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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 April 01, 2014 14 Comments

Wait, don't answer that. Enjoying celebrating our 30th wedding anniversary in the Dominican Republic. Great weather, great hotel on the beach, doing my best to stay off the internet (thanks Mandy for posting these photos for me) with modest success. For those who wondered, yes "the wife" actually...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on March 28, 2014 10 Comments
So said an Israeli-American young woman in the video below. There were many great speakers on March 25, 2014, in opposition to the University of Michigan anti-Israel divestment resolution, but hers stood out to me. The resolution ultimately was defeated 25-9. Bobby Dishell also gave a good speech, which was typical of the approach by those opposing the resolution, taking a reasonable approach taking into account process and the campus good:

Posted by William A. Jacobson on March 27, 2014 26 Comments

for the next week celebrating our 30th wedding anniversary in the Dominican Republic, you will be in the able hands of our regular crew (Mandy's the boss) plus guest blogging by Aleister from College Insurrection and American Glob, and Rusty Weiss from The Mental Recession. Three...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on March 26, 2014 8 Comments
The University of Michigan student assembly rejected the anti-Israel divestment resolution pushed by a coalition of student groups. The greatest contrast during the night was that while the pro-divestment speakers lashed out at Israel with great vitriol, the anti-divestment speakers -- many of whom were critical of some Israeli policies -- were even-tempered and rational. This student rejected attempts to pigeonhole black students into an anti-Israel vote: But the stars of the night were the opening guest speakers. The pro-divestment group picked Max Blumenthal, who gave a predictably flame-throwing anti-Israel speech. While anti-Israel advocates on Twitter and in the room were excited by Blumenthal's tongue lashing of Israel, that excitement dimmed when two real professors took to the stage, one in opposition to the resolution and one selected to give a historical overview. First up was Michigan State - James Madison College Associate Professor Yael Aronoff, who responded directly to Blumenthal. She spoke somewhat quickly so as to leave time for other guest speakers against the resolution, but basically destroyed Blumenthal by pointing out the one sided presentation and the resolution:

Posted by William A. Jacobson on March 25, 2014 7 Comments
UPDATE 3-26-2014: After several hours of statements and debate lasting well past midnight, the student assembly agreed to consider the divestment resolution -- but then rejected it on the merits by an overwhelming 25-9 margin. ----------------------- A vote several days ago by the U. Michigan Central Student Government Assembly (CSGA) tabled indefinitely an anti-Israel divestment resolution brought by the usual coalition of Israel haters, using the misleading name Students Allied for Freedom and Equality (SAFE). The basis for tabling the resolution was that it was not properly within the purview of the CSGU. Then the proponents of the resolution took over the offices of the student government, and refused to leave until the divestment resolution was brought up for a vote. And the Michigan administration played right along, while pretending to be neutral, and deflecting acts of physical and verbal intimidation directed at pro-Israel and Jewish students on campus. And the student government caved in too, its president issuing a lengthy statement, including numerous apologies, including this one:
I apologize to any student who has been personally affected by this issue. The issues raised in the resolution extend thousands of miles beyond Ann Arbor, MI, and no student government resolution can bring about any sort of solution. But for thousands of students on this campus, the issues raised are intensely personal and hit close to home. We can, and should, do more so that students can voice their concerns and be listened to, even and especially by those who disagree with them. We should do more so that students feel safe describing their views and sharing their experiences.
Translation: The divestment motion will be brought up again tonight, starting at 7:30 p.m. The viciously anti-Israel Max Blumenthal and Ali Abunimah apparently are making special appearances to argue in favor of divestment. We'll track what happens and let you know.

Posted by William A. Jacobson on March 25, 2014 37 Comments
What do you think? Joni Ernst, running for Senate in Iowa, threatens Washington, D.C.'s manhood (or what passes for manhood in D.C.): I don't know anything about Joni Ernst, but the image of her pinning Harry Reid to the ground and, well, you know, should get her some attention. Does that ad top Dale Peterson's 2010 ad for Alabama Agricultural Commissioner?

Posted by William A. Jacobson on March 25, 2014 24 Comments
All eyes today are focused on the Hobby Lobby case, argued in the Supreme Court. Michael F. Cannon from CATO argues that Hobby Lobby isn't the most important case being argued today:
Tuesday, all eyes will be on a high-profile Obamacare case before the Supreme Court. But just a few blocks away, a lower court will hear a lesser-known Obamacare case that could have a far greater impact on the future of the law. The Supreme Court hears oral arguments Tuesday in Sebelius v. Hobby Lobby, a case challenging the Obama administration's attempt to force private companies to purchase contraceptives for their employees contrary to the owners' religious beliefs. A ruling for Hobby Lobby would restore the religious freedom of potentially millions of employers and workers. Just down the street, the Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit will hear oral arguments in Halbig v. Sebelius. Obamacare supporters call Halbig "the greatest existential litigation threat to the Affordable Care Act." That description, while colorful, is not quite accurate. Halbig does not ask the courts to strike down any part of the law. It merely asks the court to force the administration to implement the law as Congress intended, a prospect that absolutely terrifies Obamacare supporters.
The issue is whether the IRS can issue subsidies for people who sign up for Obamacare through federally run exchanges, which would seem to be contrary to the plain language of the statute.  Prof. Jonathan Adler at Volokh Conspiracy analyzed the issues yesterday:

Posted by William A. Jacobson on March 25, 2014 40 Comments
Oh, how I miss my formerly home State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. A State run by the best and the brightest -- and the indicted and the investigated and the Democrats and the Unions. Just a few days ago the feds and State Police raided the office and home of the Democratic Speaker of the House of Representatives -- who has since resigned as Speaker. Among other things, there is a huge legislative push for more gun control legislation, as reported by ABC6:
Some Rhode Island lawmakers...are again taking aim at gun control. No fewer that nine bills are now being considered - from banning assault style weapons; to boosting sales tax on ammunition; and, limiting gun clips to no more than ten rounds. "People do have the right to own a gun. I believe in that. But I think there's also a new type of responsibility that has to come with controlling a gun and the guns that go out into the street," said State Rep. Joe Almeida (D) Providence, who sponsored three of the bills. Gun owner's rights advocates are already firing back. "We're in an election year and there is an element of this that is obviously election year antics," said State Rep. Mike Chippendale (R) Foster.
The arrogance of the politically powerful is demonstrated in this response by Democratic State Senator Josh Miller and an unidentified compatriot (added -- apparently a photographer accompanying Miller) to a question regarding the pending legislation. Miller describes himself as "[o]ne of the true "left of center" Democrats of the R.I. State Senate." The questioner, Dan Bidondi, has a radio show and is affilated with Alex Jones' InfoWars. Here's the video:

Posted by William A. Jacobson on March 25, 2014 9 Comments

We previously reported how Roger Waters, formerly of Pink Floyd, is spearheading the movement to prevent musicians from appearing in Israel, even using a fake Gandhi quote as justification. One of the groups subject to boycott pressure is the Rolling Stones. In a blow to the boycott...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on March 24, 2014 45 Comments
As recently as last summer, the Tomahawk missile was being reported as a key to U.S. military plans, particularly in Syria.  New and improved versions were reported just weeks ago. This 2012 Raytheon video demonstrates the Tomahawk's flight path: Unless something changes, however, the Tomahawk is on the chopping block. In late February Chuck Hagel announced the administration's more butter, fewer guns budget, and the Tomahawk missile was chopped, along with many other programs, as reported at the time by Defense News:
Most of the US Navy’s aviation programs take significant hits in the 2015 budget, including the P-8A Poseidon, F-35C Joint Strike Fighter, and MH-60R helicopter, and plans to buy the MQ-8C Fire Scout unmanned shipboard aircraft have been shelved for now. The budget also takes a big bite out of weapons procurement, notably the elimination of Tactical Tomahawk cruise missile procurement after this year.... Weapons procurement showed striking reductions from last year’s plans. Then, the Navy planned to buy 980 Tactical Tomahawks, the primary cruise missile in use throughout the fleet. The new plan shows only 100 missiles in 2015 and none thereafter. The reduction reflects shifting investment to a new next-generation land attack weapon, said Lt. Caroline Hutcheson, a Navy spokeswoman at the Pentagon, who also noted that the current inventory of Block IV Tactical Tomahawks exceeds combat requirements.
Adam Kredo at The Washington Free Beacon calls attention to this development today, Obama to Kill Tomahawk, Hellfire Missile Programs:

Posted by William A. Jacobson on March 24, 2014 19 Comments

Was Edward Snowden just protecting the privacy -- of Russian and Chinese intelligence services?...

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