Melissa Jacobs is a staff attorney with Texas RioGrande Legal Aid in Austin, Texas. Her work focuses on advocating for victims of human trafficking and other serious crimes. She also serves on TRLA’s employment team.

Melissa graduated from Rice University with a B.A. in English and the Study of Women and Gender in 1998. She then taught high school and volunteered with domestic violence agencies in the Houston area. In 2004, she graduated with honors from the University of Texas School of Law and completed a federal judicial clerkship. She spent a number of years in private practice litigating workers’ side employment cases prior to joining TRLA. She is currently a board member of the Texas Employment Lawyers Association and a steering committee member for the Central Texas Coalition Against Human Trafficking.