Attorneys

Born and raised in New York City, Jake received his law degree from New York University School of Law in 2002, where he was a Root-Tilden-Kern Public Interest Scholar. Following law school, Jake clerked for the Honorable Ellen B. Burns, United States District Judge for the District of Connecticut. Jake then moved to North Carolina and practiced with Ferguson Stein Chambers Gresham & Sumter, PA, before joining Tin Fulton Walker & Owen, PLLC.

Jake's practice primarily focuses on criminal defense in federal and state courts. He handles all manner of cases, from "white collar" to murder to driving while impaired (DWI), and at all stages of litigation, including pre-indictment, trial, or appeal. Jake has represented clients throughout the State of North Carolina, including all three federal district courts and in over 25 county courthouses. Jake has also represented clients in other states, including a defendant in a high-profile capital murder trial in Fulton County, Georgia, and multiple plaintiffs in a federal race discrimination lawsuit in the U.S. District Court of South Carolina.

In 2010, Jake was recognized by his peers as a member of the "Legal Elite" by Business North Carolina for Criminal Defense and Young Guns (Best Under 40).

In addition to his criminal practice, Jake handles civil rights and law enforcement misconduct cases. In this arena, Jake has represented individuals in claims against federal, state, and local governments, and has litigated federal and state constitutional actions, as well as state tort actions for intentional or negligent conduct. As a result of his work in this area, Jake is currently the Vice Chair and Ethics Chair of the Civil Rights Section of North Carolina Advocates for Justice.

Jake also represents licensed professionals, including other lawyers, on ethics and disciplinary matters before the State Bar.

Before entering law school, Jake worked as an investigator on death penalty cases in Alabama, Georgia and California. During law school, he clerked with the NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund, Inc., the Bronx Defenders, and the Juvenile Rights Division of the Legal Aid Society, where he represented youth in juvenile delinquency proceedings.