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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 December 20, 2010 0 Comments

The lame duck session has seen Harry Reid at his best or worst, depending upon your perspective.Reid held back a slew of substantial legislation to the last two weeks in order to try to ram through measures which, in a rational world, would have had...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on December 19, 2010 11 Comments

Taken by a reader in a Wal-Mart shopping center in Winchester, VA, in late October.  Prompting this responsive letter:Dear Driver,We get it, you're not a fan.Sincerely,The White House--------------------------------------------Related Posts:Bumper Stickers - The SeriesFollow me on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTubeVisit the Legal Insurrection Shop on CafePress!...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on December 19, 2010 6 Comments

This is rich.  Julian Assange's lawyers are complaining that details of Assange's alleged sexual assault have been leaked:Incriminating police files were published in the British newspaper that has used him as its source for hundreds of leaked US embassy cables.In a move that surprised many...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on December 19, 2010 12 Comments

We have returned to the pre-Clinton policy of leaving it up to the military as to whether and on what terms servicemen and servicewomen may openly acknowledge same sex sexual orientation.  Contrary to popular media hype, repeal of the law does not itself require the...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on December 19, 2010 1 Comment

I was saddened to wake up this morning to find out that Joe Fernandez had passed away yesterday after a short illness.I first met Joe a decade or so ago in connection with the Harvard Law School Association of Rhode Island.  Although Joe and I...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on December 18, 2010 8 Comments

This is the latest in a series on the use of the race card for political gain:Tonight's post brings us back to a variety of topics I have touched upon before:  The Islamist-Leftist Anti-Israel Coalition and its Useful Idiots in the U.S. who use terms such as "Israel-Firsters"; Leftist Jews who are...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on December 18, 2010 7 Comments

I used to rely on Politico as a key source of news, but I'm not a big fan of late.  I find myself bored with it, and it seems to be drifting very mainstream media, with all the inherent liberal biases that entails. Sure, it may just be my impression,...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on December 18, 2010 1 Comment

Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) is upset with regulations issued by Obama's EPA to regulate carbon emissions.  These regulations are one of the ways Obama will implement parts of his cap-and-trade plans without Congress having to pass a cap-and-trade bill.Since West Virginia is a big coal state, and...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on December 17, 2010 2 Comments

Via Public Secrets:[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHcXtG_C3qM?fs=1]But, could we have held the tax rates steady without the Christmas Tree ornaments hung onto the bill?--------------------------------------------Follow me on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTubeVisit the Legal Insurrection Shop on CafePress!...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on December 17, 2010 17 Comments

The headline at The Washington Post, quite predictably, is that Sarah Palin's poll numbers are terrible.But the more important story for 2012 is that Barack Obama has lost 44% of the voters, and has weak core support (emphasis mine):Still, the survey shows limits to Obama's...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on December 17, 2010 0 Comments

The Omnibus bill was pulled last night by Harry Reid after several Republicans who were considering voting for it reversed course.The Omnibus bill was defeated because of you and millions of others like you who let their voices be heard on the internet, radio airwaves, through...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on December 16, 2010 15 Comments

Breaking news that Harry Reid is pulling the Omnibus spending bill in the face of the loss of possible Republican votes: The Senate majority leader, Harry Reid of Nevada, said Thursday night that he was abandoning efforts to pass a $1.2 trillion spending measure to finance...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on December 16, 2010 47 Comments

I traveled extensively throughout the Soviet Union during the early 1980s, both with groups and on my own approved itineraries.  I also lived in Moscow, and had a chance to slip out of the ring road with Soviet friends into the countryside, which was not permitted...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on December 16, 2010 14 Comments

I'm not sure what Republicans in the Senate can do to stop the Ominibus Monstrosity since there appear to be several Republicans likely to vote for the bill (Collins, Bond, Bennett, Voinivich).  Regardless, the Republican leadership and membership should do anything and everything to stop...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on December 16, 2010 13 Comments

If I were a completely cynical political type, I'd say to hell with the merits of the "tax deal," because we just found the best reason to vote No.  As reported by The Hill (h/t HotAir), Obama tells lawmakers not passing tax deal could end...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on December 16, 2010 1 Comment

As reported by TaxProf, Professor Richard Schmalbeck at Duke is worried that high net worth individuals nearing death -- or their relatives -- will accelerate the end due to the looming increase in the estate tax:Unless Congress acts very quickly, there will be blood as...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on December 15, 2010 6 Comments

The Stuxnet malware has set back the Iranian nuclear program by two years, according to a German expert quoted in The Jerusalem Post (h/t @Allahpundit):The Stuxnet virus, which has attacked Iran’s nuclear facilities and which Israel is suspected of creating, has set back the Islamic Republic’s...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on December 15, 2010 4 Comments

I told you the liberal Democrats who were protesting the "tax deal" would not buck Obama, and would fall in line.So no surprise to see this headline at The Hill, Liberals giving up tax fight:A House liberal who has led the effort to stop President...

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