Philip Jacques was raised in Farmington Hills, and went on to play Division 1 football at the State University of New York at Buffalo. After earning his law degree from the Michigan State University College of Law, he joined the City of Detroit Department of Law’s prosecuting division as a law clerk, prosecuting criminal misdemeanor cases in the 36th District Court. He also worked as a clerk for a boutique criminal defense law firm in Oakland County. Next, as assistant state's attorney in Illinois, Jacques prosecuted misdemeanor and felony criminal cases.
In 2011, Jacques joined Simon & Geherin, PLLC in Ann Arbor where he specializes in state criminal defense, traffic/ordinance defense, juvenile delinquency matters, and driver's license restoration cases.
By Jo Mathis
Legal News
Residence: Dearborn.
What is your idea of perfect happiness? Relaxing at home with my wife and our dogs.
What is your greatest fear? Freezing to death.
Which living person do you most admire? My mother. She is amazing.
What is the trait you hate most in yourself? I can’t say that I hate a trait of mine. But if I had to pick something that I don’t like, I would say that I worry too much.
What is the trait you hate most in others? Jealousy. It’s a waste of time.
If you suddenly had an extra room in your house, what would you do with it? It would definitely be a man cave. It’s a work in progress.
Currently reading … “The Racketeer” by John Grisham.
My favorite item of clothing … Shoes. Dress shoes—gym shoes—it doesn’t matter.
What words or phrases do you overuse? “Six one way and half a dozen the other.”
What is your most treasured material possession? My shoes. I probably have too many.
Why did you go into law? In undergrad, I didn’t know what I wanted to do. But I liked to argue and liked politics, so it was a good fit.
What advice do you have for someone considering law school? Think about it for a long time, because it isn’t for everyone.
If you weren’t a lawyer, what would you be? Football coach.
If you could have any car in the world, what would you drive? Porsche Panamera.
Where have you been that you will never return – if you can help it? Buffalo, NY
Favorite local hangouts: Zingerman’s.
Your proudest moment as a lawyer? Winning my first jury trial.
What would surprise people about your job? How much fun we have in our office
When and where were you happiest? It’s a tie between January 1, 2014 in Pasadena, California at the Rose Bowl for an MSU win and my wedding day.
What’s your greatest achievement? The fact that I didn’t scare my now wife away in law school.
What would you say to your 16-year-old self? “One day, you’ll grow up, so have as much fun as possible right now.”
What’s the oddest thing you ever bought? A holographic world map from 1630. The writing is in Latin, so I don’t know what it says, other than what I found from a Google search. I thought it was cool and it was $25, so it’s hanging in my office.
What would be your ideal job? I would be one of the guys on “Pawn Stars” on the History Channel.
What one thing do you wish people knew about your work? It can be incredibly challenging and rewarding.
Favorite joke: I can’t tell it here.
What one habit do you wish you could break? Cracking my knuckles and neck.
What is something most people don't know about you? I was born in Tennessee, so I guess I’m a southerner.
What do you wish more people understood? My sense of humor.
If you could have dinner with three people, living or dead, who would they be? The president, the pope, and John F. Kennedy.
Who is your favorite character of fiction? Saul Berenson from “Homeland.”
What do you wish grew on trees? Lots of money.
Favorite movie: “Goodfellas.”
What’s one thing you can do now that you couldn’t do 20 years ago? Since I was 11 years old 20 years ago, pretty much everything falls into that category.
Favorite place to spend money: Cole Haan and the grocery store.
What is your motto? “Enjoy life, and take it one day a time.”
Where would you like to be when you're 90? I haven’t thought that far ahead and won’t for a long time.
