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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 July 07, 2012 4 Comments

We have had many bumper stickers with the "O" logo, but none so simple and direct as just saying "NO". From reader Tracy: We took this photo tonight in the middle of the crosswalk linking Davidson College to the Davidson Village Green. Davidson is a liberal bastion,...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on July 06, 2012 23 Comments

This is the first ad as part of Crossroads GPS $25 million ad buy. The first 20 seconds are powerful.  Listening to Obama make excuses is powerful mockery, the most effective kind because it's his own lame words.  The last 10 seconds were not nearly as effective...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on July 06, 2012 52 Comments

George Zimmerman posted a $1 million bond, and walked out of jail this afternoon. According to The Orlando Sentinel: Zimmerman posted the $1 million bond thanks in part to the $20,000 in donations raised since Thursday when Circuit Judge Kenneth Lester Jr. set the bond amount. Visit msnbc.com...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on July 06, 2012 19 Comments

Via Roll Call, the Cruz campaign has released the results of an internal poll which shows Cruz in the lead: Ted Cruz led Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst by 9 points in a recent internal poll conducted for the former Texas solicitor general’s campaign, a Cruz source...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on July 06, 2012 31 Comments

That's the allegation from the National Legal and Policy Center, GM’s Government Fleet Sales and Truck Inventory Rise (h/t a reader): It looks like General Motors will be throwing everything in but the kitchen sink to help fluff its second quarter earnings numbers. Taxpayers continue to...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on July 06, 2012 14 Comments

We have featured Pallywood here many times, the industry build on faux. From numerous instances of fauxtography to wildly exaggerated reports of massacres, this industry is devoted to building the narrative of perpetual Palestinian victimhood.  From the archives: Abid Katib – Palestinian Shoe Fauxtographer? (funny how those kids...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on July 06, 2012 27 Comments

Just released June numbers: Nonfarm payroll employment continued to edge up in June (+80,000), and the unemployment rate was unchanged at 8.2 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Professional and business services added jobs, and employment in other major industries changed little over the month. Household Survey...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on July 06, 2012 24 Comments

Still a duck, but at least he's trying to fight the Prius Presumption. Here's how it's done, but you still can't change a first impression. From frequent photographer Ulises: Even Maryland Prius drivers are for Romney...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on July 05, 2012 15 Comments

Via David Hogberg, who was in court today:Today both parties were back in court in front of Appellate Judge Nelson Rupp. This time, Walker was represented by attorney Reginald Bours.Kimberlin made a number of statements, but his basic argument boiled down to Walker wanted to...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on July 05, 2012 32 Comments

That's basically Obama's argument for Obamacare -- he rattles of a small number of good things that people will like because they are free, and ignores the mountain of regulation which will crush so much of what makes the vast majority of Americans satisfied with...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on July 05, 2012 12 Comments

Some flee the sinking ship.  Via Times of Israel: Manaf Tlas, one of Syrian President Bashar Assad’s closest friends and most trusted military colleagues, who is also the son of the Assad regime’s former long-serving defense minister, has defected from the Assad regime and fled to...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on July 05, 2012 125 Comments

But since he probably only has to put up 10% in cash, he should be walking free soon. (Order here and at bottom of post) Via Orlando Sentinel: A Sanford judge today ordered George Zimmerman, the Neighborhood Watch volunteer who shot and killed Trayvon Martin, an...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on July 05, 2012 31 Comments

Via Professor Bainbridge, the Presbyterian Church once again is considering a divestment of Israeli companies as part of an ongoing attempt to boycott everything Israeli: Once again, the Presbyterian Church (USA) is considering divesting from certain companies that do business with the Israeli government. As I explained the last...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on July 05, 2012 33 Comments

well, you know. (Surely someone will go there.) Via The Hill: A subset of the Marine Corps band struck up one of Mitt Romney's walkout songs while President Obama was greeting visitors at the White House Independence Day celebration. A White House pool report said the band...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on July 05, 2012 19 Comments

Or at least they will be soon, via AP: The Palestinian president cleared the way Wednesday for a possible autopsy on  Yasser Arafat's remains, following a request from his widow after a Swiss lab  said it found elevated levels of a lethal radioactive isotope on the...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on July 05, 2012 16 Comments

Self-conscious we much? From reader and blogger C. Dodd Harris, IV, who spotted this vehicle in Louisville, KY: Saw this today, seemed like it was up your alley. ...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on July 04, 2012 17 Comments

One of the best July 4ths I've had in a while. I feel a sea change, after the bummer of last week.  The media did its best to demoralize us, and we did a pretty good job on ourselves as well. I'm reinvigorated, and more motivated than...

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