William A. Jacobson#Legal Insurrection

Jacobson is a 1981 summa cum laude graduate of Hamilton College.{{Cite web |title=William A. Jacobson |url=https://www.lawschool.cornell.edu/faculty/bio_william_jacobson.cfm |website=lawschool.cornell.edu}} He received his J.D. degree in 1984 from Harvard Law School.{{Cite web|url=http://vivo.cornell.edu/display/WilliamJacobson|title=Jacobson, William A.|website=vivo.cornell.edu|language=en|access-date=2017-06-23}} During his time at Harvard Law School, Jacobson served as Senior Editor of the Harvard International Law Journal, for which he wrote a Case Comment entitled "Process Due Resident Aliens Upon Entering the United States," 24 Harv. Int’l Law J. 198, and as Director of Litigation for the Harvard Prison Legal Assistance Project.{{Cite journal|url=http://heinonline.org/HOL/LandingPage?handle=hein.journals/hilj25&div=8&id=&page=|title=Editorial Board, 25 Harvard International Law Journal, 1984|journal=Harvard International Law Journal|year=1984|volume=25|page=81|access-date=2017-06-23}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.hamilton.edu/news/story/cornell-law-professor-to-discuss-academic-freedom|title=Cornell Law Professor to Discuss Academic Freedom - Hamilton College|website=www.hamilton.edu|language=en|access-date=2017-06-23}}

From 1984 to 1993, Jacobson practiced litigation with Cahill Gordon & Reindel and with Miller & Wrubel in New York City.{{Cite web |title=Faculty: Jacobson |url=https://ww3.lawschool.cornell.edu/faculty/faculty_cvs/Jacobson.pdf |website=lawschool.cornell.edu}} From 1993 to 2007, he was a litigator in Providence, Rhode Island, with a civil litigation and arbitration practice.{{Cite news|url=http://spme.org/team/william-a-jacobson-jd/|title=William A Jacobson, JD - SPME|work=SPME|access-date=2017-09-21|language=en-US}} His work was focused around investment, employment, and business disputes in the securities industry.{{cite web |title=William A. Jacobson |url=http://www.lawschool.cornell.edu/faculty/bio.cfm?id=311 |work=cornell.edu}}

In 2007, Jacobson joined Cornell Law School as a Clinical Professor of Law. He is also the Director of the law school's Securities Law Clinic, which provides legal services to small investors in upstate New York who have been the victims of investment fraud.{{Cite web |title=Securities Law Clinic |url=https://www.lawschool.cornell.edu/Clinical-Programs/securities-law-clinic/index.cfm |website=lawschool.cornell.edu}}

Jacobson is author of the conservative law blog, Legal Insurrection, which was founded in 2008.{{cite web|url=http://www.blogger.com/profile/16433685588536441422|title=Blogger: User Profile: William A. Jacobson|work=blogger.com}}{{Cite web |date=2012-08-21 |title=About |url=https://legalinsurrection.com/about/ |access-date=2024-02-03 |website=Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion {{!}} |language=en-US}} As of July 2014, the TaxProf blog ranked Legal Insurrection as the third most visited blog run by a law professor for the year prior.{{Cite web|title=TaxProf Blog: Law Prof Blog Traffic Rankings|url=https://taxprof.typepad.com/taxprof_blog/2014/07/law-prof-blog-.html|access-date=2022-02-06|website=taxprof.typepad.com|language=en}} As of January 2011, Legal Insurrection was ranked number 24 in politics, and number 67 overall, by Technorati,{{Cite web |title=Legal Insurrection |url=http://technorati.com/blogs/legalinsurrection.blogspot.com/ |website=technorati.com}} and number 7 for top legal blogs by Avvo.{{Cite web |title=Top Legal Blogs |url=http://www.avvo.com/stats/top_legal_blogs&btnG=Search&aq=f&aqi=&aql= |website=www.avvo.com}}

Jacobson is president of the Legal Insurrection Foundation,{{cite news |author1=Gus Chan |title=Legal education could take a hit from critical race theory controversy |url=https://www.crainscleveland.com/legal/legal-education-could-take-hit-controversy-surrounding-critical-race-theory |access-date=7 June 2023 |work=Crain Communications |date=7 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220609114240/https://www.crainscleveland.com/legal/legal-education-could-take-hit-controversy-surrounding-critical-race-theory |archive-date=9 June 2022 |quote=William Jacobson, a clinical professor of law at Cornell Law School and president of the Legal Insurrection Foundation}} which he founded in 2008.{{cite news |author1=Marybeth Gasman |title=What The Critics And Supporters Of Critical Race Theory Have In Common |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/marybethgasman/2021/06/17/what-the-critics-and-supporters-of-critical-race-theory-have-in-common/?sh=345507e75e45 |access-date=7 June 2023 |work=Forbes |date=17 June 2021 |language=en |quote=a website called CriticalRace.org. The site is owned by the Legal Insurrection Foundation, a conservative nonprofit established by Cornell law school professor William A. Jacobson in 2008}}

Jacobsen is the founder of the right-wing Equal Protection Project, a project of the Legal Insurrection Foundation. The project focuses litigation against organizations whose goals and policies favor minority constituents.{{Cite web|title=WSBT News: Indiana University Accused|url=https://wsbt.com/news/local/indiana-university-iu-south-bend-accused-discriminating-race-color-national-origin-formal-complaint-civil-rights-non-profit-equal-protection-project-epp-five-scholarships-student-organizations-applicants-minorities-racism-diversity-opportunities|access-date=2025-04-18}}

Jacobson is co-author of the Securities Arbitration Desk Reference (Thomson-Reuters). He is also a contributor to Politico{{'}}s "Arena".{{Cite web |title=Politics, Policy, Political News |url=http://politi.co/11aRJyl |access-date=2024-02-03 |website=POLITICO |language=en}}

Jacobson has lobbied against the BDS movement.{{Cite news|url=https://www.commentarymagazine.com/foreign-policy/middle-east/israel/when-students-vote-on-israels-demise/|title=When Students Vote on Israel's Demise - Commentary Magazine|date=2015-05-03|work=Commentary Magazine|access-date=2017-09-12|language=en-US}}{{Cite news|url=http://www.ithaca.com/news/anti-semitism-at-cu-gets-response/article_007e1aea-cd0f-11e4-b20c-8b88948dc581.html|title=Anti-Semitism at CU Gets Response|work=Ithaca Times|access-date=2017-09-12|language=en}}{{Cite news|url=http://www.jns.org/news-briefs/2014/4/10/cornell-student-government-tables-israel-divestment-averting-passover-vote#.WQ07H9orJhE=|title=Cornell student government tables Israel divestment, averting Passover vote|work=JNS.org|access-date=2017-09-12|language=en-US}} He has participated in numerous speaking engagements on the matter, most notably events at Harvard Law School (hosted by the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America (CAMERA) in association with Alliance for Israel),{{Cite news|url=http://www.americanisraelite.com/news/national_news/article_175ed8b2-c15f-11e6-82e5-3351c0c75e30.html|title=Academics unpack BDS, anti–Semitism at media watchdog's national conference|work=American Israelite|access-date=2017-09-12}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.jewishboston.com/events/war-by-other-means-israel-bds-and-the-campus/|title=War by Other Means: Israel, BDS and the Campus|work=JewishBoston|access-date=2017-09-12|language=en-US}}{{Cite news|url=http://israelaa.ca/the-real-history-of-bds-movement-by-prof-william-jacobson-legal-insurrection-via-eoz/|title=The REAL History of BDS Movement, by Prof. William Jacobson (Legal Insurrection via EoZ)|date=2016-12-30|work=Israel Activist Alliance|access-date=2017-09-12|language=en-US}} Cornell University (sponsored by Cornellians For Israel),{{Cite news|url=http://www.thecornellreview.org/cornell-prof-lectures-on-ithaca-elementary-school-anti-israel-event/|title=Cornell Prof. Lectures on Ithaca Elementary School Anti-Israel Event|date=2015-11-02|work=The Cornell Review|access-date=2017-09-12|language=en-US}} Children of Jewish Holocaust Survivors,{{Citation|title=How the Academic Boycott of Israel Hurts American Students with Professor William Jacobson, Esq.|date=2014-06-29|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVkxfyJ0JxA |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211215/pVkxfyJ0JxA |archive-date=2021-12-15 |url-status=live|access-date=2017-09-12}}{{cbignore}} and the Florida Region of CAMERA.{{Cite news|url=http://www.sun-sentinel.com/florida-jewish-journal/news/palm/fl-jjps-camera-0304-20150301-story.html|title=CAMERA on campus|work=Jewish Journal|access-date=2017-09-12|language=en-US}}

When Palestinian activist Bassem Tamimi spoke to third graders at an elementary school in Ithaca, New York, in 2015, Jacobson covered the event on his blog.{{Cite news|url=https://ithacavoice.com/2016/01/judge-sends-ithaca-schools-a-message-over-pro-palestinian-speaker/|title=Judge sends Ithaca schools a message over pro-Palestinian speaker|work=The Ithaca Voice|access-date=2017-09-12|language=en-US}} Jacobson filed a Freedom of Information Law request with the Ithaca City School District (ICSD) to further investigate the circumstances surrounding the speaking event. After a year-long court battle with the ICSD demanding that the ICSD remove extensive redactions in the documents provided,{{Cite news|url=http://www.ithacajournal.com/story/news/education/2016/09/26/icsd-release-video-controversial-talk/91128428/|title=ICSD to release video of controversial talk|work=Ithaca Journal|access-date=2017-09-12|language=en}} a judge sided with Jacobson, after which the ICSD was ordered to release the video of the event.{{Cite news|url=http://www.jpost.com/Diaspora/Video-shows-pro-Palestinian-indoctrination-of-3rd-graders-in-NY-school-475452|title=Video shows pro-Palestinian indoctrination of 3rd graders in NY school|work=The Jerusalem Post {{!}} JPost.com|access-date=2017-09-12}} That video included one of the speakers saying to the children, "You can defend us, you can be freedom fighters for Palestine, you can bring peace;"{{Cite news|url=http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/744442/New-York-schoolchildren-shown-anti-Israel-propaganda-invited-activist-Palestine|title=New York schoolchildren outrageously shown anti-Israel propaganda during presentation|date=2016-12-16|work=Express.co.uk|access-date=2017-09-12|language=en}} a child is also heard saying, "When I grow up, I'm going to go to Palestine and protest."

On January 13, 2017, Jacobson's YouTube channel was taken down, with YouTube citing copyright violations.{{cite news|url=https://www.foxnews.com/tech/youtube-removes-influential-conservative-websites-channel|title=YouTube removes influential conservative website's channel|last1=Rogers|first1=James|date=January 13, 2017|work=Fox News|access-date=January 13, 2017}} However, Jacobson stated that he was targeted for his conservative political views. His channel was restored on January 15, 2017.{{cite news|url=https://www.foxnews.com/tech/youtube-restores-influential-conservative-websites-channel|title=YouTube restores influential conservative website's channel|last1=Rogers|first1=James|date=January 16, 2017|work=Fox News|access-date=January 17, 2017}}

In 2020, Jacobson authored two articles that criticized the history of Black Lives Matter. Jacobson described Black Lives Matter's founders as "anti-American, anti-capitalist activists, who want to destroy capitalism, in an act of revenge."[https://www.foxnews.com/us/cornell-professor-criticized-black-lives-matter-faces-student-boycott "Cornell professor who criticized Black Lives Matter faces student boycott"]. Foxnews.com. Retrieved 1 May 2021. This caused controversy and Cornell Law School students called for action against him.

In February 2021, Jacobson launched the website CriticalRace.org, a database listing the training activities and actions of college administrations pertaining to critical race training and anti-racism initiatives.{{Cite web|last=Bunay|first=Angela|date=2021-02-24|title=Students Weigh in on Critical Race Theory Database Launched by Law School Professor|url=https://cornellsun.com/2021/02/24/students-weigh-in-on-critical-race-theory-database-launched-by-law-school-professor/|access-date=2022-02-06|website=The Cornell Daily Sun|language=en-US}}

In January 2022, Jacobson filed a federal class-action lawsuit against Mary T. Bassett, Acting Commissioner of the New York Department of Health, challenging the constitutionality of a state health department directive that considers race as a risk factor in the distribution of COVID-19 treatments.{{Cite news|last=Lyons|first=Brendan J.|date=2022-01-17|title=Lawsuit challenges 'non-white' prioritization of COVID-19 drugs|url=https://www.timesunion.com/state/article/Cornell-law-professor-files-challenge-of-New-16782309.php|access-date=2022-02-06|website=Times Union|language=en-US}} The lawsuit argues that the department directive is "patently unconstitutional" because it uses racial preferences in determining whether someone qualifies to receive medical treatment, which violates the Fourteenth Amendment, the Civil Rights Act, and other federal statutes.{{Cite web|date=2022-01-18|title=Law professor suing NYSDOH over directive to prioritize non-whites for COVID-19 drugs|url=https://www.whec.com/coronavirus/law-professor-suing-nysdoh-over-directive-to-prioritize-non-whites-for-covid-19-drugs/6362663/|access-date=2022-02-06|website=WHEC News10NBC|language=en}}

• Blogger of the Year, Conservative Political Action Conference Red Carpet Bloggers Awards, March 2014.{{Cite news|url=http://www.thejewishstar.com/stories/covering-cpac-2014-what-the-mainstream-media-got-wrong,4817?|title=Covering CPAC 2014: What the mainstream media got wrong|work=The Jewish Star|access-date=2017-09-21|language=en}}

{{reflist|30em}}

• [http://legalinsurrection.com/ Legal Insurrection]
• [https://equalprotect.org/ Equal Protection Project]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jacobson, William A.}}

Category:Harvard Law School alumni

Category:American legal scholars

Category:Hamilton College (New York) alumni

Category:Cornell Law School faculty

Category:American legal websites

Category:Living people

Category:Year of birth missing (living people)