Jacob Monty ‘93
July 22, 2019 — Jacob Monty, a 1993 graduate of the University of Houston Law Center, was recently appointed to serve on the board of directors of the Texas Association of Business, a bi-partisan organization that defends businesses in legislative, regulatory and judicial issues.
As an advocate for workforce development, Monty hopes to use his new position to stimulate employment and counteract what he called a current labor crisis in the state.
“The Texas Association of Business is the one voice that businesses can count on that will speak up for the business community, and that ultimately affects all of us,” Monty said. “There aren’t enough workers in Texas right now.
“The skilled workers that we have are limited, so we need to partner with community colleges and four-year universities to create more workers, and I think some of the policies that TAB advocates for will be helpful on that front.”
Monty is also working with his colleagues on the board to pass the new free trade agreement, which was signed on Nov. 30, 2018, but has not been ratified.
“That’s something that is vital to the Texas economic future,” he said. “This agreement is good for Texas and it’s vital for jobs that it gets passed.”
Monty’s law firm, Monty & Ramirez LLP, was established in 1998 and specializes in representing companies in matters concerning employment, labor and immigration. The firm was ranked as the fifth-largest immigration law firm in the Houston area in 2019 by the Houston Business Journal.
“I really empathize with business owners,” he said. “Whether they’re small business owners or large business owners, they face a lot of challenges.”
Monty, who served on the University of Houston System Board of Regents, listed Professors Seth Chandler, Peter Linzer, John Mixon and Thomas Oldham for instilling valuable lessons during his time as a law school student. Professor Michael A. Olivas and former Dean and Professor Stephen Zamora were also influential.
“I felt we received a very practical education,” Monty said. “We learned theory, but we also learned what it’s like in the real world and what to expect. I’m grateful to the Law Center. I received a scholarship that enabled me to go to law school, and I also chose UH because I wanted to clerk during the school year.
“I was able to get a great job that the placement center helped me find during my second year of law school. I stayed at that job for six years, and that gave me the background and foundation to start my own law firm.”
