Faculty Spotlight: Jeffrey Jackson

Interim Director Jeffrey JacksonJeffrey D. Jackson, ’92, is the interim director of the Center for Excellence in Advocacy.

The Center offers opportunities for students to receive mentorships, and participate in court observation, seminars, lectures, skills training courses, live-client clinics, and externship placements geared toward teaching crucial advocacy skills.

“One of the great things about Washburn has always been its practical training,” Jackson said. “The Center is a big part of that. Our programs are geared toward making sure our students, whatever type of law they choose to practice, will be ready to do their very best on behalf of their clients.”

Jackson’s career history makes him uniquely qualified to be at the Center’s helm. He came to Washburn Law from the Kansas Supreme Court, where he was staff attorney for death penalty and constitutional issues.

“I’ve been fortunate to have a lot of experience in a variety of settings, all of which have bearing on advocacy,” he said. “I hope the breadth and diversity of my own experiences will benefit the Center as it strives to foster and support the teaching of advocacy in all of its forms.”

His experiences have shaped his understanding that effective advocacy is anything but simple.

“In order to be an effective advocate, you have to possess the diligence and effort required to represent clients throughout a complicated legal process,” Jackson said. “There’s a huge amount of work that goes on outside the court room to fully grasp the problem, analyze the law, and figure out how best to reach your client’s goals.”