 Jacobs was confirmed by the United States Senate on September 29, 1992, and received his commission on October 2, 1992.He assumed senior status on May 31, 2019.Jacobs has been awarded the Learned Hand Award for Excellence in Federal Jurisprudence by the Federal Bar Council (2003); the Eugene J. Keogh Award for distinguished public service by New York University (2004); the Outstanding Public Service Award by the New York Intellectual Property Law Association (2009); and the James Madison Award by the Federalist Society.