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Author: William A. Jacobson

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William A. Jacobson

William A. Jacobson is a Clinical Professor of Law and Director of the Securities Law Clinic at Cornell Law School.

He is a 1981 graduate of Hamilton College and a 1984 graduate of Harvard Law School. At Harvard he was Senior Editor of the Harvard International Law Journal and Director of Litigation for the Harvard Prison Legal Assistance Project.

Prior to joining the Cornell law faculty in 2007, Professor Jacobson had a highly successful civil litigation and arbitration practice in Providence, Rhode Island, concentrating in investment, employment, and business disputes in the securities industry, including many high profile cases reported in leading newspapers and magazines.

Professor Jacobson has argued cases in numerous federal and state courts, including the Courts of Appeal for the First, Fifth and Sixth Circuits, and the Rhode Island Supreme Court.

Professor Jacobson has a national reputation as a leading practitioner in securities arbitration. He was Treasurer, and is a former member of the Executive Committee and Board of Directors of the Public Investors Arbitration Bar Association, a professional organization of attorneys dedicated to protecting public investors. He frequently is quoted in national media on issues related to investment fraud and investor protection, and in the past has served as one of a small number of private practice attorneys who trained new arbitrators for the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.

Professor Jacobson is co-author of the Securities Arbitration Desk Reference (Thomson-Reuters), updated annually.

Professor Jacobson is frequently quoted in the media on political and legal topics, has authored many Op-Eds in major publications, and appears on television and radio to discuss politics and the law.

A more complete listing of Professor Jacobson's professional background is available at the Cornell Law School website. The views expressed here are his own and not those of any employer or organization,

The best way to reach Prof. Jacobson is by e-mail here.

Posted by William A. Jacobson on August 17, 2011 11 Comments

No official incitement in the new Egypt, "Mossad plotted to harm Egyptian fertility": Israeli citizen Ofir Harrari, recently accused by Egypt of spying for Israel, was allegedly involved in a complicated scheme intended to harm Egyptian reproduction abilities, Egypt's official state paper Al-Ahram has claimed. Harrari, accused by...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on August 17, 2011 9 Comments

Obama has a jobs plan.  He will tell us when he is ready.  Until then, just chill. It's early in the day, but this Tweet by Mark Knoller of CBS News already is the winner of the Obama Jobs Plan Tweet of the Day, both because it...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on August 17, 2011 10 Comments

without waiting for more evidence, arrests, or anything else, because any act of violence requires universal and unflinching comdemnation of everyone reading the same publications as, or sharing general political beliefs similar to, the person or persons who shot at and vandalized the home of a non-union contractor: The Monroe...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on August 17, 2011 2 Comments

That two different readers would photograph and send me photos of the same vehicle over seven months apart?  Different angles and lighting conditions. Take a look at the vehicle in this post from January 3, 2011, sent by reader Kathryn, and this photo sent to me yesterday...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on August 16, 2011 49 Comments

Post-mortem --  No excuses or hand holding.  Bad News:  Dems held both their seats, and Republicans hold the Senate by only one seat.   Good News:  Republicans hold the Governorship, Senate and Assembly, and the big things have been done, including the collective bargaining law, the budget...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on August 16, 2011 35 Comments

There is a very interesting blog post at Political Math (via Instapundit) explaining why the attacks on Rick Perry based on Texas' job growth will fail. The attack on Perry, which the Axelrod/Plouffe message machine is pushing, is that Texas still has unemployment near the national average, any...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on August 16, 2011 13 Comments

This would be good, via WaPo: Much of the speculation about Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli’s political future has focused on whether the Republican who has made a name for himself suing the federal government would run for re-election, or for governor in 2013 But in an...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on August 16, 2011 7 Comments

As readers know, I've been blogging about the Recall (Robert) Wirch effort for several months, long before the national media paid attention to the fact that there were Democratic State Senators in Wisconsin subject to recall. Here are links to some (but not all) of my...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on August 16, 2011 21 Comments

The post yesterday Name That Bus Tour received a very good response in the comments, at Facebook and on Twitter. Here are the five I have selected as finalists in addition to Mitt Romney's original: The Magical Misery Tour (Mitt Romney) Tour de Farce (Facebook comment by Red...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on August 16, 2011 18 Comments

... I would not have any time left for doing really important things, like responding to pretentious numbskulls who object to me spiking the football. Thanks to reader Helen for forwarding this video by Andrew Klavan regarding the "war is not the answer" bumper sticker.  I think the same...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on August 15, 2011 17 Comments

Tuesday is the last round of recall elections in Wisconsin, in which Democratic Senators James Holperin and Robert Wirch are being challenged. The races are expected to be tight (h/t reader Charles): The Wisconsin recall fight ends Tuesday, and while the state Senate is no longer in...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on August 15, 2011 44 Comments

Warren Buffett has an op-ed in The NY Times bemoaning the fact that he and other super-wealthy investors pay a lower percentage of their income in taxes than their secretaries and other lower-paid staff members.  This is an argument frequently heard from Democrats. But in making...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on August 15, 2011 60 Comments

I see that Mitt Romney has dubbed Obama's bus tour the Magical Misery Tour. How about these alternatives: The Driving Through Flyover Country Tour. The "So This Is How The Common People Travel" Tour. The Make Sure They Don't Cling To The Bus Tour. The "This Bus Tour Created or Saved 2,000,000 Jobs"...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on August 15, 2011 22 Comments

says The Wall Street Journal for a new candidate to enter the Republican race, since the current three leaders (Romney, Bachmann, Perry) are lacking: Republicans and independents are desperate to find a candidate who can appeal across the party's disparate factions and offer a vision of...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on August 15, 2011 5 Comments

He may pull the internet away from you.  After all, he created it. Thanks to reader Linda from Tennessee for sending along this bumper sticker photo: ...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on August 14, 2011 9 Comments

Once again, the mainstream media is chasing after Sarah Palin as she visits various part of the country. Just like her early summer bus tour, I can't help but laugh to see the likes of Chuck Todd breathlessly reporting such important events as Palin getting back in...

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