Jennifer Jacobs is counsel in the firm’s Labor & Employment practice group, where she advises employers on the full range of workplace law issues. She provides practical guidance to clients navigating complex matters involving disability accommodations, leave management, employee discipline and termination, wage and hour compliance, and other day‑to‑day employment challenges. Jennifer also conducts sensitive internal investigations and regularly counsels human resources professionals and organizational leadership on risk management and best practices.

Jennifer represents clients in administrative proceedings and employment litigation in state and federal courts, handling claims involving discrimination, retaliation, restrictive covenants and breach of contract. Her background also includes broader commercial litigation experience, including matters involving healthcare and general business disputes, which gives her a deep understanding of how employment issues intersect with overall organizational strategy.

Prior to joining Lathrop GPM, Jennifer practiced at another Minneapolis firm and completed a secondment as Employment Counsel at Thomson Reuters, where she advised business leaders on employee relations matters and organizational change initiatives. Earlier in her career, she served as a law clerk to the Honorable James B. Loken of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.

Jennifer graduated magna cum laude from the University of Minnesota Law School, where she was Note and Comment Editor of the Minnesota Law Review. She has also taught appellate advocacy as an adjunct professor at the University of St. Thomas School of Law.

Areas of Focus

Credentials

Education

  • University of Minnesota Law School (J.D., magna cum laude, 2003)
    • Order of the Coif
  • Coe College (B.A., magna cum laude, 1998)
    • Phi Beta Kappa
    • Phi Kappa Phi

Clerkship

Law Clerk for the Hon. James B. Loken, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, 2003-2004

Admissions

Bar Admissions

  • Minnesota

Court Admissions

  • U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit

Presentations

  • Presenter, "Pay Equity Lawsuits and Emerging Trends," 2024 Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute, July 31, 2024
  • Co-presenter, "Investigation Reports – Do’s and Don’ts for Their Drafting, Content and Distribution," 2022 Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute, May 23, 2022

Publications