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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 02, 2011 14 Comments

The Report issued by Richard Goldstone on the Gaza war is the single most influential document in the arsenal of those around the world -- including on campuses in the United States -- who seek to demonize and delegitimize Israel. That Goldstone is Jewish gave supposed...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on April 01, 2011 35 Comments

That apparently is where the case is heading.According to reports, the testimony before Judge Sumi this morning regarded, in part, the fact that the March 9 Senate Committee meeting to re-work the budget bill (because 14 Democrats had fled), took place in a small room...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on April 01, 2011 19 Comments

Mockery may be part of the plan, but it's not going to be enough in 2012.  Not with the mainstream media and entertainment industry on his side. Just tell it like it is, straightforward and hard hitting.  He's driving us over a cliff.  We win...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on April 01, 2011 10 Comments

Dear George, I heard you just donated $1 million or so to Media Matters.  Demand a refund.  Their highest-paid Senior Fellow is spending his time checking my blog for spelling errors.  My readers already do that for me for free. You've been had. Yours truly, Legl Insirrection Blag Update: Senior...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on April 01, 2011 10 Comments

There is a hearing today before Judge Maryann Sumi in Wisconsin.  The hearing was supposed to be a continuation of the testimony as to whether the budget bill had been published.As detailed by JSOnline, at the end of the hearing Tuesday, Judge Sumi on the...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on April 01, 2011 6 Comments

I kinda saw this coming.On March 23 I pointed out the potential problem that since we were acting in Libya under a U.N. Resolution requiring the protection of civilians, we would face the dilemma that if the rebels started attacking pro-Gaddafi civilians, we might have...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on March 31, 2011 7 Comments

A federal judge in the Middle District of North Carolina has allowed civil lawsuits by Duke lacrosse players wrongly accused of rape to move forward.  In the first case, Evans et al. v. City of Durham et al., for which the 98-page opinion is embedded below, the court...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on March 31, 2011 7 Comments

That's the headline you will not see.  Instead, you will see this headline:  "Obama Approval Ratings On The Rise Among Millennials, Especially on College Campuses, Harvard Poll Finds."And this headline:Obama Job Approval Rises Among Young Voters: Millennials More Likely To Vote Obama Than GOP Candidate...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on March 31, 2011 8 Comments

Washington, D.C. is shocked to find that AARP may have had a financial incentive to push Obamacare:"The report also details the Democrats’ health care law’s significant cuts to Medicare Advantage (MA) and how the interplay in the marketplace between MA and Medigap will increase Medigap...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on March 31, 2011 8 Comments

If Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) recovers dramatically from her gunshot wounds, she would be a formidable candidate to run for the Senate seat being vacated by Jon Kyl.  Giffords would have been a contender for the Democratic nomination even without the shooting, but the groundswell of...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on March 31, 2011 24 Comments

Judge Maryann Sumi has issued this morning a two-page ruling saying the budget repair bill is not in effect.  Via JSOnline:A state law to sharply curb union bargaining by public employees is not in effect, a Dane County judge ruled Thursday, continuing the turmoil over...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on March 30, 2011 24 Comments

The attorneys present during these comments indicated it was not clear to whom they were directed, but I have to believe the warnings were directed at attorneys for the State.As reported by JSOnline (emphasis mine):Before wrapping up a brief hearing Wednesday, Dane County Circuit Judge Maryann...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on March 30, 2011 2 Comments

..."We cannot balance the budget on the backs of the Libyan people."--------------------------------------------Follow me on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTubeVisit the Legal Insurrection Shop on CafePress!...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on March 30, 2011 5 Comments

The man Hillary Clinton described as a "reformer" (which she later tried to walk back), and on whom the Obama administration has pinned its hopes for peace in the Middle East, despite his having helped funnel insurgents into Iraq to kill American soldiers and Iraqi civilians, his arming...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on March 30, 2011 37 Comments

There has been a lot of talk lately in the right-blogosphere about the importance of the upcoming Supreme Court election in Wisconsin, which is next week.  National unions and leftist groups have poured millions into attacking current Supreme Court Justice David Prosser, including a malicious...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on March 30, 2011 8 Comments

A commenter using the pseudonym "Milwaukeean" has been active here for the past couple of weeks regarding the various court and other disputes in Wisconsin.Milwaukeean didn't seem to cross the line from dissenter to troll, made some good points at times, and often argued against my...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on March 30, 2011 2 Comments

Thanks to reader Jason who took this photo recently in Raleigh, NC:Maybe there's something to the story of the tide turning in Raleigh.--------------------------------------------Related Posts:Bumper Stickers - The SeriesFollow me on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTubeVisit the Legal Insurrection Shop on CafePress!...

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