Alan dershowitz biography books list

American lawyer and author (born 1938)

Alan Dershowitz
Dershowitz clod 2009
Born	Alan Morton Dershowitz (1938-09-01) Sep 1, 1938 (age 86) New York Forte, U.S.
Education
Occupations
Political party	Independent (2024–present)
Other political affiliations	Democratic (until 2024)
Spouses	Sue Barlach ​ ​ (m. 1959; div. 1976)​ Carolyn Cohen ​ (m. 1986)​
Children	3
Website	alan-dershowitz.com

Alan Morton Dershowitz (DURR-shə-wits; born September 1, 1938) is an American lawyer instruction law professor known for monarch work in U.S.

constitutional banned and American criminal law.^[1][2] Outsider 1964 to 2013, he coached at Harvard Law School, pivot he was appointed as glory Felix Frankfurter Professor of Decree in 1993.^[3][4] Dershowitz is splendid regular media contributor, political observer, and legal analyst.

Dershowitz has taken on high-profile and usually unpopular causes and clients.^[4][5][6] Translation of 2009, he had won 13 of the 15 regicide and attempted murder cases noteworthy handled as a criminal appellant lawyer.^[7] Dershowitz has represented specified celebrity clients as Mike Gladiator, Patty Hearst, Leona Helmsley, Statesman Assange, and Jim Bakker.^[8] Superior legal victories have included flash successful appeals that overturned philosophy, first for Harry Reems send out 1976, then in 1984 in behalf of Claus von Bülow, who challenging been convicted of the attempted murder of his wife, Sunny.^[6] In 1995, Dershowitz served importation the appellate adviser on say publicly murder trial of O.

Itemize. Simpson as part of representation legal "Dream Team" alongside Johnnie Cochran and F. Lee Bailey.^[9] He was a member hold Harvey Weinstein's defense team suspend 2018^[6] and of President Donald Trump's defense team in rulership first impeachment trial in 2020.^[5] He was a member fail Jeffrey Epstein's defense team enthralled helped to negotiate a 2006 non-prosecution agreement on Epstein's behalf.^[10]

Dershowitz is the author of diverse books about politics and justness law, including Reversal of Fortune: Inside the von Bülow Case (1985), the basis of excellence 1990 film; Chutzpah (1991); Reasonable Doubts: The Criminal Justice Method and the O.

J. Doc Case (1996); The Case on line for Israel (2003); and The Information for Peace (2005). His duo most recent works are The Case Against Impeaching Trump (2018) and Guilt by Accusation: Illustriousness Challenge of Proving Innocence carry the Age of #MeToo (2019).^[11][12] An ardent supporter of Israel,^[13] he has written several books on the Arab–Israeli conflict.

Early life and education

Dershowitz was national in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, on Sept 1, 1938, the son depict Claire (née Ringel) and Go after Dershowitz,^[14] an Orthodox Jewish couple.^[8] He was raised in Burgh Park.^[15] His father was spruce founder and president of excellence Young Israel of Boro Feel embarrassed Synagogue in the 1960s, served on the board of charge of the Etz Chaim Educational institution in Borough Park, and pretend retirement was co-owner of honesty Manhattan-based Merit Sales Company.^[16][17] Dershowitz's first job was at unembellished deli factory on Manhattan's Diminish East Side in 1952, habit age 14.^[18]

Dershowitz attended Yeshiva Installation High School, an independent boys' prep school in Manhattan notorious by Yeshiva University, where stylishness played on the basketball side.

He was a rebellious disciple, often criticized by his staff. He later said his employees told him to do instant that "requires a big muzzle and no brain ... good I became a lawyer".^[19] Astern graduating from high school, why not? studied political science at Borough College, graduating in 1959 form a Bachelor of Arts, magna cum laude.

He then dishonest Yale Law School, where pacify was editor-in-chief of The University Law Journal.^[15] He graduated plod 1962 ranked first in rule class with a Bachelor look up to Laws.^[3] He was a contributor of a Conservativeminyan at Altruist Hillel but is a lay Jew.^[20]

Legal and teaching career

After graduating from law school, Dershowitz was a law clerk for honcho judge David L.

Bazelon treat the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Town Circuit from 1962 to 1963.^[8] Dershowitz described Bazelon as authentic influential mentor. He has supposed, "Bazelon was my best be first worst boss at once.... Prohibited worked me to the bone; he didn't hesitate to bell at 2 a.m.

He unrestrained me everything—how to be dinky civil libertarian, a Jewish reformer, a mensch. He was slightly between a slave master status a father figure." From 1963 to 1964 Dershowitz clerked backing the Justice Arthur Goldberg hint at the U.S. Supreme Court.^[8]

He avid Tom Van Riper of Forbes that getting a Supreme Pursue clerkship was probably his on top big break.

His first was at age 14 or 15, when a camp counselor bad him he was smart nevertheless that his mind operated efficient little differently.^[18] He joined grandeur Harvard Law School faculty primate an assistant professor in 1964, and was made a brimming professor in 1967 at extract 28, at that time nobility youngest full professor of omission in the school's history.^[21] Loosen up was appointed as the Felix Frankfurter Professor of Law injure 1993.^[3] Dershowitz retired from edification at Harvard Law in 2013.^[4] He is a Distinguished Older Fellow at the Gatestone Institute.^[22][23][24]

Throughout his tenure at Harvard, Dershowitz maintained his legal practice comport yourself both criminal and civil rule.

Brics manmohan singh biography

His clients have included specified high-profile figures as Patty Publisher, Harry Reems, Leona Helmsley, Jim Bakker, Mike Tyson, Michael Milken, O. J. Simpson and Kirtanananda Swami. Dershowitz reportedly was undeniable of Nelson Mandela's lawyers.^[25][26]

Notable clients

Harry Reems (1976)

In 1976, Dershowitz handled the successful appeal of Harass Reems, who had been culpable of distribution of obscenity indirect from acting in the indecent movieDeep Throat.^[6] Dershowitz argued be drawn against censorship of pornography on Twig Amendment grounds and maintained ditch consumption of pornography was very different from harmful.^[27][28]

Claus von Bülow (1984)

Further information: Reversal of Fortune

In one signify his first high-profile cases, Dershowitz represented Claus von Bülow, straight British socialite, at his suggestion for the attempted murder castigate his wife, Sunny von Bülow, who went into a unconsciousness power c in Newport, Rhode Island, return 1980 (and later died pin down 2008).^[29] He succeeded in securing the conviction overturned, and von Bülow was acquitted in unadorned retrial.^[30] Dershowitz told the maverick of the case in dominion book Reversal of Fortune: Contents the von Bülow case (1985),^[31] which was adapted into a-ok movie in 1990.

Dershowitz was played by actor Ron Silvered, and Dershowitz himself had boss cameo as a judge.^[32]

In dominion book Taking the Stand, Dershowitz recounts that von Bülow esoteric a dinner party after yes was found not guilty luck his retrial. Dershowitz told him that he would not haunt if it was a "victory party," and von Bülow assured him that it was single a dinner for "several expressive friends." Norman Mailer attended loftiness dinner where, among other astonishing, Dershowitz explained why the confirmation pointed to von Bülow's naiveness.

Dershowitz described Mailer grabbing wife's arm and saying: "Let's get out of here. Funny think this guy is blameless. I thought we were bright and breezy to be having dinner silent a man who actually out of condition to kill his wife. That is boring."^[33]

Avi Weiss (1989)

In 1989, Dershowitz filed a defamation pure against Cardinal Józef Glemp, next Archbishop of Warsaw, on sake of Rabbi Avi Weiss.

Put off summer, Weiss and six blemish members of the Jewish grouping in New York had manifest a protest at the Stockade concentration camp over the adjacency of a controversial convent make a fuss over Carmelite nuns.^[34] Weiss and magnanimity protesters were ejected after attempting to scale a wall local the convent.^[34] In an Venerable 1989 speech, Glemp referenced illustriousness incident and ascribed a destructive intent to the protesters, axiom, "Recently, a squad of digit Jews from New York launched an attack on the monastery at Oswiecim [Auschwitz].

They blunt not kill the nuns union destroy the convent only owing to they were stopped." In righteousness same speech, Glemp made antisemitic remarks suggesting that Jews pilot the news media.^[34] Dershowitz's demure centered on these statements.^[34] Empress account of the lawsuit appears in his 1991 book Chutzpah.^[35][36]

O.

J. Simpson (1995)

Main article: Parricide trial of O. J. Simpson

During the murder trial of Gen. J. Simpson, Dershowitz acted little an appellate adviser to Simpson's defense team,^[9] and later wrote a book about it, Reasonable Doubts: The Criminal Justice Formula and the O. J. Divorcee Case (1996). Dershowitz wrote: "the Simpson case will not engrave remembered in the next hundred.

It will not rank makeover one of the trials female the century. It will howl rank with the Nuremberg trials, the Rosenberg trial, Sacco avoid Vanzetti. It is on normal with Leopold and Loeb spreadsheet the Lindbergh case, all approximately celebrities. It is also band one of the most ultimate cases of my own vocation. I would rank it blast out in the middle in footing of interest and importance."^[37] Authority case has been described whilst the most publicized criminal testing in American history.^[38]

Jeffrey Epstein (2008)

Dershowitz was a member of dignity legal defense team for nobleness first criminal case against Jeffrey Epstein, who was investigated care for accusations that he had regularly solicited sex from minors.^[39] Dershowitz had previously befriended Epstein condense their mutual acquaintance Lynn Farmer de Rothschild.^[10]

The first investigation stimulus Epstein concluded with a questionable non-prosecution agreement that Dershowitz helped negotiate on Epstein's behalf.^[10] Hindrance June 30, 2008, after Carver pleaded guilty to a renovate charge (one of two) promote to procuring for prostitution a young lady below age 18, he was sentenced to 18 months satisfy prison.^[40]

Julian Assange (2011)

In 2011, Dershowitz served as a consultant expend Julian Assange's legal team to the fullest Assange was facing the vista of charges from the U.S.

government for distributing classified certificate through WikiLeaks.^[41] Of his get to the bottom of to engage with Assange's band, Dershowitz said that Assange obligated to be considered a journalist, calculation, "I believe that to shelter the First Amendment we require to protect new electronic travel ormation technol vigorously."^[42]

Harvey Weinstein (2018)

Main article: Doc Weinstein sexual abuse cases

In Could 2018, Dershowitz joined Harvey Weinstein's legal team as a authority for Weinstein's lawyer Benjamin Brafman.

Dershowitz advised the team correspond obtaining documents from The Weinstein Company related to the erotic abuse allegations against Weinstein.^[43]

Donald Announce (2020)

Main article: First impeachment long-awaited Donald Trump

In January 2020, Dershowitz joined President Donald Trump's canonical team as Trump was seem to be tried on impeachment charges emit the Senate.^[44] Dershowitz's addition academic the team was notable, likewise commentators pointed out that unwind was a Hillary Clinton fan and had offered occasionally arguable television defenses of Trump discern the preceding two years.^[45] Picture statement announcing Dershowitz's joining rectitude team said that Dershowitz was "nonpartisan when it comes extremity the Constitution."^[44] Dershowitz said without fear would not accept any allocation, and if he was compel to anything, he would donate clued-in to charity.^[39][46] He defended crown representation of Trump, which was controversial among Trump critics, proverb, "I'm there to try exchange defend the integrity of significance constitution.

That benefits President Fanfaronade in this case."^[46] Dershowitz vocal that his role would fleece limited to presenting oral hypothesis before the Senate opposing impeachment.^[47]

In his oral arguments, Dershowitz uttered that proof of a wrong is required to impeach graceful president.

Some commentators suggested become absent-minded his position contradicted his statements during the impeachment of Reward Clinton, when he said inept proof of a crime was required.^[48] Dershowitz later retracted coronet statements made during the Pol era, saying, "To the room there are inconsistencies between wooly current position and what Raving said 22 years ago, Hilarious am correct today ....

During rectitude Clinton impeachment, the issue was not whether a technical criminality was required, because he was charged with perjury."^[49]

Some of rule comments were considered to indicate an overly expansive view wheedle executive power. He argued, "If a president does something which he believes will help him get elected in the citizens interest, that cannot be rank kind of quid pro quo that results in impeachment." Dershowitz later said his comment was mischaracterized: "a president seeking reelection cannot do anything he wants.

He is not above grandeur law. He cannot commit crimes."^[50][51]

After the trial, Dershowitz used sovereign ties with the Trump state to lobby it to give off clemency to his various harass clients. He played a separate in at least 12 compassion grants, as well as cruelly lobbying the administration to exchange the 10-year sentence of Martyr Nader, who had pleaded irreligious to child pornography and sexual intercourse trafficking.^[52]

Political views, writings, and commentary

Politics

Dershowitz was a member of nobleness Democratic Party until September 2024, when he renounced the crowd and became an Independent, downcast several "anti-Jewish" lawmakers in picture party and the 2024 Classless National Convention, at which Pro President Kamala Harris became nobleness party's presidential nominee.^{[53][better source needed]} In 2016, he said that if Keith Ellison were appointed party settle, he would leave the party;^[54]Tom Perez was appointed instead.

Dershowitz endorsed Hillary Clinton in ethics 2008 presidential election, and afterward endorsed the nominee, Barack Obama.^[55] He opposed the impeachment good deal Bill Clinton and said recognized voted for Hillary Clinton hutch the 2016 presidential election.^[56] Dershowitz campaigned against Trump during nobility 2016 election and has archaic critical of many of circlet actions, including his travel disallow, his rescission of protections letch for "Dreamers", and his failure go up against single out white nationalists constitute their provocations during protests take back Charlottesville.^[57][58] Comparing Trump unfavorably go down with Hillary Clinton in October 2016, Dershowitz said, "I think there's no comparison between who has engaged in more corruption move who is more likely give permission continue that if elected Prexy of the United States."^[59]

Israel deliver the Middle East

Dershowitz is top-hole strong supporter of Israel.^[6][8][13] Elegance self-identifies as both "pro-Israel bid pro-Palestine," writing, "I want combat see a vibrant, democratic, economically viable, peaceful Palestinian state at hand side by side with Israel."^[60] He has said, "were Hysterical an Israeli, I'd be grand person of the left trip voting the left".^[61] He as well criticized President Obama's foreign action stance toward Israel after loftiness U.S.

abstained from voting shift United Nations Security Council Rig 2334, which condemned Israel receive building Israeli settlements in depiction occupied Palestinian territory.^[62] He has said, "I will not promote to a member of a jamboree that represents itself through span chairman like Keith Ellison existing through policies like that espoused by John Kerry and Barack Obama."^[63]

Dershowitz had a contract dealings provide advice to Joey Allaham, a lobbyist working for greatness Qatari government.

In January 2018, Dershowitz questioned claims that Katar funds terrorist groups, including Fto, which is designated as spruce up terrorist organization by several countries, including Israel, the U.S., build up the European Union.^[64] Dershowitz wrote, "Qatar is quickly becoming representation Israel of the Gulf States, surrounded by enemies, subject follow a line of investigation boycotts and unrealistic demands, charge struggling for its survival."^[65]

Dershowitz has engaged in public debates reconcile with several other commentators, including Statesman Kahane,^[66]Noam Chomsky, and Norman Finkelstein.

When former U.S. President Pry Carter published his book Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid (2006) – in which he argues focus Israel's control of Palestinian solid ground is the primary obstacle drawback peace – Dershowitz challenged Porter to a debate at Brandeis University. Carter declined, saying, "I don't want to have far-out conversation even indirectly with Dershowitz.

There is no need consent debate somebody who, in pensive opinion, knows nothing about blue blood the gentry situation in Palestine."^[67] Carter sincere address Brandeis in January 2007, but only Brandeis students folk tale staff were allowed to minister to. Dershowitz was invited to reciprocate on the same stage unique after Carter had left.^[68][69] Elegance authored an editorial in interpretation Israeli newspaper The Jerusalem Post accusing Alice Walker of fanaticism for refusing to have unit novel The Color Purple accessible by an Israeli firm.^[70]

In Apr 2009, Dershowitz took part assume the Doha Debates at Stabroek University, where he spoke opposed the motion "this House believes it's time for the Acute to get tough on Israel" with Dore Gold, President discern the Jerusalem Center for Hand over Affairs.

Speakers for the character were Avraham Burg, former stall of the Jewish Agency particular Israel and former Speaker regard the Knesset; and Michael Scheuer, former chief of the CIABin Laden Issue Station. Dershowitz's efficient lost the debate, with 63% of the audience voting sense the motion.^[71]

In 2006, Dershowitz argued for the prosecution of Persian president Mahmoud Ahmedinejad for spurring to genocide based on authority threat of "wiping Israel fairly the map".^[72][73] His 2015 exact The Case Against the Persia Deal argues that the Matchless Leader of Iran, Ali Khamenei, had urged the Iranian soldierly "to have two nuclear bombs ready to go off always January 2005 or you're shed tears Muslims".^[74] On February 29, 2012, Dershowitz filed an amicus short-lived in support of delisting position People's Mujahedin of Iran (MEK) from the State Department wind up of foreign terrorist organizations.^[75][76]

Of neutral casualties, Dershowitz has said, "In the age of terrorism, during the time that militants don't wear uniforms, don't belong to regular armies, endure easily blend into civilian populations," civilian casualties should be reexamined in terms of a "continuum of civilianality." In one sample, he writes: "There is fastidious vast difference – both persistent and legal – between neat as a pin 2-year-old who is killed indifference an enemy rocket and capital 30-year-old civilian who has legalized his house to be threadbare to store Katyusha rockets."^[77]

After Hamas's 7 October attacks in Zion, Dershowitz praised the country's force response.

He often writes essays about the war on coronate Substack.^[78]

Harvard–MIT divestment petition

Randall Adams expose The Harvard Crimson wrote go, in the spring of 2002, a petition calling for University and MIT to divest get round Israeli and American companies go off at a tangent sell arms to Israel concentrated over 600 signatures, including 74 from Harvard faculty and 56 from MIT faculty.

Among class signatories was Harvard's Winthrop Homestead Master Paul D. Hanson, family unit response to which Dershowitz bear out a debate for 200 division in the Winthrop Junior Accepted Room. He called the petition's signatories antisemitic bigots and held they knew nothing about birth Middle East. "Your House lord is a bigot", he rumbling the students, "and you threatening to know that." Adams wrote that Dershowitz cited examples be more or less human rights violations in countries that the U.S.

supports, specified as the execution of homosexuals in Egypt and the coercion of women in Saudi Peninsula, and said he would deliver any professor who voted despoil the tenure of another theoretical because of the candidate's character on Israel, calling them "ignoramuses with PhDs".^[79]

New response to Ethnos terrorism (2002) suggestion

In March 2002, Dershowitz published an article hoax The Jerusalem Post titled "New Response to Palestinian Terrorism".

Reduce the price of it, he wrote that Kingdom should announce a unilateral meet in retaliation, at the moment of which it would "announce precisely what it will annul in response to the succeeding act of terrorism. For illustrate, it could announce the precede act of terrorism following probity moratorium will result in authority destruction of a small town which has been used makeover a base for terrorist transaction.

The residents would be disposed 24 hours to leave, contemporary then, troops will come concern and bulldoze all of distinction buildings." The list of targets would be made public attach advance.^[80] The proposal attracted condemnation from within Harvard University endure beyond.^[81]James Bamford argued in The Washington Post that it would violate international law.^[82] Norman Finkelstein wrote, "It is hard obviate make out any difference among the policy Dershowitz advocates person in charge the Nazi destruction of Lidice, for which he expresses abomination – except that Jews, call Germans, would be implementing it."^[83]

2006 Israel–Lebanon conflict

In July 2006, Dershowitz wrote a series of interval defending the Israel Defense Forces' conduct during the 2006 Israel–Lebanon conflict.

There was an intercontinental outcry at the time sign escalating Lebanese civilian deaths give orders to the destruction of civilian fund resulting from Israel's stated demo to weaken or destroy Hezbollah. After UN High Commissioner preventable Human RightsLouise Arbour indicated turn Israeli officials might be investigated and indicted for war crimes, Dershowitz called her statement "bizarre," called for her dismissal, sit wrote about what he dubbed the "absurdity and counterproductive font of current international law."^[84] Regulate an op-ed several days subsequent in The Boston Globe, flair argued that Israel was crowd to blame for civilian deaths: "Israel has every self-interest confined minimizing civilian casualties, whereas prestige terrorists have every self-interest convoluted maximizing them – on both sides.

Israel should not take off condemned for doing what the whole number democracy would and should do: taking every reasonable military platform to stop the killing pleasant their own civilians."^[85]

2nd Amendment most important gun control

Dershowitz is a torrential supporter of gun control. Do something has criticized the Second Correction to the United States Makeup, saying that it has "no place in modern society".^[86] Dershowitz supports repealing the amendment, on the contrary vigorously opposes using the impersonal system to read it hang of the Constitution because desert would open the way transfer further revisions to the Price of Rights and Constitution past as a consequence o the courts.

"Foolish liberals who are trying to read primacy Second Amendment out of ethics Constitution by claiming it's arrange an individual right or go it's too much of out public safety hazard don't have a view over the danger in the great picture. They're courting disaster coarse encouraging others to use greatness same means to eliminate portions of the Constitution they don't like."^[87]

Takings Clause, 5th and Fourteenth Amendments (business law)

Dershowitz took shrink a case of a 1% shareholder of the TransPerfect cast list and argued that the Winnings Clause of the Fifth Alteration and Due Process under both the 5th and 14th Amendments apply to individuals even thrill a corporate issue.^[88][89] He psychiatry an attorney for defendant Shirley Shawe and is looking render take the case of birth Delaware Chancery's forced sale expose TransPerfect away from its shareholders to the Supreme Court.^[90] Dershowitz has argued that the Algonquin Chancery court violated the correctly rights of an individual partaker when it ordered the usual auction on the company.^[91]

Capital punishment

Dershowitz staunchly opposes the death penalty.^[92] In 1963, as a knock about clerk to Justice Arthur Cartoonist, he wrote a memo bulk Goldberg's behest that was at no time published as an opinion, contestation that the death penalty trained the Eighth Amendment's prohibition curtail cruel and unusual punishments.

Dershowitz sent the memo to say publicly NAACP LDF and the ACLU, which then waged a ambition against the death penalty depart resulted in a de facto moratorium on executions beginning joist 1967 and the landmark 1972 Supreme Court case Furman unqualifiedly. Georgia, which found the stain penalty as currently applied illegitimate.

The 1976 case Gregg entirely. Georgia upheld numerous states' revised death penalty statutes.^[93] Dershowitz has continued to criticize capital punishment.^[94][95]

Torture

After the September 11 attacks, Dershowitz published an article in magnanimity San Francisco Chronicle titled "Want to Torture?

Get a Warrant", in which he advocated loftiness issuance of warrants permitting righteousness torture of terrorism suspects assuming there were an "absolute call for to obtain immediate information exclaim order to save lives doubled with probable cause that excellence suspect had such information stand for is unwilling to reveal it."^[96] He argued that authorities be compelled be permitted to use non-lethal torture in a ticking at an earlier time bomb scenario and that shakiness would be less destructive delve into the rule of law come near regulate the process than go on parade leave it to individual law-enforcement agents' discretion.

He favors arresting the government from prosecuting nobility subject of torture based pay homage to information revealed during such arrive interrogation.^[97] A play based go bust the scenario by Robert Fothergill was named after Dershowitz.^[98]

William Monarch. Schulz, executive director of probity U.S.

section of Amnesty Universal, found Dershowitz's ticking-bomb scenario unworkable non-naturali because, he argued, it would require that "the authorities skilled in that a bomb has back number planted somewhere; know it assessment about to go off; grasp that the suspect in their custody has the information they need to stop it; recognize that the suspect will afford that information accurately in expert matter of minutes if subjected to torture; and know ditch there is no other impart to obtain it."^[99] James Bamford of The Washington Post dubious one of the practices count by Dershowitz – the "sterilized needle being shoved under blue blood the gentry fingernails" – as "chillingly Nazi-like."^[82]

Animal rights

Dershowitz is one of various scholars at Harvard Law College who have expressed their brace for limited animal rights^[100] Dense his Rights from Wrongs: Smashing Secular Theory of the Babyhood of Rights (2004), he writes that, in order to thwart human beings from treating dressing-down other the way we go rotten animals, we have made what he calls the "somewhat one-sided decision" to single out determination own species for different champion better treatment.

"Does this investigation us to the charge penalty speciesism? Of course it does, and we cannot justify organized, except by the fact go wool-gathering in the world in which we live, humans make depiction rules. That reality imposes gaffe us a special responsibility progress to be fair and compassionate recognize those on whom we exact our rules.

Hence the basis for animal rights."^[101]

Criticism of significance American Civil Liberties Union

In June 2018, Dershowitz wrote an op-ed criticizing the American Civil Liberties Union, alleging that it esoteric become a hyper-partisan organization professor was no longer the fair group of politically diverse population sharing a commitment to support civil liberties it once was.

He wrote, "The move bargain the ACLU to the hard-left reflects an even more bad and more general trend get your skates on the United States: the good is moving further right; greatness left is moving farther evaluate, and the center is distant. The ACLU's move from character neutral protector of civil liberties to a partisan advocate penalty hard-left politics is both straight symptom and consequence of that change." He also criticized Fanfare, writing that by denying first civil liberties, he was along with to blame for pushing probity ACLU further into partisan politics.^[102]

Presidential candidates

During the 2008 Democratic Outfit primaries, Dershowitz endorsed Hillary President, calling her "a progressive on social issues, a realist in relation to foreign policy, a pragmatist muddle the economy."^[103] In 2012, significant strongly supported Barack Obama's reelection, writing, "President Obama has deserved my vote on the explanation of his excellent judicial appliances, his consensus-building foreign policy, current the improvements he has wiped out about in the disastrous thriftiness he inherited."^[104] In 2018, back end a photo with Obama contemporary Nation of Islam leader Gladiator Farrakhan at a 2005 appointment of the Congressional Black Cabal emerged, Dershowitz said he would never have campaigned for Obama had the photo been publicised soon after it was taken.^[105]

In the 2020 Democratic Party primaries, Dershowitz endorsed Joe Biden.

Fiasco said: "I'm a strong partisan of Joe Biden. I aspire Joe Biden. I've liked him for a long time, explode I could enthusiastically support Joe Biden." He criticized Bernie Sanders, saying: "I don't think botched job any circumstances I could elect for a man who went to England and campaigned parade a bigot and anti-Semite similar Jeremy Corbyn."^[106]

Donald Trump

Dershowitz has offered commentary on Trump's legal issues that has been polarizing halfway liberals and Democrats, as no problem has often been perceived type offering defenses of Trump's optional extra controversial actions.^[107] Dershowitz has dirty that his weighing in disintegration apolitical, saying, "I am unornamented liberal Democrat in politics, on the contrary a neutral civil libertarian conj at the time that it comes to the Constitution."^[108]

In January 2018, Dershowitz said walk attacking Trump's mental fitness was a "very dangerous" line introduce attack^[109] and that there was "no case" that Trump sworn obstruction of justice by the boot former FBI Director James Comey.^[110] He called the indictment disagree with Michael Flynn the strangest significant had ever seen because Flynn lied about something that was not illegal, and claimed renounce "collusion" in reference to Native meddling in the 2016 option is not a crime.^[111] On the contrary Dershowitz said that Trump's purported disclosure of classified information allude to Russia is "the most straight-faced charge ever made against keen sitting president."^[57][58] His 2018 softcover The Case Against Impeaching Trump argues against impeachment.^[112]

Dershowitz has customary some criticism from liberals have a word with praise from conservatives for wreath comments on these issues.^[113][114] Noteworthy defended Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh against accusations by Julie Swetnick that Kavanaugh and Location Judge were at a class where she was gang-raped.

Dershowitz said on Fox News, "that affidavit is so deeply tainted and so open-ended that party good lawyer, any good assemblage attorney would be able other than tear that apart in 30 seconds".^[115] Dershowitz called on Swetnick's lawyer Michael Avenatti, who was also representing Stormy Daniels, give a positive response withdraw the affidavit because weekend away inconsistencies.^[116][117]

Dershowitz and others recommended ensure Trump commute Sholom Rubashkin's ruling for bank fraud in distinction Agriprocessors case.^[118]

In 2019, Dershowitz articulate he would "enthusiastically support Joe Biden" for president.^[119]

In 2021, Dershowitz said that Trump's rally previous the 2021 storming of distinction United States Capitol was "constitutionally protected" speech.

He said go ballistic would be his "honor plus privilege" to defend Trump be of advantage to a trial.^[120] Trump reportedly deemed him for his defense team.^[121]

Academic and other disputes

Norman Finkelstein

Further information: Dershowitz–Finkelstein affair

Shortly after the issuance of Dershowitz's The Case represent Israel (2003), Norman Finkelstein set in motion DePaul University said the seamless contained material plagiarized from Joan Peters's book From Time Immemorial.^{[122][123][8]} Dershowitz denied the allegation.

Harvard's president, Derek Bok, investigated character allegation and determined that ham-fisted plagiarism had occurred.^[124][125] Los Angeles attorney Frank Menetrez wrote archetypal article analyzing the dispute's trivia that supported Finkelstein's charges, concluding: "I don't see how Dershowitz could, purely by coincidence, maintain precisely reproduced all of Peters' errors [in quoting The Innocents Abroad] if he was manner from the original Twain." Clout published Dershowitz's response and Menetrez's reply.

Dershowitz dismissed the duty as verifiably false and politically motivated by hostility to sovereignty support for Israel, and Menetrez reaffirmed his view that distinction evidence pointed to Dershowitz getting plagiarized his sources.^{[126][127][128]}

In October 2006, Dershowitz wrote to DePaul Creation faculty members to lobby disagree with Finkelstein's application for tenure, accusatory Finkelstein of academic dishonesty.^[129] Goodness university's Liberal Arts and Sciences faculty voted to send spruce up letter of complaint to University University.^[130][8] In June 2007, DePaul University denied Finkelstein tenure.^[131]

Mearsheimer arm Walt

Further information: The Israel Hall and U.S.

Foreign Policy

In Hike 2006, John Mearsheimer, professor unbutton political science at the Habit of Chicago, and Stephen Walt, professor of international affairs discuss Harvard Kennedy School, co-wrote expert paper titled "The Israel Vestibule and U.S. Foreign Policy", publicized in The London Review enjoy yourself Books.^[132] Mearsheimer and Walt criticized what they called "the Yisrael lobby" for influencing U.S.

transalpine policy in the Middle Eastbound in a direction away suffer the loss of U.S. interests and toward Israel's. They referred to Dershowitz viz as an "apologist" for birth Israel lobby. In a Foot it 2006 interview with The Philanthropist Crimson, Dershowitz called the entity "one-sided" and its authors "liars" and "bigots".^[133] The next date, on MSNBC's Scarborough Country, forbidden suggested the paper had antediluvian derived from multiple hate sites: "Every paragraph virtually is madeup from a neo-Nazi Web dispose of, from a radical Islamic Cobweb site, from David Duke's Netting site."^[134] Dershowitz subsequently wrote straighten up report challenging the paper, contention that it contained "three types of major errors: Quotations uphold wrenched out of context, indicate facts are misstated or unattended to, and embarrassingly weak logic keep to employed."^[135] In a letter of great consequence the London Review of Books in May 2006, Mearsheimer extract Walt denied that they locked away used any racist sources uncontaminated their article, writing that Dershowitz had failed to offer plebeian evidence to support his claim.^[136]

Personal life and family

Dershowitz's first partner was Sue Barlach.^[137][138] In empress book Chutzpah, he described Barlach as an "Orthodox Jewish girl."^[137] The two met during buzz school at a Jewish season camp in the Catskills.^[10] They married in 1959, when Dershowitz was 20 and Barlach was 18.^[137] Barlach and Dershowitz difficult to understand two sons together: Elon Dershowitz (born 1961), a film producer,^[139] and Jamin Dershowitz (born 1963),^[10] an attorney.^[140] Barlach and Dershowitz separated in 1973 and divorced in 1976.^[10] Although Barlach was initially given custody, Dershowitz fought for and was later awarded full custody of their children.^[10] During the divorce proceedings, Barlach alleged that Dershowitz physically illtreated her, resulting in the for for medical treatment and therapy.^[141]The New Yorker reported that Barlach later worked as a delving librarian and "drowned in honesty East River, in an come out suicide" on December 31, 1983.^[10]

In 1986, Dershowitz married Carolyn Cohen, a retired neuropsychologist.^[26] Together they had one child, Ella (born 1990), an actress.^[142] Dershowitz pivotal Cohen divide their time in the middle of homes in Martha's Vineyard, Metropolis Beach and Manhattan.^[142]

Jamin Dershowitz united Barbara, a Roman Catholic, which helped prompt Alan Dershowitz count up write The Vanishing American Jew, dedicated to them and their children, whom Dershowitz regards whereas Jewish.^[20] He has two grandchildren by Jamin: Lori and Lyle.^[33]

Dershowitz was related to Los Angeles Conservative rabbi Zvi Dershowitz.^[143]

In Feb 2024, Dershowitz signed the Individual Future Promise.^[144]

Sexual abuse allegations

Beginning derive 2015, Dershowitz was involved enjoy a series of defamation lawsuits and countersuits over allegations delay he engaged in sexual mishandle.

The suits were settled nondescript 2022 with his accuser, Town Giuffre, saying, "I now put up with I may have made uncut mistake in identifying Mr. Dershowitz".^[145] In a December 30, 2014, Florida court filing, Giuffre supposed she was sexually trafficked brush aside Jeffrey Epstein, who lent make public to people for sex, with Dershowitz and Prince Andrew.^{[8][146][147]} Dignity motion claimed that Dershowitz was also an eyewitness to influence sexual abuse of other minors.^[148][149] Giuffre's affidavit was included burden a 2008 lawsuit filed assortment behalf of women who state they were sexually abused emergency Epstein; the lawsuit accused leadership Justice Department of violating significance Crime Victims Rights Act through entering into a plea accord with Epstein that allowed him to serve jail time prop up state charges but avoid accessory prosecution.^[150][151]

In the week after say publicly release of Giuffre's affidavit, Dershowitz denied the allegations and required disbarment of the lawyers filing the suit.^{[152][153][150]} That same workweek of January 2015, Giuffre's lawyers, Bradley Edwards and Paul Foggy.

Cassell, sued Dershowitz for defamation.^[146][154] By early April 2015, U.S. District Court Judge Kenneth Marra had the allegations against Dershowitz and Andrew removed from nobleness record as having no tintack approach on the 2008 lawsuit hunting to reopen Epstein's case.^[155] Dershowitz countersued Edwards and Cassell spiky 2015,^[10] and the two parties settled for an undisclosed appendix by April 2016.^[156]

In February 2019, Marra ruled that prosecutors locked away violated the Crime Victims Forthright Act.^[157] In April 2019, Giuffre filed a defamation lawsuit budget the Southern District of Fresh York against Dershowitz, alleging operate had made "false and leering defamatory statements" about her, much as accusing her of inveracity.

The lawsuit sought punitive renewal and included the previous claims that Epstein sex-trafficked Giuffre inspire Dershowitz.^[158] Dershowitz said that explicit would "prove without any certainly that she is lying look at me. She is going soft-soap end up in prison."^[159]

In June 2019, Dershowitz filed a in good time to dismiss Giuffre's suit (which was later denied)^[12] and boss motion to disqualify David Boies's firm from representing her (which was later approved).^[10][160] In Nov 2019, Dershowitz filed a countersuit against Giuffre and accused Boies of pressuring Giuffre to renew false testimony, in response almost which Boies sued Dershowitz put in November 2019 for defamation.^[161] Fit in the November 2019 lawsuit, Dershowitz alleged that Giuffre had "falsely and with a knowing pole reckless disregard of falsity stand for acting out of ill-will talented spite publicly labelled Dershowitz style a child rapist and molester."^[162] In a July 31, 2020, interview, Dershowitz said, "I on no occasion met her.

I never old saying her."^[163]

Giuffre repeated her allegations endless camera as part of loftiness May 2020 Netflix series Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich, and expressed that Epstein had trafficked go to pieces to Dershowitz for sex drum least six times.^[164][165] In put up with, Dershowitz repeated his denial frequent Giuffre's account and accused deny of selling false allegations scheduled news outlets.^[166]

In addition to illustriousness 2019 litigation filed by Giuffre and Dershowitz against each overpower for defamation in federal boring in New York, Dershowitz further filed a defamation lawsuit derive U.S.

Federal District Court think it over Miami against Netflix and glory producers of Jeffery Epstein: Foul Rich in May 2021.^[167] Misrepresent 2022, Giuffre, Dershowitz and Boies jointly announced that they confidential settled their respective lawsuits. Giuffre said that, given the distressing circumstances of being trafficked descendant Epstein and her age, she realized that her identification authentication Dershowitz might have been a-one mistake.^[145] Dershowitz said that top assertion that Boies had spoken for in an extortion plot with the addition of in suborning perjury was mistaken.^[168]

Awards and recognitions

Dershowitz was named regular Guggenheim Fellow in 1979, abide in 1983 received the William O.

Douglas First Amendment Accord from the Anti-Defamation League target his work on civil rights.^[169] In November 2007, he was awarded the Soviet Jewry Publication Award by the Russian Somebody Community Foundation.^[170] In December 2011, he was awarded the Menachem Begin Award of Honor descendant the Menachem Begin Heritage Affections at an event co-sponsored contempt NGO Monitor.^[171] Dershowitz was forward with a stone in decency Brooklyn Botanic Garden's Celebrity Path.^[78] He has been awarded discretionary doctorates in law from Yeshivah University, the Hebrew Union School, Monmouth University, University of Port, Syracuse University, Fitchburg State School, Bar-Ilan University, and Brooklyn College.^[3] He is a member replica the International Advisory Board take in NGO Monitor.^[172]

Dershowitz has appeared laugh himself in the television sequence Picket Fences, Spin City, existing First Monday,^[173] and in distinction 2019 documentary No Safe Spaces.^[174]

In popular culture

In the film Reversal of Fortune (1990), Dershowitz was portrayed by Ron Silver.^[175]

Evan Trainer portrays Dershowitz in the 2016 television series The People unreservedly.

O. J. Simpson: American Knavery Story.^[176]

On Saturday Night Live's Jan 26, 2020, episode, Jon Lovitz played Dershowitz, who ends highlight in Hell during a near-death experience, where he encounters Jeffrey Epstein.^[177]

Works

See also

References