Image 01 Image 03
Sign In or RegisterLogout

Author: William A. Jacobson

Profile photo

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 August 24, 2020 33 Comments
You remember John Doe No. 1 v. Oberlin College, not to be confused with John Doe No. 2 v. Oberlin College. John Doe No. 1 is the expelled male student who alleged, among other things, that the Oberlin College sexual assault hearing process was so rigged and biased that 100% of the accused students (all or almost all male) who went to hearing were found responsible.

Posted by William A. Jacobson on August 21, 2020 37 Comments
Other than some of the key speeches, I skipped most of the live coverage of the Democrat National Convention. When I tried to watch, it was unbearable, like watching a never-ending public service announcement from the Ad Council. So I missed the live coverage of "Michael from Rhode Island" presented by the DNC as a "longstanding Republican for a long time" who is voting for Biden.

Posted by William A. Jacobson on August 19, 2020 109 Comments
The orthodoxy with regard to racial politics has moved from campus to culture, We've seen the purge of alternative views in academia, journlism, the arts, and other industries. The emergence of hyper-woke corporations is one of the distinguishing features of the current Black Lives Matter movement effort since the death of George Floyd.

Posted by William A. Jacobson on August 17, 2020 47 Comments
A CNN poll conducted by SSRS released this morning has Democrats freaking out, showing that Joe Biden's national lead has narrowed by 10% in the past month, and now is down to 4%. And that's among "registered voters" not "likely voters" so enthusiasm for Trump, which has exceeded Biden in most polls, isn't a factor.

Posted by William A. Jacobson on August 16, 2020 54 Comments
I had heard of Charles Negy, Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Central Florida (UCF). What I heard seemed like a particularly egregious example of cancel culture that is purging academia and imposing uniformity of opinion, particularly with regard to the Black Lives Matter movement. Having looked into it more, it's worse than I realized.
Accessibility by WAH