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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 November 07, 2018 18 Comments
In October, it looked like Keith Ellison might lose his race for Minnesota Attorney General, even though he was the favorite. I discussed Ellison's troubling and continued relationship with Louis Farrakhan, and the accusations by a former girlfriend of domestic abuse,  in my post, Is political end finally here for former Farrakhan activist Keith Ellison? Down 7 points in Minnesota AG race.

Posted by William A. Jacobson on November 07, 2018 70 Comments
It could have been worse. Much worse. There was no Blue Wave. Democrats performed in the House in accordance with historical averages for gains in a president's first midterms.

Posted by William A. Jacobson on November 06, 2018 25 Comments
The polls were wrong. Gillum consistently was up by low single digits. I think his embrace of the anti-Israel, terrorist-glorifying Dream Defenders hurt him.

Posted by William A. Jacobson on November 05, 2018 31 Comments
It's hard not to feel that in the run up to every national election the mainstream media and 'progressive' cultural infrastructure gaslight us into believing Democrats are destined to win. Gaslighting is a term I never used to use much before, but it fits;

Posted by William A. Jacobson on November 04, 2018 15 Comments
Democrat Mayor of Tallahassee Andrew Gillum has about an even shot of becoming Governor of Florida, if the polls are accurate. He might even be a slight favorite to defeat Republican Ron DeSantis. There's a lot politically not to like about Gillum -- he's on the far left of the Democratic Party, and that's saying a lot. His proposals could do serious damage to Florida. Yet in this age of Democrat anti-Trump rage, and a soft-spot for socialism in the party, Gillum just might pull it off.

Posted by William A. Jacobson on November 04, 2018 42 Comments
The Senate Judiciary Committee has released its Final Report (pdf.)(full embed at bottom of post) detailing the extensive investigation conducted into allegations of sexual misconduct lodged against Brett Kavanaugh during his confirmation proceedings. The report completely clears Kavanaugh. Here is a portion of the Summary (emphasis added):

Posted by William A. Jacobson on November 02, 2018 38 Comments
We have run hundreds of bumper stickers and other forms of automobile messaging over the years. This one was sent by reader Norbie a few days ago:

Posted by William A. Jacobson on November 01, 2018 14 Comments
Jair M. Bolsonaro, the President-elect of Brazil and frequently referred to as the "Brazilian Trump," had promised during the campaign to move Brazil's embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Israel's capital, Jerusalem. This was consistent with his strong pro-Israel stance. There was speculation that he would back off the promise, as had numerous U.S. Presidents prior to Donald Trump.

Posted by William A. Jacobson on November 01, 2018 34 Comments
Hamas Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades member Daoud Rezeq Eid Jneid is the latest victim of a Palestinian "work accident". A “work accident” is a commonly used term to refer to Palestinian terrorists who die by their own hand when explosives or explosive devices they are handling detonate prematurely. We have covered many such incidents.

Posted by William A. Jacobson on October 30, 2018 36 Comments
We were the first website to pick up on the star potential of Ludmya “Mia” B. Love. I remember calling her on her cell phone in early January 2012, before she received any national attention and before anyone thought she had a chance of winning the Republican nomination in Utah's 4th congressional district.
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