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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 October 24, 2008 1 Comment

Respected financial journalist Charles Gasparino has an excellent article, entitled An Obama Panic? In the article, Gasparinio makes a point the mainstream media ignores: While Obama certainly did not cause the credit and market crisis, the fear of an Obama victory is fueling the crisis....

Posted by William A. Jacobson on October 22, 2008 0 Comments

It would be so much easier to jump on the Obama bandwagon, to imagine hope, to wish for the Dear Leader to save us, to be popular with those who are oh so smart, to be polite at cocktail parties, to cower in silence, to...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on October 20, 2008 1 Comment

Actually, I don't know if Joe Biden read my article, A Harvard Trial Lawyer for McCain, and whether he agrees. But Biden made a point that the world would try to test Obama because of Obama's lack of experience. I made a similar...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on October 17, 2008 0 Comments

The United States Supreme Court has vacated a 6th Circuit injunction requiring the Ohio Secretary of State to implement procedures to prevent voter fraud. The Supreme Court decision is here, http://www.supremecourtus.gov/opinions/08pdf/08A332.pdf.Of note, the Supreme Court decided the case on very narrow grounds, that the Ohio...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on October 16, 2008 0 Comments

Are we witnessing the end of capitalism? Has it ever been this bad? Do these charts show the end of capitalism? I guess that depends on how you look at things. The first chart tracks the Dow Jones Industrial Average from 1920-1940, when the average went from...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on October 16, 2008 0 Comments

Here is a link to my article, published in The Ithaca Journal, on how "Risk in the Mortgage Industry Spurred Meltdown": http://www.theithacajournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080927/OPINION02/809270304/1014/NEWS17 ....

Posted by William A. Jacobson on October 16, 2008 1 Comment

Joe the Plumber made it to prime time in last night's debate. In fact, just about the only thing anyone will remember about the debate is the name Joe the Plumber.Joe the Plumber first became known when he confronted Barack Obama during a campaign stop,...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on October 15, 2008 0 Comments

From Investment News: House Democrats contemplate abolishing 401(k) tax breaks Powerful House Democrats are eyeing proposals to overhaul the nation's $3 trillion 401(k) system, including the elimination of most of the $80 billion in annual tax breaks that 401(k) investors receive. House Education and Labor Committee Chairman...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on October 15, 2008 2 Comments

Many people talk about the use of the "race card." Playing the race card does not mean talking about race or discrimination, which are legitimate political and moral issues. Playing the race card is the use of false accusations of racism to shape the political...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on October 14, 2008 3 Comments

"PREPARE for a new America: That's the message that the Rev. Jesse Jackson conveyed to participants in the first World Policy Forum, held at this French lakeside resort last week. He promised "fundamental changes" in US foreign policy - saying America must "heal wounds" it...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on October 13, 2008 0 Comments

I was a student of Russian and Soviet history in college, and spent a considerable amount of time in the Soviet Union. While a student in Moscow, I became close friends with the Yakir family (more on them in a later post), a family steeped...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on October 12, 2008 13 Comments

The presidential election of 2008 is still three weeks away. By all likely measures, Barack Obama will win. It's not a foregone conclusion, but a strong likelihood.Many people point to the recent economic turmoil as the reason for Obama's rise. In the short run, that...

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