Overview
Jacob Bennett focuses his practice on consumer litigation. Before joining Steptoe, Jacob served as a Trial Attorney in the Department of Justice Civil Division's Torts Branch. He has litigated in state and federal courts across the country, provided legal advice to companies and federal agencies, and helped policymakers navigate emerging legal issues. He guides clients through all stages of litigation—up to and including appeal.
Jacob has represented federal employees (including Cabinet-level officials), the United States, and private companies in toxic tort cases, civil rights matters, common-law tort actions, and contract disputes. He has served as lead counsel in 15 civil actions (including one class action), written numerous dispositive motions, taken and defended depositions, planned and conducted discovery, first-chaired oral arguments in federal district court, and drafted briefs in cases before US Courts of Appeals and State Supreme Courts. He has also assisted in the preparation of briefs before the US Supreme Court.
At Yale Law School, Jacob was submissions editor for the Yale Journal of Law & the Humanities. After graduating, he served as a law clerk to the Honorable Diana Saldaña of the US District Court for the Southern District of Texas, assisting the judge on opinions covering a wide range of complex civil and criminal matters. As law clerk to the Honorable Frederic Block of the US District Court of the Eastern District of New York, Jacob performed similar work while also preparing bench memos and assisting with appellate opinions when Judge Block sat by designation on the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
- District of Columbia
- New York
- US District Court, Southern District of Texas
- US Court of Appeals, First Circuit
- Hon. Frederic Block, US District Court, Eastern District of New York, 2020-2021
- Hon. Diana Saldaña, US District Court, Southern District of Texas, 2019-2020
- J.D., Yale Law School, 2019, Submissions Editor, Yale Journal of Law and the Humanities
- B.A., Yale College, 2016, magna cum laude, Comparative Literature
Representative Matters
*Includes matters handled prior to joining Steptoe.
- Feds for Medical Freedom v. Garland, No. 4:23-cv-1817, 2024 WL 1859958 (S.D. Tex. Apr. 29, 2024): Briefed and argued a motion to dismiss putative class claims challenging the Department of Justice's
- COVID-19 vaccination policies under the First Amendment, the Fifth Amendment, and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. Following oral argument, the district court granted the motion and dismissed all claims against Jacob’s clients.
- Libman v. United States, No. 2:21-cv-9455, 2022 WL 18284664 (C.D. Cal. Dec. 1, 2022): Briefed and argued motions to dismiss constitutional and § 1985 civil rights conspiracy claims based upon the FBI’s search of a home. After two rounds of briefing, the district court dismissed all claims against Jacob’s clients. The US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirmed the district court’s decision.
- Vega v. Tekoh, 597 U.S. 134 (2022): Edited and helped develop arguments for amicus brief filed by the United States Department of Justice in support of Petitioner's argument that a law enforcement officer’s failure to provide a "Miranda warning" did not give rise to liability under 42 U.S.C. § 1983. The Supreme Court agreed with the United States' argument and declined to allow a § 1983 action based upon a police officer’s failure to provide Miranda warnings.
- Halgat v. United States, No. 2:22-cv-592, 2024 WL 1377116 (D. Nev. Mar. 29, 2024): Briefed and argued motions to dismiss claims against the United States and federal employees based on allegations of malicious prosecution and various Nevada state torts. The plaintiff voluntarily dismissed all claims against the employees, and the district court dismissed the remaining claims against the United States.
Noteworthy
- Capital Pro Bono Honor Roll, District of Columbia Courts (2025)
- Special Commendation for Outstanding Service in the Civil Division, Department of Justice
Publications
- A Uniform Federal Rule Would Curb Gen AI Missteps in Court, Law360, December 16, 2025
- Montana Enacts First-of-Its-Kind Law to Stem Expansions of Public Nuisance Liability, Washington Legal Foundation, June 2, 2025