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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 October 27, 2019 44 Comments
Nancy Pelosi is upset that Trump didn't tell her in advance about the Special Forces raid that killed ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Trump explained in his press conference that he informed countries, including Russia and others, over whose territory or through whose air defenses U.S. forces had to fly that an operation was underway, but did not inform them of the purpose. That was necessary to avoid fire on U.S. aircraft.

Posted by William A. Jacobson on October 23, 2019 46 Comments
Phillip Reines is as close to Hillary Clinton as they get. He served as the stand-in for Trump during Hillary's 2016 debate preparation. There are numerous mainstream media articles about Democrat establishment frustration with the current field, and plenty of speculation that Hillary is seriously considering getting into the race. That speculation comes from Hillary's increasingly open and combatative public statements and appearances.

Posted by William A. Jacobson on October 23, 2019 43 Comments
Two weeks ago, Oberlin College and its Dean of Students, Meredith Raimondo filed their appeal from the two jury verdicts in favor of Gibson's Bakery and its owners : $11 million compensatory damages rendered on June 7, 2019, and $33 million in punitive damages rendered on June 13, 2019, after a separate punitive damages trial.

Posted by William A. Jacobson on October 22, 2019 24 Comments
Elizabeth Warren has been catching flak from her fellow Democrat presidential candidates over her refusal to say how she will pay for her $30 trillion plus Medicare for All plan. In contrast to Bernie, who is honest enough to say he'll raise taxes including on the middle class (though even that won't raise enough revenue), Warren has employed the same strategy she use when caught falsely claiming to be Native American: Deflect and delay.

Posted by William A. Jacobson on October 13, 2019 29 Comments
Tulsi Gabbard is probably the only Democrat presidential candidate capable of damaging Elizabeth Warren during the upcoming Democrat Debate. Absent some effort by Gabbard similar to Gabbard's campaign-ending take down of Kamala Harris in a prior debate, it appears that Warren has the media backing and momentum to take the prize.
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