September 17, 2007 | Vol. XI, Issue 5

Career Spotlight: Joe Jacquot

by Jason Silver

Jacksonville native Joe Jacquot (JD 99), the deputy attorney general and chief of staff for Florida's Attorney General, is excited to be back home fighting for the people of Florida after years in Washington, D.C., representing U.S. Senators and a Senate committee.

Jacquot became interested in law after working for the former U.S. Senator from Florida, Connie Mack, for two years in the nation’s capital after graduating from the University of Virginia. The different kinds of lawyers he worked with initially in Washington motivated him to pursue law school.

"When I first worked in Washington, D.C., I met a number of lawyers practicing untraditional areas of the law like the Navy JAG officers and Capitol Hill attorneys,” Jacquot said.

During law school, Jacquot chased after one of his life’s dreams and became an officer in the Navy. Doing so gave him a perspective on America that he never had, he said.

"Joining the Navy was something I wanted to do and it was one of those now or never situations," he said. "I’ve been in the Navy reserve for about eight years, and it definitely gives me an important insight to how valuable service to our country is."

Jacquot came back to Florida after serving Texas Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison and then the Senate Judiciary Committee. In Washington, D.C., he managed the Supreme Court confirmation proceedings of Chief Justice John Roberts and of Justice Samuel Alito. Jacquot served as the lead counsel on the comprehensive immigration reform legislation, and he worked to enact a number of laws including the REAL ID Act and the Violence Against Women Act of 2005.

After being in Washington, D.C., for seven years, he said he couldn’t resist a chance to come back and work with current Florida Attorney General and UF Law alum Bill McCollum (JD 68).

"My wife and I were looking to come back to Florida, and the chance to work with a great statewide leader like Bill McCollum made the decision very easy," he said. "In addition to policy and legal work, this position allows me to manage an organization with 1,200 employees."

The biggest difference in his job in Washington compared to Tallahassee is the fact that he now gets to work for all Floridians, which is a welcome change, Jacquot said.

"It’s been so interesting to be thinking about and working for all Floridians," he said. "It's much different than my previous jobs of defending my client Senator’s objectives or battling on the Senate floor."

The time in law school gives the best opportunity for students to find jobs and fields they're interested in, he said.

"My advice to students is to start talking to people now if they want jobs in government or public policy," he said. "Seek out jobs now because this is the best time to get into the field."

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