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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 September 23, 2010 9 Comments

I have held off commenting on the GOP Pledge to America until I had a chance actually to read it, rather than press reports and punditry analysis.Now that I have read it, I'm in agreement with the approach, which amounts to A Thousand Points of...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on September 23, 2010 5 Comments

On January 1, 2010, I wrote of The Coming "Green" Collapse.  The issue was "rare earth elements" which are vital to so-called "green technology" and are mined almost exclusively in China.  I warned at the time:The green economy envisioned by the Obama administration as the means...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on September 22, 2010 5 Comments

Don't you just love it when someone in the mainstream media admits to the pervasive bias against conservatives?Via NewsBusters, here is the transcript of a segment between Harry Smith and John Dickerson on the CBS Early Show this morning, regarding Christine O'Donnell's announcement last night...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on September 22, 2010 3 Comments

...It seems to me that Bill Clinton is the de facto leader of the Democratic Party, because it doesn't have an in facto leader.-------------------------------------------- Follow me on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on September 22, 2010 5 Comments

This is why I respect Jon Stewart, he goes after both sides. The Daily Show With Jon StewartMon - Thurs 11p / 10c Working Stiffed www.thedailyshow.com Daily Show Full EpisodesPolitical HumorTea Party -------------------------------------------- Follow me on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube ...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on September 22, 2010 2 Comments

...Sounds like a plan, to me.  And a campaign theme.-------------------------------------------- Follow me on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on September 22, 2010 7 Comments

It seems like a natural law of the internet that the longer a post, the less likely anyone reads beyond the first few lines, resulting in fewer comments and muted reaction. Hence, the now classic They Also Called Scott Brown A Non-Serious Extremist is sitting out...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on September 22, 2010 15 Comments

The comparison of the long-shot campaigns of Scott Brown and Christine O'Donnell frequently draws the objection that Brown was viewed as a serious and moderate candidate, whereas O'Donnell is viewed as a non-serious extremist.As someone who followed the Brown campaign closely, I can tell you that this perception...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on September 21, 2010 5 Comments

Harry Reid's comment that Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand was the "hottest" in the Senate has generated reaction ranging from "there he goes again" to "sexist!"When I posted first thing this morning about it, I guess I fell into the "there he goes again" crowd (Someone Tell...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on September 21, 2010 12 Comments

It's over.  The race is hopeless.  The Republican candidate has no chance because of past indiscretions which have rendered the candidate a joke, and the electorate has made up its mind in favor of the well-known Democrat.The polls, depending upon which you believe, have our...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on September 21, 2010 19 Comments

"Go back to jonesing for Sarrahcudda, Christine, and all the other intellectual lightweights that are taking over what used to be a decent political party."(no Google searches allowed)Update:  No one is close, so far.  While it really doesn't matter who said it, it is relevant that...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on September 21, 2010 5 Comments

Via The Politico, Reid calls Gillibrand the 'hottest' member at fundraiser:Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid had an unusual form of praise for New York's junior senator, Kirsten Gillibrand, this morning at the fundraiser Mayor Bloomberg hosted for him at his townhouse - referring to her...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on September 20, 2010 3 Comments

When a tape of Christine O'Donnell commenting in the 1990s that she had "dabbled into witchcraft" surfaced, the media and left-wing blogosphere (and unfortunately, a few on the right) went wild.  There was nothing of substance to the story, as it turns out O'Donnell was talking about events...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on September 20, 2010 8 Comments

The National Bureau of Economic Research has declared that the recession ended, statistically speaking, in June 2009.  As reported by the L.A. Times:Reporting from Washington — The panel of economists that dates the nation's economic cycles declared Monday that the recession that started in December...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on September 20, 2010 3 Comments

Fouad Ajami reports on an opinion survey taken by a leading Arab electronic daily newspaper, regarding the Cordoba mosque and Islamic center to be located at or near (depending on your perspective) Ground Zero.Keep in mind that domestic public opinion against the location is widely denigrated...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on September 20, 2010 3 Comments

On Election Day in November we will have another all-day Live Blog event.  The event will be turned on in the morning, and stay open all day and night until we get returns from Nevada and the West Coast.Those who participated in the Scott Brown...

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