Jack Bobo, JD'96
While other kids dreamed of firefighters and cowboys, Jack Bobo set his sights on becoming a diplomat. Now fulfilling a childhood dream, Bobo travels the world on a State Department delegate's passport. The policies and agreements he negotiates affect international technology, trade regulation, and the lives of millions of people.
"I am doing exactly what I'd always hoped to do, and that is entirely based on the education I received from Indiana," he says.
He discovered his passion in the intersection of science and international policy as a Peace Corps member in the Central African country of Gabon. With two undergraduate degrees from IU, Bobo wasn't sure he wanted to return for law school. He soon realized, though, that Bloomington was one of the top choices in the nation for his line of work.
"The top-ranked School of Public and Environmental Affairs (SPEA), IU's involvement in the hard sciences, and the Law School's focus on policy and practice really influenced my decision," he says. "One of the best things about IU is that it offers more than students know before they get here. It's so important to have a school that can grow with your understanding of the law."
As a trade policy adviser at the U.S. Department of State, Bobo serves as the deputy of the Biotechnology and Textile Trade Policy Division in the Bureau of Economic, Business and Agricultural Affairs. His expertise has played a role in international meetings with Codex Alimentarius and the World Trade Organization (WTO) and in high-level policy dialogues with China and the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC).
He is currently drafting a report on the relationship between international treaties and science and the impact of those ties on world hunger.
Prior to joining the Department of State, Jack worked as an attorney at the Washington, DC law firm, Crowell & Moring, practicing in the areas of antitrust and natural resource law. After completing law school he worked on information technology policy for the Department of the Navy at which time he also served as an adviser to the President's Advisory Committee on Information Technology.
A member of the Environmental Law Alumni Advisory Board and a recent practitioner in residence, Bobo returns to Bloomington frequently because he says staying connected to students is important to the future of the Law School and the profession. He currently resides in Washington, D.C. with his wife and two children.