About Jacob
Jacob Born took a straightforward route into law. He earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of South Carolina in 2006 and a J.D. from Charleston School of Law in 2011. He entered the bar the same year and began practicing shortly after law school.
His first job out of law school was with Chappell, Smith & Arden, P.A., where he worked as an associate starting in 2011. The early years there gave him steady courtroom exposure and practical experience handling contested matters. Over time he moved into roles that required more trial preparation and hands-on litigation work.
In 2023 he helped start Smith, Born, Leventis, Taylor & Vega, LLC and serves as a founding partner. That step shifted him from mid-level associate work into firm leadership. Building a firm brought new responsibilities: running cases, managing client matters, and overseeing younger lawyers. He has kept an active caseload while attending to administrative duties at the firm.
Born is admitted to practice in South Carolina and Georgia, and he is also admitted in the South Carolina District Court. He maintains memberships in several professional organizations, including the South Carolina State Bar, the State Bar of Georgia, the American Bar Association, the South Carolina Association for Justice, and the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association. He is active locally as well, serving on the board of the Richland County Recreation Foundation and as the Columbia area president of the Charleston School of Law Alumni Association.
Those memberships align with the work he takes on. He frequently handles civil litigation and trial work, representing clients in contested matters and in courtroom proceedings. He prepares cases for trial, conducts discovery, and argues motions. He also handles settlement discussions when those options suit a client’s goals. Colleagues describe him as methodical in preparation and ready for litigation when needed.
Outside the office he remains engaged in his community through bar association committees and the local recreation board. He participates in continuing legal education and stays involved with his law school alumni activities in the Columbia area.
As of 2026 he practices at Smith, Born, Leventis, Taylor & Vega, LLC, where his work centers on civil litigation and trial matters.
