Chapter 19 — Overview of Negligence Claims for Older Clients, 2018
- Author – Law of Damages: Chapter 5 – Pain and Suffering, 2018
- National seminar on medical malpractice cases., Speaker, Medical Malpractice Law, National Business Institute (NBI), 2017
- Presentation to Attorneys, Speaker, Social Media Discovery, Waukesha County Bar Association, 2017
- National seminar on lien resolution, Speaker, Paralegal’s Guide to Liens and Subrogation in Personal Injury, National Business Institute (NBI), 2017
- Presentation to State Bar, Speaker, Social Media Discovery, State Bar of Wisconsin, 2017
- Presentation to State Bar, Speaker, Social Media from the Plaintiff’s Perspective, State Bar of Wisconsin Annual Meeting, 2016.
- National seminar on lien resolution, Speaker, Eliminating/Minimizing Liens in Personal Injury Settlements, National Business Institute (NBI), 2016
- National seminar on medical malpractice cases., Speaker, Medical Malpractice from Start to Finish, National Business Institute (NBI), 2015 & 2016
- National seminar on the nuts and bolts of medical malpractice cases., Speaker, Medical Malpractice from A to Z, National Business Institute (NBI), 2014
- Presentation regarding the complexity of proper pleading and verdict crafting when a client has 2 successive accidents., Speaker, Two Crashes / Once Case: Pleading & Verdict Crafting for the Unlucky Double Crash Client, Wisconsin Association For Justice, 2014
- Nationwide seminar on liens – also presented on the ethics of lien resolution., Presenter, Eliminating/Minimizing Liens in Personal Injury Settlements, National Business Institute (NBI), 2014
- Ethics presentation to trial attorneys, Presenter, The Ethics of Lien Resolution, Wisconsin Association Of Justice, 2014
- Presented on identifying MTBI’s and presenting them within an auto claim., Speaker, Mild Traumatic Brain Injuries, State Bar Of Wisconsin (Car Crash Symposium), 2013
- Presented a full ethics credit for attorneys regarding their ethical obligations when encountering a variety of liens, including fee liens, subrogation/reimbursement and Medicare., Complex Lien Resolution, NBI, 2013
- Presented live and via webcast regarding identifying mild traumatic brain injuries, current treatment theories, and how to present the sequelae to juries., “Mild Traumatic Brain Injuries”, State Bar of Wisconsin, 2013
- Panelist, Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law 50th Anniversary Symposium, “Crafting The Ideal Election Administration System” Washington DC, 2013
- Article on the impact of the Shelby Decision in Wisconsin, Author, “Voting Rights & Wisconsin”, 2013
- Panelist at the Blogger’s Convention as a part of the Democratic National Convention on the topic of Voter Suppression., Panelist, 2012
- Author, “Consultation Fees: A Lawyer’s and LRIS’s friend!”, Dialogue Magazine, American Bar Association, 2012
- Speaker on how to identify cases where a person has suffered neglect or abuse, as opposed to the normal progression of illness or old age. (Presented twice), “Issue Spotting in Nursing Home Neglect Cases: Bad Care vs. Bad Outcomes”, CLE credits for attorneys awarded, Wisconsin Association for Justice, 2012
- Speaker, Top Ten Causes of Client Complaints: How to Keep Your LRIS Referrals – And You – Happy, Milwaukee Bar Association, CLE credits for attorneys awarded, 2012
- Speaker on using the iPad in court to enhance trial presentation. “Technology in the Palm of Your Hand: Take Your iPad to Court”, CLE credits for attorneys awarded, 2012
- A review of the TrialPad software for courtroom presentation., Author, “TrialPad: Helping the Jury See Your Case”, The Verdict, 2012
- Discussion of changes made to Wisconsin’s Civil Justice Laws., Author, “A Year Long Attack On Civil Justice”, 2012
- Discussion of the changes to Wisconsin Attorneys Fees laws and why they matter., Author, “Why Attorneys Fees Matter”, 2012
- Discussion of changes to Wisconsin’s Highway Liability Bill, Author, “Wisconsin Hazardous Highways Immunity Bill: What’s The Purpose?”, 2012
- Article summarizing the history of Wisconsin’s recall law., Author, “Recall in Wisconsin: A Historical Perspective”, The Messenger Magazine, Milwaukee Bar Association, 2012
- Gave overview of new trial presentation technology., Speaker, “Going To Court With An iPad: TrialPad App Makes Trial Presentation a Cinch”, CLE credits for attorneys awarded, Wisconsin Association For Justice, 2012
- Provided comprehensive update on changes to Wisconsin Auto Insurance Laws., Speaker, “Goodbye Truth in Auto, We Hardly Knew Ye: The 2011 Changes to Auto Insurance”, CLE credits for attorneys awarded, Wisconsin Association For Justice, 2011
- Speaker on Subrogation & Medicare Liens, Speaker, “Hot Topics in Subrogation & Medicare Liens”, CLE credits for attorneys awarded, State Bar Of Wisconsin, 2011
- Lectured on new changes to Wisconsin’s Auto Insurance Laws recently passed by the legislature., Speaker, 2011 Tort & Auto Law Changes: The new laws and when you need to care about them, CLE credits for attorneys awarded, Milwaukee Bar Association, 2011
- Recent changes in Medicare reimbursement law and the confusion of two very distinct concepts – Reporting Requirements and Medicare Set-Asides., Speaker, MMSEA’s and Reporting Requirements: When do I Have To Worry?, Wisconsin Association for Justice, 2010
- Spoke to paralegal section about what is expected of paralegals who accompany their attorneys to trial., Speaker, I’m Going To Court: The Do’s and Don’t’s for Paralegals at Trial, Wisconsin Association for Justice, 2010
- Spoke on the Plaintiff’s Lawyer’s obligations with regard to Medicare subrogation and reimbursement., Speaker, “Coping with Medicare – From the Plaintiff’s Lawyer’s Perspective”, CLE credits for attorneys awarded, State Bar Of Wisconsin, 2010
- Speaker, 2009 National Conference of the American Bar Association Lawyer Referral Information Service Committee, Baltimore, Maryland, “Developing Affinity With Your Panel: Building Partnerships”
- Spoke at the 2nd annual Protect Wisconsin Vote Education Summit regarding Election Fraud., Speaker, Election Fraud, One Wisconsin Now, 2009
- Lectured as to the ethical implications of subrogation laws. CLE credits and ethics credits awarded., Lecturer, “The Ethics of Subrogation”, Wisconsin Association for Justice, 2008
- Updated attorneys on the changes in subrogation law. CLE credits for attorneys awarded., Lecturer, “Subrogation Update”, Wisconsin Association for Justice, 2008
- Trained over 100 volunteer attorneys in election observation law for the non-partisan Election Protection group. CLE credits for attorneys awarded., Training Coordinator, Attorney Training, Election Protection of Wisconsin, 2008, 2010, 2012
- Lecture regarding attorney obligations as to subrogation. CLE credits for attorneys awarded., Lecturer, “Subrogation: Maximizing Your Client’s Recovery And Minimizing Your Headaches”, Wisconsin Association for Justice, 2007
- Spoke regarding qui tam (false claims) actions. CLE credits for attorneys awarded., Speaker, “In the Cross Hairs: How To Manage Matters With Civil And Criminal Implications”, Eastern District of Wisconsin Bar Association, 2006
- Lecture regarding subrogation obligations for attorneys. CLE credits for attorneys awarded., Lecturer, “Subrogation, Reimbursement and Liens: Who You Have to Pay, Who You Don’t Have To Pay, and How To Tell The Difference”, Wisconsin Association for Justice, 2006
- Lecture regarding letters of protection in light of the Riegleman case. CLE credits for attorneys awarded., Lecturer, “Riegleman v. Krieg: The Do’s and Don’ts of Letters of Protection in Wisconsin”, Wisconsin Association for Justice, 2005
- Spoke at the Wisconsin State Bar Annual Conference on the topic of Medicare reimbursement obligations from the Plaintiff’s lawyer’s perspective, Speaker, Coping with Medicare From the Plaintiff’s Lawyer’s Perspective, State Bar Of Wisconsin
Professional Associations and Memberships
- Milwaukee Bar Association, Board of Directors, 2013-present
- Milwaukee Bar Association, Chair, LRIS Committee, 2010 – Present, Co-Chair, LRIS Committee, 2007 – 2010, Member & LRIS Committee Member, 2001 – Present
- Wisconsin Association for Justice, Treasurer 2011, Secretary 2012, Vice President 2013, President 2014
- Wisconsin Association for Justice, Board of Directors, 2008 – Present
- Wisconsin Association for Justice, Program Co-Chair, 2008 – 2010
- Wisconsin Association for Justice, Women’s Caucus – Founding Member
- Wisconsin Association for Justice, 2001 – Present
- Milwaukee Bar Association, Member, 2001-Present
- Milwaukee Bar Association, Lawyer Referral Information Service, Committee Member, 2006 – Present
- Association for Women Lawyers, Member
- Wisconsin Hispanic Lawyers Association, Member
- Wisconsin Equal Justice Fund, Board Member, 2002 – Present, Chair of Dinner Committee
- National Legal Aid and Defender Association, Host Committee Member, 2002
- American Association for Justice, Member
- State Bar of Wisconsin, Member
- American Bar Association, Lawyer Referral and Information Standing Committee, 2009 – 2012
Pro Bono Activities
- Election Protection of Wisconsin 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012 and 2014: Training Coordinator. 2004-present: Member of Legal Team and co-author, “Presidential Election, 2004 Review” (1/6/05) and “2006 Election Review” (2/13/07)., 2008 Election Review, 2010 Election Review, 2012 Election Review, 2014 Election Review
- Wisconsin Equal Justice Fund Board Member since 2002. Dinner Committee Chair, 2007-2013
- Law Day Telethon Volunteer, Fox 6 Milwaukee, 2006 – 2011
- Presiding Judge – American Association for Justice Student Trial Advocacy Competition, 2012
Books
Co-Author, Chapter 5, “Pain and Suffering,” Law of Damages, State Bar of Wisconsin. 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014
Author, Unpublished manuscript, cited as a reference in More Than Victims: Battered Women, The Syndrome Society, and the Law, Donald A. Downs, University of Chicago Press., 1996
Author, Chapter 19, “Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction Act,” Wisconsin Juvenile Law Handbook, State Bar of Wisconsin., 1996