Jacob H. Rooksby

Jacob H. Rooksby serves as the Smithmoore P. Myers Dean of Gonzaga University School of Law and Professor of Law with a joint appointment in Leadership Studies. Appointed dean in 2018, he leads one of the Pacific Northwest's prominent legal education institutions within Gonzaga University's academic structure.

His research focuses on critical intersections between intellectual property systems and higher education missions. Key areas include university technology transfer practices, copyright enforcement in academic settings, trademark management for educational institutions, and the ethical dimensions of patent litigation by universities. His scholarship consistently addresses how legal frameworks impact institutional innovation and public benefit.

Rooksby's significant publications include The Branding of the American Mind (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2016) and co-authorship of the definitive The Law of Higher Education treatise (6th ed., 2019). His recent work examines contemporary challenges like pandemic-era corporate social responsibility and academic leadership dynamics.

• Elected member of the American Law Institute
• Fellow of the American Bar Foundation
• Member of the Supreme Court of the United States bar

As an active legal practitioner licensed in Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Washington, Rooksby bridges theory and practice through his role as IP Optimization Strategist for FIG. 1 Patents, PLLC. His leadership has driven Gonzaga Law's record enrollment growth, graduate outcome improvements, and faculty pay equity initiatives while strengthening regional legal profession partnerships.