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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 November 03, 2009 8 Comments

News Flash -- Republican Bob McDonnell has been projected the winner of the Virginia Governor's race. Proving that even a small, unpopular, fringe party which does not appeal to moderates or independents, can win over a large, popular, mainstream party.The secret? More votes. Particularly from moderates and independents:.The...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on November 03, 2009 3 Comments

This screen shot says it all. From Crooks and Liars, the faces of the progressive movement revealed with an irony completely lost on the author of that post: Please keep Grayson in the spotlight, at least throught the 2010 elections. We can't do it without you. -------------------------------------------- Related...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on November 03, 2009 0 Comments

If Republicans had done this, you would hear screams across the mainstream media and left-wing blogosphere loud enough to wake Larry King. Racial disparity: All active ethics probes focus on black lawmakers:The House ethics committee is currently investigating seven African-American lawmakers — more than 15...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on November 03, 2009 5 Comments

Rich Lowry has a good piece on Obama's decision to skip ceremonies and celebrations commemorating the fall of the Berlin Wall:Obama famously made a speech in Berlin during last year's campaign, but at an event devoted to celebrating himself as the apotheosis of world hopefulness....

Posted by William A. Jacobson on November 03, 2009 2 Comments

Regarding Obama administration policy towards Hamid Karzai, the President of Afghanistan, it is reported: Obama administration officials are saying they'll judge Karzai on his appointments ...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on November 02, 2009 0 Comments

Here's what they really think of voters:But I think, in many ways, it might be the same mood that elected Obama. Remember: most ordinary schmucks aren't politics junkies. They're not ideologically consistent. They were hurting a year ago and a vote for Barack Obama was...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on November 01, 2009 5 Comments

This is my obligatory "Dede Scozzafava endorses Bill Owens" post. With a twist.Not sure what this all means two days before the election, except that it is clear that Dede belongs to the John Murtha party of pork-barrel politics.Scozafava's endorsement of Democrat Owens certainly was...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on November 01, 2009 5 Comments

Scaaary Doug Hoffman is driving left-wing bloggers and columnists insane. Hoffman and his supporters now are the object of anti-Palin-like fury and mania from the left. The objective of the attacks is to marginalize and mock Hoffman and his supporters, much as the media tagged...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on November 01, 2009 2 Comments

Another day, another story in a British newspaper about the profound faults in the British National Health Service. This time, the government bureaucracy is silencing whistleblowers:NHS whistleblowers are routinely gagged in order to cover up dangerous and even dishonest practices that could attract bad publicity...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on October 31, 2009 2 Comments

This is the latest in a series on the use of the race card for political gain:The Southern Poverty Law Center once served a vital role in shutting down Klan groups and dangerous white supremacist groups. Morris Dees endured death threats and was a heroic...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on October 31, 2009 17 Comments

Dede Scazzafava's decision to drop out of the NY-23 race has evoked a round of name-calling and fear-mongering from the left-wing blogosphere not seen since ...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on October 31, 2009 7 Comments

There is a political earthquake breaking in the NY-23 race. Republican insider Dede Scazzafava has quit the race, as reported first by Robert Stacey McCain, who is on the scene in upstate NY. HotAir is collecting the sources and information.This will pit Conservative Doug Hoffman...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on October 30, 2009 9 Comments

President Obama made a trip to Dover Air Force Base to be present when the coffins of troops and DEA agents were returned from Afghanistan.I have no problem with it.One thing I've learned in life is that everyone mourns in his or her own way.I...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on October 30, 2009 2 Comments

The Obama administration finally got its first foreign policy victory, in Honduras. But it appears to be merely symbolic, with Chicago-style bullying still going on in the background to force Honduras to allow Manuel Zelaya back into power.The government of Honduras has agreed -- subject...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on October 30, 2009 3 Comments

The Congressional Budget Office has released its "scoring" of the House health care restructuring bill. The CBO is required to score bills the way they are drafted, even if the assumptions in the legislation are unrealistic or politically unlikely to be fully implemented. Accordingly, the...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on October 29, 2009 6 Comments

The crowning achievement of Barack Obama's negotiation without precondition strategy on Iran was Iran's alleged agreement to ship its uranium abroad for reprocessing. This supposed agreement -- which was never as significant as it seemed -- was touted as proof that Obama's approach was correct.Popular...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on October 29, 2009 15 Comments

The drafters and supporters of the 1,990-page health care restructuring bill released by Nancy Pelosi this morning really don't understand how business works.I've had only a few minutes to look at the bill, but one fundamental and profound stupidity jumped out at me.The bill defines...

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