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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.

Camille Paglia, Obama supporter, observes:"President Obama should yank the reins and get his staff's noses out of slash-and-burn petty politics. His own dignity and prestige are on the line. If he wants a second term, he needs to project a calmer perspective about the eternal...

Adding to the disrespect shown visiting British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, the Brits are upset once again because the U.S. Department of Treasury is not answering their phone calls on preparations for the upcoming G20 Summit:The head of the civil service, Sir Gus [O'Donnell] said...

Obama's new Taliban policy explained:We will bring the people watching the execution into the government because they are moderate, but not the person firing the weapon, because he is not moderate.Unfortunately, the Taliban disagree that there are any moderates among them:"This does not require any...

The Politico has an article detailing the Obama administration's targeting of Congressman Eric Cantor. According to the article, Obama's political advisers are coordinating a campaign in the media and through unions "to introduce him to voters before he can introduce himself."In other words, the President...

It seems that almost everyday I learn more and more about blogging disorders. I really didn't know what I was getting into when I started; I wish someone had warned me.Early on, I self-diagnosed Blogger Mood Disorder ("a condition in which one's mood swings up...

What to Do About John C. Yoo? That is the question posed in a Wall Street Journal Law Blog post. The post is quite fair and balanced; after all, it's not a NY Times post. But the post does discuss a front-page NY Times article...

I saw the photo (right) of Obama over at And So It Goes In Shreveport blog under the headline Time for a Nap. The post concerns the concerns of Obama aides that Obama is not getting enough sleep. While I never had seen that photo before,...

Slow news day. So I'll get to something really important, American Idol. My favorite is Jasmine Murray, from Mississippi. OK, she is not the most likely to win, but she is an undiscovered talent whose abilities have not yet come through.I first heard Jasmine sing...

President Barack Obama's proposal to give up the missile shield program for Russia's help on halting Iran's nuclear weapons program ended badly. The Russians rejected any link. Obama then denied there ever was a link.I have a better idea. Let's propose that we give up...

I was at a party last night when a total stranger struck up a conversation with me. He didn't know who I was, or that I had a blog. The crowd was mixed (by political persuasion), so there was no reason for this person to...

The full set of comparisons and calculations in hundred dollar bill stacks are here. Keep your eye on the little guy (in this picture) in the lower left, as you work your way up to one trillion dollars:(h/t Mr. Mike)...

Why did Google Ads put this on my blog?I'm not sure I should complain. Here's what they put over at The Astute Bloggers: Big beautiful women, or a heart attack? Couldn't one lead to the other?...

FULL METAL SATURDAY. Or as Frank Burns said, "It's nice to be nice to the nice."...

"Did you realize that President Obama signed his Stimulus package at the same desk where President Clinton got his package Stimulated?” (h/t Random Thoughts)...

The Guardian is reporting that a protestor threw his shoe at Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad during a visit to the north-western Iranian city of Urumiye:An Iranian website, Urumiye News, reported that a shoe was hurled at the president as his convoy drove through a central...

I think the British paper The Times of London has it right, in its article, "Barack Obama bets the farm in $4 trillion poker game."One of the most seductive elements of Barack Obama's ascent to the White House was his unshakeable conviction that he was...

Well, that didn't take long. On March 3, 2009, New York Times columnist David Brooks issued his "Moderate Manifesto" in which he confessed uneasiness with his choice of Obama. But Brooks is back on board the Obama ship of state, with a column in today's...

World gone mad item of the day, from Britain. Under new school rules, teachers are not allowed to run after and stop grade school children who run from school. Under "safe handling" procedures, the teachers are only allowed to "track" the child and call police...