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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 March 02, 2011 28 Comments

I wrote this weekend about the Madison, Wisconsin policeman who appeared in front of the protesters in the Capitol rotunda, while wearing police insignia, and announced that he would side with the protesters against the Governor, and how other policemen announced that they would not...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on March 02, 2011 13 Comments

Spotted in Ithaca:And the bumper sticker on top of the trunk which is barely visible in the photo above:Of course, if there really were fascism here, the driver would be in prison by now.--------------------------------------------Related Posts:Bumper Stickers - The SeriesFollow me on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTubeVisit...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on March 01, 2011 15 Comments

I have refrained from using that word so far, but the conduct of this mob towards one of Wisconsin's Republican State Senators who was trying to enter the Capitol building is a reflection of a lawless mentality which has been rampant in Madison, and aided...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on March 01, 2011 13 Comments

Legal Insurrection reader and sometimes commenter Bill Dyszel has produced a masterpiece opera, titled Mercurial Redemption, An Eco-Maniacal Opera.Here is his description:"An eco-maniacal opera, inspired by Elmer Fudd with music by Richard Wagner. Any resemblance to the classic "What's Opera Doc" with Bugs Bunny is...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on March 01, 2011 5 Comments

Frank Rich, one of the worst flame throwers at The NY Times (which is saying a lot) and a frequent subject of posts here, is leaving The Times to join New York Magazine:Frank Rich is joining New York Magazine, beginning in June. Rich will be...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on March 01, 2011 7 Comments

Two metaphors for where this country is heading under Obama:Low-flush toilets cause stink in San Francisco: "San Francisco's big push for low-flow toilets has turned into a multimillion-dollar plumbing stink. Skimping on toilet water has resulted in more sludge backing up inside the sewer pipes,...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on March 01, 2011 12 Comments

Public Policy Polling (PPP) is a long-time Democratic pollster, which last year became the official pollster for DailyKos.PPP is prolific in its polling, with new polls released almost daily.  I have linked to PPP's polls in the past.  PPP has a good knack for finding...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on February 28, 2011 5 Comments

United States Congressman David Cicilline (D-RI), regarding the termination notices sent to Providence school teachers because of budget problems:"U.S. Rep. David Cicilline said Monday that the $57-million-plus deficit facing Providence will require looking at personnel reductions, union concessions and looking at reserve funds." Now he...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on February 28, 2011 14 Comments

Paul Krugman (emphasis mine):I don’t watch cable news, or actually any kind of TV news. But I gather that there’s a virtual blackout on the huge demonstrations in Wisconsin, except on Fox, which portrays them as thuggish and violent.What that makes me think of is...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on February 28, 2011 6 Comments

My first reaction to news that the police in Madison went back on their intention to clear the state Capitol of overnight protesters was one of indignation.  This certainly seemed like a manifestation of the police union intent to side with their fellow union protesters...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on February 27, 2011 18 Comments

He did, in 1961 while visiting Santiago, Chile, while he was an Assistant District Attorney of Suffolk County (Boston), Massachusetts (not clear if this was on the taxpayers' dime):“While Kennedy was in Santiago he made arrangements to ‘rent’ a brothel for an entire night. Kennedy allegedly invited...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on February 27, 2011 9 Comments

Despite threats by some police union members to stop the evacuation of the Madison Capitol, and some wishful thinking by supporters of the protesters, the Capitol has in fact been closed as of 4 p.m. (CT) today, with "peaceful resistance" by some protesters.As reported a little after closing...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on February 27, 2011 5 Comments

Think Progress sent a videographer to the Tea Party Patriots Policy Summit, and tracked down Tim Pawlenty.  Think Progress surely thought it would get one of those ambush type interviews where the candidate says something he regrets, but in fact in this case Think Progress...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on February 27, 2011 2 Comments

Well, maybe with the Libyans and others in the Middle East who, according to The New York Times, have embraced this Israeli spoof of Muammar Gaddafi:A satirical YouTube clip mocking Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi’s megalomania is fast becoming a popular token of the Libya uprising across...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on February 27, 2011 14 Comments

In the aftermath of the overthrow of the Mubarak regime in Egypt, Eugene Robinson of The Washington Post penned a meme which has become common among the mainstream media and left-blogosphere, that The GOP loves freedom, but not for Egypt:The conservative mantra has been: Obama...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on February 27, 2011 47 Comments

There's a reason this blog is called Legal Insurrection.  An insurrection by definition is illegal, but that is exactly what some police union members in Wisconsin have threatened in support of fellow public sector unions.The video below show a policeman (presumably off-duty but wearing what looks like a...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on February 26, 2011 40 Comments

Protests in support of Wisconsin public sector unions were organized by MoveOn.org and labor unions today.Promoters, such as David Dayen at Firedoglake, were predicting a million-person turnout nationwide.  But reports as of 7:00 E.S.T. today make clear that other than in Madison, Wisconsin, the crowds were sparse.The turnout...

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