When Jay Jacobs was a young trial lawyer, the worst recreational fishing boat accident in San Francisco's maritime history occurred in the Pacific Ocean, somewhere west of the Golden Gate. Jacobs' experiences in the subsequent trial stayed with him throughout his career, and led him to write The Widow Wave.
Read what others say about the story ...
"Jay Jacobs' vivid prose pulls you into a compelling drama, deftly transporting you from the courtroom to the storm-tossed Pacific and back to the courtroom again. The book reads like a well-wrought detective novel."
Daniel James Brown, #1 NY Times Bestselling Author of The Boys in the Boat
"Trial lawyer Jay Jacobs, in a unique, personally revealing memoir, defends a widow and her deceased husband's honor in an intimate first person account of how the civil trial process unfolds. Mr. Jacobs leads the reader through the unraveling of the cause of a disastrous fishing boat accident that left five dead in the treacherous coastal waters of Northern California. The reader will learn about the strategies, shoals, and embroilments of a real life, vigorously contested trial with its many emotional upheavals. You will come to appreciate the intricacies of the adversarial legal system as your fingers turn the pages detailing each day's developments in a high stakes trial with intriguing twists and turns."
Justice James Marchiano (ret.), formerly Presiding Justice of the California Court of Appeals, First Appellate District
"A compelling story of a modern day maritime tragedy that beautifully discusses the vital importance of advances in observational technologies, forecasts and communications in avoiding future loss of life at sea. Jay Jacobs skillfully weaves together the legal, scientific and maritime narratives to enthrall and educate the reader.".
Julie Thomas, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Manager of the Institute of Geo and Planetary Physics.
"An intelligently told true story of honor, integrity and justice. The Widow Wave reminded me of The Perfect Storm, played out in a taut courtroom thriller. Jay Jacobs masterfully weaves the harrowing tale of the last voyage of The Aloha, and courtroom battle that followed. A great read."
Robert Dugoni, NY Times Bestselling Author of My Sister’s Grave
"Using his authenticating experience as a highly trained sailor and trial lawyer, Jay Jacobs analyzes San Francisco's worst recreational fishing boat accident and its resulting litigation. The Widow Wave provides both insight into this tragedy and depicts the infighting between the highly skilled lawyers and their expert witnesses. How this accident happened will keep you guessing right up to the end. The Widow Wave is crisply written, fast paced, and a most enjoyable read."
Daniel J. Kelly
Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger.
Past President of the San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association, American Board of Trial Advocates (SF Chapter), and the International Society of Barristers. In addition he is a member of the American College of Trial Lawyers and the International Academy of Trial Lawyers."Trial lawyer Jay Jacobs captures the fluctuating strategies and tactics of a wrongful death case with enormous emotional risks at stake. He shares with the reader the roller coaster highs and lows experienced as the trial progresses. The Widow Wave deserves a place on the reading list of trial advocacy courses. Seldom does a book reveal the evidentiary and procedural issues and problems as in this case. To be privy to Jacobs' thought solving process throughout the trial is priceless. The Widow Wave ranks with the best."
Neil K. Quinn, Esq., Pretzel & Stouffer, Chicago, IL
Past President of the International Association of Defense Counsel
Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers.“In addition to being a great courtroom drama, The Widow Wave, much like The Perfect Storm, constitutes a science lesson about waves.”
Peter Swanson
Editor-in-Chief, PassageMaker Magazine"We don't review too many books at Boating Magazine. The Widow Wave, a true courtroom drama by Jay Jacobs, proved worthy of a published review by us. The unfolding story hinged upon waves, oceanic weather systems and seamanship. As a primer on those subjects, it is educational. Jacobs' personal love and knowledge of the sea rings from the pages like a bell. Give The Widow Wave a read. If you own a boat, there's much to recommend it."
Kevin Falvey
Editor-in-Chief, Boating Magazine
The Widow WaveA True Courtroom Drama of Tragedy at Sea | 
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