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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.

How long before arrest warrants are issued by politically motivated judges in Europe for high level U.S. politicians and military officials because drone strikes in Pakistan kill civilians?Don't think it could happen? How about this story from Britain, Israel fury over British war crimes warrant...

I have to hand it to Harry Reid. He may be on the verge of pulling off the ultimate card play.Reid managed to get everyone excited and fearful through a whispering campaign about a last-minute "compromise" to expand Medicare, even though we can't pay for...

Good for the Susan G. Komen Foundation, which leads the way in supporting breast cancer awareness and research.In a statement just released, the Komen Foundation refuses to cave in to the despicable attempt by Jane Hamsher and some of her followers to force the Komen...

Not content to call upon the Susan G. Komen Foundation to fire Hadassah Lieberman, Jane Hamsher now is trying to organize secondary pressure on the Komen Foundation through various celebrities who are involved with the organization. The online Petition states:As I said before, it's a...

I didn't get a chance to comment this weekend on Matthew Yglesias' ground-breaking announcement that the country has become "ungovernable" because the majority (Democrats) seem unable to run roughshod over the minority (Republicans) in the Senate:We’re suffering from an incoherent institutional set-up in the senate....

John Hawkins has an interesting post regarding a conversation he had with a Senate staffer on the chances of Obama-Pelosi-Reid-care passing this year (not likely) or in January (50/50):John: But still, it's looking grim right?Senate Aide X: They are in much worse shape now than...

Well, we can't have Senators being forthright with their colleagues face-to-face. That is worthy of this headline:No, what we need is more sniveling backstabbing and double-talk.--------------------------------------------Follow me on Twitter and Facebook...

"When we fail to inspire hope, we fail the future, which, one way are [sic] the other, we are bound to live into."Read the whole thing, and let me know.--------------------------------------------Follow me on Twitter and Facebook...

The first exhibits merely reflexive reaction to startling movement, the other establishes meaningful cognition at an early age by choosing to replicate a sound. Just saying.Please, no one tell the Feline Theocracy. It is very intolerant of dissent.http://d.yimg.com/static.video.yahoo.com/yep/YV_YEP.swf?ver=2.2.46(h/t to The Coffee Shop for the kitten,...

Obama down 19 points in the Rasmussen strongly approve/strongly disapprove poll just released: H/t Moonbattery, which notes: The approval index stands at an astounding -28 among the independents who were temporarily duped into electing him.Obamunists did say that their messiah would unite us. At this...

What it was about this comment which led me to suspect it was spam (so I didn't approve it, link disabled fyi):This is nice blog post, an excellent it very nice...

Sarah Palin's appearance on the Conan O'Brien late night show generated huge positive buzz. Even (some of) the Palin haters were hard-pressed to come up with a negative about it.This marks something of a turning point for Palin. More so than daytime media, late night...

This is the latest in a series on the use of the race card for political gain:Although I commented on this incident earlier, it warrants bringing out the videotape, for Harry Reid's now classic card play, in which Reid compared those who oppose his health...

Barack Obama loves to try to blame George Bush for our deficits and out of control spending, as if Democratic control of Congress for the last several years, and Obama's control of the budget this year, had nothing to do with it. So how will...

Here are some obligatory Sarah Palin morning posts, because while you were sleeping, Palin was inching closer to Barack Obama in the polls, driving the nutroots crazy, getting positive late-night coverage for a change (that should really scare the PDS crowd), and generally having fun:...

The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation and affiliated Susan G. Komen for the Cure spearhead efforts to raise funds for and awareness of breast cancer. Joe Lieberman's wife, Hadassah, has a compensated position as a "global ambassador."But Joe Lieberman doesn't tow the leftist line...

Kathleen Parker, one of many swooning over Obama's Oslo speech, observes:Rising to the occasion, he managed to redeem himself at a low point in his popularity by reminding Americans of what is best about themselves. My cynical translation:Obama's drop in the polls has forced him...

The Speech. In Oslo. Oh my. He didn't apologize, as such. He spoke of a "just war." Of his obligation as President to defend the country. As if this all were a revelation.Ooooh. Aaaah. Says the vast right-wing conspiracy, in many and surprising places.It's all...