Jacob Crothers long thought he wanted a career helping people as a public-interest lawyer. He just did not know he wanted to have a global practice.
Jacob came to the realization this summer, as an intern with Projects Abroad Human Rights Office, in Cape Town, South Africa. “Upon graduating from Chase, I hope to eventually start my own nonprofit organization, primarily focused on providing pro bono legal services to poverty-stricken areas in the United States and abroad,” he says.
• How his summer experience led him to that goal: “I have always wanted to pursue a career benefitting the public interest, only now I know I want to do so on a global scale. Through experiences during my time in Cape Town, I have become a more empathetic individual. In the United States, most of us have the luxury of living in a relatively comfortable bubble. Getting outside that bubble and putting myself in uncomfortable situations allowed me to encounter cultural differences and put aside preconceived notions, for the purpose of effectively advancing my individual clients’ cases.”
• What he did in South Africa: “The most satisfying thing I was able to experience was the operation of several weekly legal clinics in townships surrounding Cape Town. Most of our clients were financially unable to travel to our office on a consistent basis. Being able to maintain a regular line of communication with them to provide valuable legal services, despite their financial hardships, was a humbling and gratifying experience.”
