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Alan Dershowitz | |
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 Dershowitz in 2009 | |
| Born | Alan Morton Dershowitz September 1, 1938 New York City, U.S. |
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| Political party | Independent (2024–present) |
| Other political affiliations | Democratic (until 2024) |
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| Children | 3 |
| Website | alan-dershowitz |
Alan Morton Dershowitz (/ˈdɜːrʃəwɪts/ DURR-shə-wits; born September 1, 1938) is an American lawyer and law professor known for his work in U.S. constitutional law and American criminal law.[1][2] From 1964 to 2013, he taught at Harvard Law School, where he was appointed as the Felix Frankfurter Professor of Law in 1993.[3][4] Dershowitz is a regular media contributor, political commentator, and legal analyst.
Dershowitz has taken on high-profile and often unpopular causes and clients.[4][5][6] As of 2009, he had won 13 of the 15 murder and attempted murder cases he handled as a criminal appellate lawyer.[7] Dershowitz has represented such celebrity clients as Mike Tyson, Patty Hearst, Leona Helmsley, Julian Assange, and Jim Bakker.[8] Major legal victories have included two successful appeals that overturned convictions, first for Harry Reems in 1976, then in 1984 for Claus von Bülow, who had been convicted of the attempted murder of his wife, Sunny.[6] In 1995, Dershowitz served as the appellate adviser on the murder trial of O. J. Simpson as part of the legal "Dream Team" alongside Johnnie Cochran and F. Lee Bailey.[9] He was a member of Harvey Weinstein's defense team in 2018[6] and of President Donald Trump's defense team in his first impeachment trial in 2020.[5] He was a member of Jeffrey Epstein's defense team and helped to negotiate a 2006 non-prosecution agreement on Epstein's behalf.[10]
Dershowitz is the author of several books about politics and the law, including Reversal of Fortune: Inside the von Bülow Case (1985), the basis of the 1990 film; Chutzpah (1991); Reasonable Doubts: The Criminal Justice System and the O. J. Simpson Case (1996); The Case for Israel (2003); and The Case for Peace (2005). His two most recent works are The Case Against Impeaching Trump (2018) and Guilt by Accusation: The Challenge of Proving Innocence in the Age of #MeToo (2019).[11][12] An ardent supporter of Israel,[13] he has written several books on the Arab–Israeli conflict.
- ^ Leonnig, Carol D. (June 11, 2007). "Dozen Top Legal Scholars Line Up for Libby Appeal". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on August 16, 2018. Retrieved July 12, 2019.
- ^ Dolan, Maura (January 7, 1994). "Critics Dissect Wilson Anti-Crime Plan : Justice: Legal experts say harsh sentencing as urged by the governor could backfire and increase leniency in courts. Judges would lack flexibility and jurors might balk at severe penalties, they contend". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on July 13, 2019. Retrieved July 12, 2019.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
biowas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ a b "Alan Dershowitz retiring from Harvard Law School". Haaretz. Jewish Telegraphic Agency. December 16, 2013. Archived from the original on September 29, 2020. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
- ^ a b "Now on Trump's team, Dershowitz says, 'I haven't changed'". Associated Press. January 24, 2020. Archived from the original on April 20, 2020. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
- ^ a b c Mindock, Clark; Gray, Lucy Anna (January 17, 2020). "Who is Alan Dershowitz, the controversial lawyer defending Trump?". The Independent. Archived from the original on November 27, 2020. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
- ^ Pollak, Joel (January 22, 2009). "Dershowitz wins 13th murder case". The Harvard Law Record. Archived from the original on October 12, 2010. Retrieved July 12, 2019.
- ^ Zurcher, Anthony (January 7, 2015). "Alan Dershowitz: A high-flying lawyer's unwanted publicity". BBC News. Archived from the original on November 28, 2020. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
- ^ "O.J. Simpson Trial: Where Are They Now?". ABC News. June 12, 2014. Archived from the original on August 6, 2020. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
- ^ Bruck, Connie (July 29, 2019). "Alan Dershowitz, Devil's Advocate". The New Yorker. Archived from the original on July 31, 2019. Retrieved July 31, 2019.
- ^ Alter, Alexandra; Ember, Sydney (July 8, 2018). "Yet Another Book Takes on Impeachment: This Time, the Case Against". The New York Times. Archived from the original on September 22, 2018. Retrieved October 21, 2018.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
:4was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Vogel, Kenneth P.; Confessore, Nicholas (February 8, 2021). "Using Connections to Trump, Dershowitz Became Force in Clemency Grants". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 16, 2021.