Alan Dershowitz Biography Quotes 8 Report mistakes

Early Life and Education

Alan Dershowitz was born in 1938 in Brooklyn, New York, and grew up in a working-class, observant Jewish household that valued argument, learning, and public service. He attended local schools in Brooklyn and developed an early reputation for quick thinking and relentless debate. After graduating from Brooklyn College in 1959, he went on to Yale Law School, earning his law degree in 1962 and serving on the Yale Law Journal. At Yale he gravitated to constitutional law and criminal procedure, disciplines that would define his subsequent scholarship and advocacy.

Clerkships and Early Career

Following law school, Dershowitz clerked for Judge David L. Bazelon on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, a transformative experience that exposed him to the practical complexities of criminal justice and mental health law. He then clerked for Justice Arthur J. Goldberg of the U.S. Supreme Court, where he observed constitutional decision-making at the highest level. The mentorship of Bazelon and Goldberg sharpened his instincts as an appellate strategist and cemented his commitment to civil liberties.

Harvard Law School

Dershowitz joined the Harvard Law School faculty in 1964 and, at age 28, became the school's youngest full professor. He later held the Felix Frankfurter Professor of Law chair, ultimately becoming professor emeritus. On campus he was known as a demanding and energetic teacher who brought current cases into the classroom and pressed students to test arguments from multiple angles. He worked alongside prominent colleagues, including Laurence Tribe, in a faculty known for its influence on constitutional theory and public law. Across decades he mentored generations of students who would go on to legal practice, academia, government, and advocacy.

Advocacy and High-Profile Cases

Parallel to his academic career, Dershowitz developed a practice focused on appellate advocacy and constitutional issues. He became nationally known for the successful appeal of financier Claus von Bulow's conviction; the case, which turned on procedural and evidentiary errors, led to a retrial that ended in acquittal. Dershowitz later chronicled the litigation in Reversal of Fortune, which inspired a feature film in which Ron Silver portrayed Dershowitz and Jeremy Irons portrayed von Bulow.

He served as an appellate consultant to the defense team for O. J. Simpson, working alongside Johnnie Cochran, Robert Shapiro, F. Lee Bailey, Barry Scheck, and Peter Neufeld during one of the most closely watched trials in American history. His emphasis on reasonable doubt and the integrity of criminal procedure reflected broader themes of his writing and teaching. He also represented or advised clients in sensitive civil liberties matters and criminal appeals, frequently arguing that the system must err on the side of protecting defendants' rights.

Dershowitz later advised Jeffrey Epstein during negotiations that culminated in a controversial 2008 non-prosecution agreement. Years afterward he was accused of sexual misconduct by Virginia Giuffre, allegations he denied emphatically. Defamation litigation followed on both sides, and in 2022 the parties reached a settlement in which Giuffre acknowledged that she may have made a mistake in identifying him, with no damages paid and each side bearing its own fees.

Scholarship and Writing

A prolific author, Dershowitz used books and essays to connect complex legal questions to public audiences. The Best Defense surveyed the criminal justice system from the perspective of a defense lawyer. Reversal of Fortune analyzed the von Bulow appeal and the craft of appellate advocacy. Chutzpah combined memoir with a defense of assertive citizenship. In Reasonable Doubts he examined what the Simpson trial revealed about evidence, race, and media. Supreme Injustice critiqued the Supreme Court's handling of the 2000 election. The Case for Israel and The Case for Peace outlined his arguments about Israel's security, international law, and negotiations. The Case Against Impeaching Trump, published in 2018, synthesized his long-standing views on the constitutional grounds for impeachment and foreshadowed arguments he would later present in the Senate.

Public Debates and Israel Advocacy

Dershowitz has been one of the most visible American defenders of Israel in legal and moral debates, engaging with critics on campuses and in public forums. He emphasizes the laws of war, proportionality, and the right of self-defense, while urging pragmatic steps toward coexistence. His advocacy has brought him into high-profile debates with scholars and activists who challenge both his legal interpretations and his political conclusions. He often frames these disputes as contests over evidence, standards of proof, and the proper role of international law.

Controversies

A combative intellectual style has placed Dershowitz at the center of multiple controversies. His extended dispute with political scientist Norman Finkelstein over scholarship, citation practices, and the politics of Israel culminated in a widely publicized tenure battle at DePaul University in 2007. Within the bar and academy, he has been criticized and praised in equal measure for defending unpopular clients, insisting that due process and vigorous defense protect everyone. In 2020 he joined President Donald Trump's legal team during the first impeachment trial, arguing in the Senate that impeachment should rest on criminal-like offenses rather than broad political disagreements; those arguments attracted intense scrutiny from constitutional scholars and the public.

Teaching, Media, and Public Engagement

Dershowitz has been a frequent presence on television, radio, and in print, translating appellate strategy, constitutional doctrine, and civil liberties into accessible commentary. He has filed amicus briefs, consulted on litigation strategy, and participated in public debates and lectures worldwide. Former students and colleagues often note his insistence on testing arguments against the strongest possible counterarguments, a style honed in classrooms and courtrooms alike.

Later Years and Continuing Influence

After retiring from full-time teaching in 2013, Dershowitz remained active as professor emeritus, author, and commentator. He continued to write on free speech, academic freedom, criminal justice reform, and Middle East issues, and he stayed involved in select cases and public controversies. The through-line of his career has been a belief that robust defense and rigorous debate are essential to the rule of law, even when the client or cause is unpopular.

Personal Life

Dershowitz has long identified with the traditions of Brooklyn and the American Jewish community that shaped him. He married Carolyn Cohen, a neuropsychologist, after an earlier marriage ended, and he has two sons. Friends and adversaries alike have remarked on his formidable work ethic, his appetite for argument, and his readiness to take positions that cross partisan lines. The people around him throughout his career, mentors like David Bazelon and Arthur Goldberg, colleagues such as Laurence Tribe, clients including Claus von Bulow and O. J. Simpson, antagonists like Norman Finkelstein, public figures such as Donald Trump, and litigants and accusers like Jeffrey Epstein and Virginia Giuffre, help chart the arc of a life spent at the turbulent intersection of law, politics, and public opinion.