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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 February 24, 2009 2 Comments

Second time this week, I'm in agreement with a NY Times columnist, at least on the language I quote if not the overarching Obama-maniacal subtext. First, it was Maureen Dowd writing on the cowardice of Eric Holder. Now David Brooks, warning that the administration's economic...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on February 24, 2009 2 Comments

Another fed-up, closet conservative has started a blog, Bread Upon The Waters. Check it out. Here's part of the first post, which expresses the frustration -- and fear of discovery -- so many of us felt before we liberated ourselves and came out of the...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on February 24, 2009 0 Comments

I wish this were a joke, but it's not. The town of Dryden, NY, near Ithaca, has plans to build a bridge in an area so remote that the town does not want to spend its own money on it, so it is seeking federal...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on February 24, 2009 0 Comments

The website DebkaFile is reporting that Bibi Netanyahu's choice for Israeli Foreign Minister is Anatoly (Natan) Sharansky, a hero of the Soviet refusenik movement. For those of you who are not familiar with Sharansky, his story is inspiring. In the weeks just before and after...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on February 23, 2009 1 Comment

Larrey Anderson is a frequent contributor to, and an editor of, American Thinker. I've spoken with and corresponded with Larrey numerous times in connection with several of my articles published at A.T. One thing that always jumped out at me is how much...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on February 22, 2009 2 Comments

The cold day in hell has just arrived. I agree with Maureen Dowd:Yet Obama is oozing empathy compared with his attorney general, who last week called us “a nation of cowards” about race. Eric Holder, who showed precious little bravery in standing up to Clinton...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on February 22, 2009 0 Comments

(Thanks for sending me this, Patricia!)...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on February 22, 2009 1 Comment

As reported by the putative first gentile Prime Minister of Israel:"Quick synopsis of every Jewish holiday: Theytried to kill us; we won; let's eat."...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on February 22, 2009 8 Comments

Ah, hope and change. Near silence from the American mainstream media, but this news item from the Brits about Obama appointing one of his key fundraisers as Ambassador to Great Britain:Barack Obama has been embroiled in a cronyism row after reports that he intends to...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on February 22, 2009 37 Comments

The beginning of a protest movement against Barack Obama's redistributive policies is underway. Though still small, every movement starts somewhere. While called the "Tea Party" after the Boston Tea Party, this movement is similar to movements throughout history where the producers of society refuse to...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on February 21, 2009 4 Comments

Another Obama "I told you so," this time from Investor's Business Daily:Last Oct. 13 [2008], in trying to explain why the market had sold off 30% in six weeks, we acknowledged that the freeze-up of the financial system was a big concern. But we cited...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on February 21, 2009 1 Comment

I am about to tread where sane people in this society dare not go for fear of having their words twisted: Discussing race. Attorney General Eric Holder told us not to be cowards on the subject, so let's talk about whether non-racist cartoons or words...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on February 21, 2009 0 Comments

Hillary Clinton went to China to assure Chinese investors (i.e. the Chinese government) about the safety and security of investing in the U.S. (video here). Great. What about assuring U.S. investors? Don't we matter?With the export-heavy Chinese economy reeling from the U.S. downturn, Clinton sought...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on February 21, 2009 0 Comments

This must be some sort of plot to undermine Republican opposition to Obama's stimulus plan. Online marketers of "free government money" get-rich-quick schemes now are targeting Republicans:Where did I find this? Through a Google Ad over at Finkelblog. Seems like Mark's audience must have been...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on February 20, 2009 3 Comments

There's an old saying on Wall Street that a bear market has not bottomed out until the last bull capitulates. News flash. The last bull has capitulated. Me.I'm a true believer in capitalism and markets. There is no better measure of what an item is...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on February 19, 2009 0 Comments

A centerpiece of Barack Obama's foreign policy is convincing Europeans, particularly NATO members, to help with the effort in Afghanistan. George Bush, it was said, too long had practiced the politics of "go it alone." We were assured that once we asked nicely, instead of...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on February 19, 2009 0 Comments

The headline of an Op-ed on the website of The Guardian newspaper, the left-wing British newspaper, started out promisingly enough: "Hamas No, Human Rights Yes." The sub-title was even better: "Why are the left and the anti-war movement ignoring Hamas's repression of...

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