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Equipped to Lead and Succeed
Omar Jabbour ‘00 Guides The Next Generation
As a third-year USF Law student, Omar Jabbour ‘00 gained real-world, hands-on experience in USF’s Criminal Law Clinic. He says that working alongside practicing attorneys was transformative because “I got to ask questions and watch the lawyers ‘in real time’”. Today, as the chief legal officer and chief compliance officer at Astound Digital, a digital commerce solutions provider, Jabbour supports aspiring lawyers by hiring USF Law students for extern and intern positions.
Jabbour emphasizes that the externship experience is mutually beneficial. As a business, Jabbour says his company benefits from students’ fresh ideas, passion for the law, and energy. “We ask our student externs difficult questions. It's amazing to see them take an idea and develop it on their own.” At Astound, students work on a variety of projects, including drafting memoranda and conducting presentations at the culmination of their externships. “We get to see how they start and watch their evolution over time. It’s great to see their confidence grow.”
Jabbour’s own professional journey began at the height of the Bay Area’s tech boom. After graduating from UC Berkeley with a bachelor's degree in rhetoric, he was uncertain about his next steps. With an interest in both law and technology, he enrolled in USF Law and says the decision was both “purposeful and exciting.”
The first in his family to graduate from law school, Jabbour dove into the legal deep end immediately after earning his degree. He worked as a solo general counsel with a small e-commerce firm, shouldering all legal responsibilities without the budget to hire external counsel. “The learning curve was steep at first”, he says, but it also offered invaluable opportunities to gain experience across different areas of practice. Since then, his career (entirely in-house) has spanned transactional, civil litigation, employment advisory, and other areas. Today, Jabbour oversees the legal function at Astound Digital, working alongside a global team and operating at the intersection of technology and law.
Throughout his two decades as an attorney, Jabbour has maintained a close connection to USF Law, particularly with the Externships Program. His dedication to mentoring future attorneys is rooted in a desire to provide students with real-world experiences that will shape their careers. “Externships allow students not only to hone their legal skills but also to explore different areas of law, helping them decide which path is right for them.”
Meghan Gleeson ‘23 worked as an extern with Jabbour during her third year of law school. She says the experience gave her a chance to not only put theory into practice but also to “make mistakes and grow from them.” It helped to have a supportive mentor,” she adds, “Omar surrounds himself with legal colleagues who love to practice law, are highly competent, and share the willingness and passion to teach. Being a part of Omar's team and benefiting from his guidance was an invaluable experience.”