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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 May 30, 2012 35 Comments

A new group of over 150 Cherokees and growing has formed with the purpose of forcing Elizabeth Warren to give up her false claim to Cherokee heritage. The group has a new blog, Cherokees Demand Truth from Elizabeth Warren, and corresponding Facebook page: Mission Statement Cherokees Demand Truth from Elizabeth Warren...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on May 29, 2012 42 Comments

David Hogberg of IBD was in the courtroom today, and his account shows a judge with a misunderstanding of how the internet -- particularly Google Alerts -- works, and a defendant (Walker) who never should have represented himself. Here is an excerpt, read the whole thing: This...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on May 29, 2012 38 Comments

Overnight question: Since Dewhurst came close to a majority in a crowded field, what is Cruz's path to victory in a run-off? % Reporting 99.61 David Dewhurst - 44.59 Ted Cruz - 34.23 Tom Leppert - 13.33 According to @AP, the Republican #txsen race will go to a runoff between @DavidHDewhurst and...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on May 29, 2012 36 Comments

The NY Times has a lengthy article about how Obama personally is directing and approving targeted drone strikes with great frequency.  The article appears to be rich in cooperation from the administration, suggesting it is part of Obama's image making and part of the "He...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on May 29, 2012 86 Comments

End of day status:  According to the most recent update to McCain's post, Walker was released and was charged with "incitement."  I'll have to find out more specifically what the charge is, but if there has been any criminal charge, it's pretty outrageous. I cant say...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on May 29, 2012 0 Comments

Considering that it was a long holiday weekend which pretty much started at lunchtime on Friday, it was very active here. In case you missed any of them: Remembering Lt. Roslyn Schulte A strange sense of responsibility, now and then Boston Globe deep sixes article criticising Elizabeth Warren Dear Wisconsin...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on May 29, 2012 12 Comments

From reader @surmesa: "Good Intentions" in Bismarck, ND (Harpist, miniVan, trailer hitch, bumper damage at right…. all fits - Accept, Cope, Obey). Guessing the Kerry-Edwards sticker has been removed after jury started deliberations. Seen in Bismarck, ND, week of 5/21/2012 ...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on May 28, 2012 40 Comments

This is a little scary, particularly if it were put in the wrong hands. Via The Times of Israel: A new, unprecedented computer virus called “Flame” (or “sKyWIper”) has hit Iran, the West Bank, and other Middle Eastern locations. It is already considered one of the...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on May 28, 2012 16 Comments

As Politico notes, The Boston Herald has outdone The Boston Globe in reporting on Elizabeth Warren, although The Globe finally is coming around to some hard reporting after its editorial board declared the issue over weeks ago: Long before Republican Sen. Scott Brown vs. Elizabeth Warren...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on May 28, 2012 21 Comments

What an ironic statement from Jennifer Rubin (emphasis mine): It is awfully tempting for pundits to use people and personal conflicts as stick figures in a polemic play reaffirming one’s preexisting impressions and biases. That’s certainly been the case in the Richard Grenell case...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on May 28, 2012 16 Comments

On this day we honor all the fallen, three of whom we have remembered here before, Johnny "Mike" Spann, Cpl Jonathan Daniel Porto, and U.S. Army, Spc. Dennis Weichel . We add a new person to our memory, Air Force Lt. Roslyn Schulte, of Ladue, Missouri, killed by a roadside bomb...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on May 28, 2012 4 Comments

Spotted by a reader in Orange County, CA: ...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on May 27, 2012 22 Comments

Congratulations to Power Line Blog on its 10th Anniversary.  Scott Johnson writes: It was ten years ago this weekend — ten years ago today, I think, but maybe tomorrow — that John Hinderaker went to Blogger and set up Power Line. On Memorial Day that weekend...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on May 27, 2012 36 Comments

Al Sharpton: Meghan McCain and Al Sharpton: Now Meghan is whining about criticism of her over the Sharpton interview, which is part of her schtick as pointed out by Noah Rothman at Mediaite , Meghan McCain Looks For Fight, Finds Many, Now Wants Sympathy? MSNBC contributor Meghan McCain appeared on...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on May 27, 2012 5 Comments

Its case for a separate state is as good as if not better than the Palestinians since it was its own entity prior to French colonial rule. Via JPost: For Ferhat Mehenni, Israel is an ideal partner and friend for Kabylie, a geographic sliver of Algeria’s northern...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on May 27, 2012 29 Comments

In the continuing on-line war, Brett Kimberlin's Wikipedia entry which documented his history has been taken down, and get this, the excuse given is that Kimberlin was the victim of a harrassment campaign. Patrick Frey, the victim of a true harrassment campaign, has the story: I have...

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