Jennifer Hobbs is a lawyer and activist. Jen has been a social justice advocate and activist for over twenty years and, particularly, she is a long-term Palestinian solidarity activist having been one of the key organizers of the U.S. Boat to Gaza, which attempted to break the siege of Gaza in 2012. As a queer woman, she is also actively engaged in efforts to support the LGBTQI+ community and particularly the trans youth community. Jen was a partner at the law firm of Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP for 17 years having made a strategic decision, together with her life partner, to remain working in the private sector in order to gain financial resources that could be redistributed to support individuals and institutions that align with their values and to otherwise engage in their own social justice work, including the “We Will Not Be Silent” language project and the U.S. Boat to Gaza. As long-time supporters of CCR, Jen and her partner were awarded CCR’s Changemaker award in 2009 recognizing their activism and support of CCR. While at Simpson Thacher Jen was widely regarded a leader in her field and held a number of leadership positions, including a term a Co-Managing Partner and as a long-term member of the firm’s Executive Committee. Jen retired from Simpson Thacher in December 2023 after her out-spoken advocacy for Palestine meant it was no longer possible for her to continue at the firm. Having left her law firm, Jen is now able to use her skills to become a movement lawyer and be more directly engaged in the fight for justice and universal human rights, including as a board member at CCR. Most recently, she has been working on immigration matters, assisting student and faculty activists, and supporting the “We Will Not Be Silent” language project.

Jennifer received her J.D. from New York University Law School where she was a Law Review editor. She also holds a Master’s of International Affairs (Soviet Area Studies/Human Rights) from the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University where she attended The Averell Harriman Institute for the Advanced Study of the Soviet Union and has a B.A. in Government from The University of Texas.