Jeff Jacoby

Jeff Jacoby has been an op-ed columnist for The Boston Globe since February 1994. Seeking a conservative voice, the Globe hired him away from the Boston Herald, where he had been chief editorial writer since 1987. The Boston Phoenix has dubbed his twice-weekly essays ''a must-read,'' describing him as ''the region's pre-eminent spokesman for Conservative Nation.''

A native of Cleveland, Jeff Jacoby graduated with honors from George Washington University in 1979, and from Boston University Law School in 1983. He briefly practiced law at the nationally renowned firm of Baker & Hostetler, returning to Boston in 1984 to work on a political campaign. In 1985-87, he was an assistant to Dr. John Silber, the president of Boston University.

For several years, Jacoby was a political commentator for WBUR, Boston's National Public Radio affiliate. He also hosted ''Talk of New England,'' a weekly television program. He is a frequent guest on radio talk shows across North America. He serves on the board of the New England chapter of the American Jewish Committee, and is a director of the Ford Hall Forum, the nation's oldest free public-lecture series.

In 1999, Jacoby became the first recipient of the Breindel Prize, a $10,000 prize for excellence in opinion journalism. In 2004, he received the Thomas Paine Award of the Institute for Justice, an award presented to journalists ''who dedicate their work to the preservation and championing of individual liberty.''

Jeff Jacoby is married to the former Laura Weller. They live in Brookline, Massachusetts, with their sons, Caleb and Micah.