About Stephen
Stephen Jacobson pursued two demanding fields at once. He earned a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology and a J.D. from Widener University, both in 1998, after completing a B.S. in Psychology at Colorado State University in 1991. Those academic choices left him equally fluent in clinical assessment and legal analysis.
After finishing his studies, Jacobson built a career that bridges psychology and law. The combination of advanced clinical training and legal credentialing shaped the kinds of matters he took on. He regularly engages with issues where mental health, child development, and legal rights intersect. His dual background gives him a different vantage point in client interviews and expert evaluations, and it informs how he evaluates evidence and frames legal arguments.
His professional commitments extend into bar association work. Since 2011 he has served as Vice-Chair of the Exceptional Children Committee of the Pennsylvania Bar Association. In that role he has participated in committee initiatives that address legal questions affecting children with special needs. Committee service has also placed him in conversations with educators, advocates and other lawyers about procedural protections and access to services for families.
Within private practice Jacobson is part of Connolly, Jacobson, & John LLP. Colleagues describe him as someone who brings clinical insight into case preparation. He often works on matters where educational placements, individualized education programs and behavioral health services are at issue. He is also known to collaborate with clinicians and other experts when cases require specialized assessment or testimony.
Clients and referral sources come to him for matters that require careful attention to both legal standards and the practical realities of developmental and psychological assessment. He writes and speaks on topics that sit at the crossroads of law and clinical practice. His presentations and consultations aim to clarify how legal processes interact with therapeutic and educational interventions.
In recent years Jacobson’s work has continued to straddle courtrooms, administrative hearings and collaborative problem-solving settings. He remains active in bar committee work while maintaining a practice that addresses the legal needs of children, families and institutions when psychological and educational issues are central. His current practice addresses education law, special education and behavioral health matters.
