Third-Year New College Student Jacob Silverman is Extern to General Counsel David Fugett This Spring

Silverman was attracted to the small class sizes and academic vigor at New College, as well as the opportunity to begin his journey toward his graduate degree. He is now pursuing a joint degree in philosophy and religion, and studying Russian language and literature, with the hopes of using these skills to attend law school.

“I met Jacob for the first time before he was a student. I could tell immediately that he would be a very service-oriented person dedicated to helping those around him succeed,” said New College General Counsel David Fugett.

In his first year at New College, Silverman helped start and oversee the LSAT Division of the New College Law Society (NCLS); was elected to represent students in the Division of Humanities; and was part of a group of students who presented to the New College of Florida Board of Trustees.

In his second year, Silverman became the vice president of the NCLS; created and ran an LSAT study group; interned at a prestigious national law firm in Miami; and began volunteering for ENGin, a program for which he helped teach Ukrainian students English over Zoom. Silverman started with one ENGin student but now teaches a group of more than 400. Additionally, he worked at New College’s Center for Career Engagement and Opportunity (CEO), assisting staff in all aspects of career development.

“Through his servant-oriented leadership style, Jacob helped found, and now leads, the New College Law Society LSAT Prep Study Group,” Fugett said. “And I am not surprised that he has taken this servant-leader approach worldwide through his efforts with Ukrainian students, which could not come at a more important time.”

In the fall of his third year, Silverman began working with the admissions team at New College and created a tutorial that focused on preparing for the LSAT with the ultimate goal of attending law school. He also created the “Japanese Zen Gardening Tutorial,” which saw the creation of a zen garden on campus. Silverman is particularly excited that he received funds from the Student Research and Travel Grant Program to travel to Japan this summer to further his studies.

During the Independent Study Period of his third year, Silverman interned at a local law firm to gain hands-on experience. As an extern, he hopes to deepen his understanding of the law and what it means to be a lawyer. Silverman plans to teach English in Japan post-graduation before he attends law school. After law school, he hopes to practice anti-trust or entertainment law.

“Jacob is a real asset to New College and it’s great to have him working out of my office as an extern this semester,” Fugett said.