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Jackson Barnett
Litigation Associate at A&O Shearman
Jackson Barnett is a law student currently pursuing his Doctor of Law degree (JD) at Boston University School of Law. He also holds a Bachelor of Arts (BA) with honors in Classics from Wesleyan University. Jackson is passionate about law and has been actively involved in various legal organizations and projects.
While at Boston University Law School, Jackson served as an Articles Editor at the prestigious Boston University Law Review, showcasing his editorial skills and legal acumen. He also worked as a Research Assistant for Professor Danielle Citron, further honing his expertise in the field of law.
Before joining Boston University, Jackson gained valuable experience as a Summer Associate at Shearman & Sterling LLP, where he had the opportunity to work on complex legal cases. He also interned at the Massachusetts Appleseed Center for Law and Justice, contributing to important legal projects for the community.
In addition to his legal pursuits, Jackson Barnett is a talented pianist and a proud alumnus of Wesleyan University, where he graduated in 2018. His diverse background and experiences reflect his commitment to academic excellence and community service. Jackson's dedication to the legal field and his passion for music make him a well-rounded individual with a bright future ahead.
Highlights
I’m happy to let my LinkedIn friends know that I passed the New York bar exam and that I remain convinced that such an expensive, time-consuming, and ableist (and, honestly, disabling — studying so long and waiting so long for results has caused more anxiety and depression symptoms in many of my peers than you’d imagine) exam is an antiquated and unnecessary way to measure minimum competence for new lawyers. To the many people who told me I’d let it go once I passed, I will do my best to not, because the future members of our profession deserve better than this hazing ritual we seem to only keep around because it’s the way we’ve always done it. (Which, for the record, it’s not.) Congratulations to my fellow passers and solidarity to my peers who will pass next time. ♥️
Yesterday I graduated from Boston University School of Law. It’s been an immensely difficult three years — the academic challenges were one thing, but the personal and familial pandemic calamity has been another thing entirely — but somehow, with a lot of love and support and a lot of personal grit too, it happened, I did it. The registrar alleges that I’ve completed the requirements for a JD but I am holding onto anxiety that they’re not being entirely truthful until my diploma arrives in the mail in June. I allegedly did it.
Our commencement speaker yesterday, U.S. Attorney Rachael Rollins, spoke about the nobility of the legal profession and the capacity we have to make change and do good (and impressive) work, and, honestly, I’m probably going to forget that part of her speech in a week or so. I did some good work in law school — I was an articles editor for an excellent publication, the Boston University Law Review; I did some research with a few professors, piquing my interest in civil procedure, privacy, and (this one was a surprise) financial regulation(?); and I did pretty well in my classes. All good, respectable things deserving of celebration.
Rachael Rollins also talked extensively about her favorite television shows. And she talked about how her family, whom she clearly adores, keeps her busy. It was thematically connected to her speech, I promise, but that part will stick with me on its own, standing for the proposition that lawyers — and everyone, really — can maintain balance, interests, and fascinating and fulfilling lives outside of work or school. In law school I learned, not super well but still, around three or four hours worth of difficult classical music, including sonatas by Schubert and Scriabin and a nasty Rachmaninoff one that I’m going to attempt to finish during bar prep; I walked literally thousands of miles around Boston and prioritized figuring out for the first time in my life fun ways to exercise that work well for me; I saw an excellent therapist for three years; I met my boyfriend, who is deserving of a paragraph by itself for how supportive and great he is, but I’ll restrain myself because he would roll his eyes at me in a big way if I did that; I tweeted too much; and I generally tried to take care of my body and my brain and I did it successfully. I celebrate these things too, because they are more who I am than the degree I just earned.
My next and likely most challenging balancing act yet — after I take the bar exam, which is an inaccessible, classist, and racist gatekeeping tool! — will be starting as an associate at Shearman & Sterling LLP in New York this fall. I am excited. And I am optimistic that I will be able to prioritize work AND life, and I especially thank internet friends Elizabeth Gil and Kate Reder Sheikh (and others, many of whom are cherished members of my little law Twitter corner of the internet) for reminding me that good lawyers can be whole, entire, real, normal people.
