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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 03, 2012 31 Comments

Via The Hill: Chen Guangcheng’s daring escape to the U.S. embassy turned into a major political headache for President Obama on Thursday as Republicans accused the administration of naively handing the blind human rights activist back to Chinese authorities...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on May 03, 2012 13 Comments

One big advantage Democrats in Wisconsin have is the college student vote.  These students, many of whom are from out of state and have no real connection to Wisconsin, were a big part of the Prosser-Kloppenburg turnout in Madison.  In a close election, they could be the...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on May 03, 2012 70 Comments

Could it get any worse? When Elizabeth Warren first acknowledged that she had represented herself to be Native American when filling out forms for the Association of American Law Schools directories in the mid-80s through mid-90s, Warren based her claim entirely on family "lore." A couple of...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on May 03, 2012 38 Comments

I never get invited to anything.  Not that I would go, anyway.  I have much more important things to do. Via Ben Smith, Buzzfeed Politics, After A Twitter Win, Romney Meets The Online Right: At the Republican National Committee yesterday, conservative online writers and bloggers who arrived...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on May 03, 2012 27 Comments

This video is making the rounds. Jump to the 6:15 mark if you want to hear the money line. ...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on May 03, 2012 1 Comment

The Lunch Pail Republicans have formally endorsed Dick Lugar. The group was formed in early January 2012 specifically to fight Indiana's right to work law which was signed into law in February. The Lunch Pail Republicans are funded by a union PAC, as detailed in this entry at...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on May 03, 2012 15 Comments

From reader Bob: Since I have sons who are into the "import scene" with Japanese cars and not necessarily concerned with politics, I was surprised to see a late "twentysomething" driver who apparently has recognized what was delivered isn't what was promised. Photo taken while stopped in Longmont...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on May 02, 2012 12 Comments

While Richard Mourdock is rising, don't count Dick Lugar out.  He's throwing everything he has at Mourdock this week, each day multiple new accusations.  A poll just out shows Lugar with a two point lead, via National Journal: Sen. Richard Lugar and Indiana Treasurer Richard Mourdock...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on May 02, 2012 27 Comments

As expected, Newt suspended the campaign today. Here's the full video (via ElectAd). If you want, jump ahead to 3:45 when he starts giving shout outs to other candidates and then turns to his view on the campaign and the future. Money line (17:45):  "This is a choice...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on May 02, 2012 14 Comments

There is some really good front page imagery going on these days. There oughta be a prize given out for it. Via Zeke Miller at BuzzFeed (h/t BuzzFeedAndrew), The NY Post weighs in on Obama's trip to Afghanistan. ...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on May 02, 2012 27 Comments

There is an active effort by Elizabeth Warren's campaign to distract from the real issue regarding Warren's claim of Native American status during the mid-80s to mid-90s, when she was moving from one law school to another up the food chain until she reached Harvard...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on May 02, 2012 37 Comments

Jennifer Rubin, the "right" blogger at The Washington Post, gained fame throughout the primaries by obsessively skewering each not-Romney who rose in the polls, even not-Romneys like Rick Santorum she had praised when convenient to use against another not-Romney. Because of her platform at WaPo and her...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on May 02, 2012 9 Comments

From reader "Joe" (or was it "Tom"?) who asked not to use even his real first name because "I'd like my children to keep their playmates": Saw these on the back of an SUV on Bainbridge Island, Washington. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bainbridge_Island,_Washington) This is the first time I've seen an...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on May 01, 2012 27 Comments

The Elizabeth Warren story is not about whether she is 1/32nd Cherokee. Questions persist as to why Warren listed herself as Native American, a fact as to which she had no proof until yesterday, only in a publication almost exclusively used by other law professors and Deans during a time...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on May 01, 2012 25 Comments

Obama's speech from Afghanistan, standing in front of military vehicles at Bagram Air Base, was fairly predictable. Yet in this moment of spiking the football, Obama needed to remind us that we are not yet worthy as a nation (emphasis mine): Our soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, coast guardsmen...

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