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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.

When the "framework" of the tax deal was announced, I wrote that Obama "had a pretty good day."As the details of the actual bill are coming out, it looks like Obama had a great day, Senate tax bill lures Democrats with sweeteners:But in the face...

to solidify his new Republican base:Obama lights the National Christmas Tree, says 'Merry Christmas' three times--------------------------------------------Follow me on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTubeVisit the Legal Insurrection Shop on CafePress!...

News crossing the wires is that the Democrats in the House have rejected Obama's tax deal with Republicans in a non-binding vote:The House Democratic Caucus on Thursday rejected the tax deal negotiated between the White House and Senate Republicans. The non-binding vote of the caucus...

Another rush of legislation, taxes, budget, and a host of social agenda items.We've seen this bad movie before.  It resulted in Stimulus, and the Christmas Eve Obamacare vote last year.And it appears to be happening again.This lame duck Congress has no political legitimacy to pass...

Via ABC News:The website and personal credit card information of former Gov. Sarah Palin were cyber-attacked today by Wikileaks supporters, the 2008 GOP vice presidential candidate tells ABC News in an email.Hackers in London apparently affiliated with “Operation Payback” – a group of supporters of...

I take offense to MoDo's PDS hyperbole:Sarah’s view of America is primitive. You’re either a pointy-headed graduate of Harvard Law School or you’re eviscerating animals for fun, which she presents as somehow more authentic.I'm the former, but not the latter, yet.  But the two absolutely are...

The tax framework is falling apart, as a substantial number of Democrats and a few Republicans start taking shots at various provisions unrelated to marginal tax rates.Once again, Obama has chosen complexity for the sake of complexity, a lot of moving parts and social engineering.There...

One of the interesting aspects of the "framework" announced by Obama to prevent marginal income tax increases on anyone is that part of the quid pro quo demanded by Obama was a one-year 2% drop in the portion of social security (FICA) taxes paid by...

They huff, and they puff, and they threaten to blow Obama's house down.Not the right-wingers, the left-wing "base" of the Democratic Party.  Dick Durbin is threatening that a bloc of Democrats may "walk out" on Obama by voting against his tax deal.  Mary Landrieu calls the...

Imagine my surprise when I saw the Memeorandum headline Joe Biden / Washington Post - Obama: On The Way To A Failed Presidency?:Could it be?  Another Biden gaffe?  And in The Washington Post, of all places.Nah, just a screw up by Memeorandum's algorithm.  The op-ed actually...

Sent to me by a reader as a potential "Video of the Day" candidate, but deserves its own post. As a youthful Zappa fan, I enjoyed this very much. The "I'm a conservative" statement comes at 3:15. I didn't realize until I graduated high school that...

I am saddened that Elizabeth Edwards' cancer has reached the point that treatment no longer is an option.Whatever her politics, she didn't deserve the cards she was dealt in life by an unscrupulous husband and disease.I wish her well in her final months.Update 5:48 p.m.: ...

If Barack Obama had his way, taxes would be up across the board.  Most obviously for the job creators in the form of higher marginal income tax rates, but also for everyone in the form of a health care mandate, energy taxes, increases in capital gains...

I am "honored" to have been asked by BigFurHat to be the judge of the PUK Award at iOwnTheWorld.This IS an honor, right?Do you think I made a mistake in giving him my social security and bank account numbers, and passwords?  He said it was...

If there were any doubt that WikiLeaks is not about open government, but giving aid and comfort to enemies of the U.S., then the latest release of a State Department document listing facilities vital to U.S. security ends any doubt.  The document is described by the...

Spotted in Ithaca:--------------------------------------------Related Post:Bumper Stickers - The SeriesCome and Get Your Legal Insurrection Bumper StickerFollow me on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTubeVisit the Legal Insurrection Shop on CafePress!...

Robert Stacy McCain has a hilarious post about being threatened by the lawyer for someone no one has ever heard of because McCain questioned whether that no one really knew someone else no one has ever heard of.How many nobodies does it take to result...

Sheldon Whitehouse, a Democratic Senator from my home State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, is up for re-election in 2012.Whitehouse snuck into office in 2006 after a bitter Republican primary between incumbent Lincoln Chaffee and conservative challenger Steve Laffey.  Chaffee won the primary, but the damage was...