1 Who is Alan Dershowitz? Narrated by MK Paulsen
12 feb 2020
What do O.J. Simpson, Jeffrey Epstein, and Donald Trump have in common? Lawyer Alan Dershowitz. Here’s how this former Harvard law prof, who once argued that the age of consent should be 15, became the most famous devil’s advocate. 🎙Narrated by: MK Paulsen
» Sign up for our newsletter KnowThis to get the biggest stories of the day delivered straight to your inbox: https://go.nowth.is/KnowThis
Meet Alan Dershowitz, an elite former Harvard Law professor and perhaps the most famous devil’s advocate in U.S. history. He’s defended in court people like O.J. Simpson, Harvey Weinstein, Jeffrey Epstein and President Donald J. Trump during the recent impeachment trial. But who is he?
Alan Dershowitz was born in Williamsburg, Brooklyn in 1938 to an orthodox Jewish couple.
In 1959, he was off to Yale Law School. Dershowitz was editor-in-chief of the Yale Law Journal and graduated at the top of his class. After school, he clerked for two liberal judges before becoming the youngest tenured law professor in Harvard’s history at 28 years-old. He retired from Harvard in 2014, but it’s unclear how much time he actually spent there, because he was frequently in a courtroom, going to bat for accused murderers and rapists. And recently a one time kids choice award nominee.
Dershowitz’s first high-profile client was Claus Von Bulow, a Danish-British socialite who had been convicted of trying to kill his wife, Sunny, by injecting her with insulin. She was left in a decades long coma and never came out of it. In 1982, Von Bulow hired Dershowitz to appeal the conviction. Dershowitz argued that Sunny might have caused her own coma as a result of an addiction to pills and alcohol. Dershowitz’s work overturned the conviction and Von Bulow was acquitted
In 1993, Dershowitz defended famous boxer and soon-to-be ear connoisseur Mike Tyson in his rape case. Tyson was convicted of raping an 18 year-old beauty pageant contestant, who he met at a rehearsal for the Miss Black America pageant. But despite Dershowitz’s efforts to free Tyson, the conviction stood.
In perhaps the most highly publicized case of his career, Dershowitz served as an appellate advisor to O.J. Simpson’s defense team in 1995. Dershowitz helped get O.J. acquitted of the alleged killing, of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown, and her friend Ron Goldman.
After successfully integrating O.J. back into society, Dershowitz came to bat for uber wealthy alleged pedofile and sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein in 2008. The pair first met in 1996 and Dershowitz quickly integrated into Epstein’s “collection” of famous friends, including Harvey Weinstein, the Clintons, and Donald Trump.
In 2018, Dershowitz went to work on behalf of accused sexual abuser Harvey Weinstein and then, in what appears to be a lateral move, Dershowitz joined former American game show host Donald Trump’s legal team for the impeachment process. Fighting for the innocence of Trump, who allegedly held military aid from Ukraine in exchange for dirt on the Bidens, Dershowitz was once again in contentious territory. But thanks to Mitch McConnell and the republican controlled senate, he didn’t have to work very hard.
Dershowitz has made millions of dollars by seemingly abandoning his conscience and ruthlessly defending the innocence of ultra wealthy people who’ve landed in egregious legal trouble. But playing the devil’s advocate has its costs and Dershowitz’s image has been tarnished in turn. But somewhere along the way, it seems he may have become the devil he was advocating for.
Watch this episode of Who Is? for the full biography on Alan Dershowitz and learn how he got involved with Trump, Epstein, O.J. Simpson, and Harvey Weinstein.
2 Who Is Alan Dershowitz? Narrated by Margaret Cho
6 dec 2021
From O. J. Simpson and Donald Trump to Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, Alan Dershowitz has spent most of his career defending the ultra-wealthy who’ve landed in egregious legal trouble. Here’s how he went from teaching law at Harvard to becoming one of the most infamous lawyers in U.S. history. Narrated by Margaret Cho
Alan M. Dershowitz is a prominent American lawyer, legal scholar, and author known for his work in civil liberties, constitutional law, and criminal law. Here are some key points about him:
Legal Career: Alan Dershowitz has had a distinguished legal career spanning several decades. He served as a professor of law at Harvard Law School for over 50 years, where he taught courses on criminal law, civil liberties, and constitutional law.
Famous Cases: Dershowitz has been involved in numerous high-profile cases throughout his career, both as a defense attorney and as a legal commentator. Perhaps his most famous case was his role in the defense of O.J. Simpson during his 1995 murder trial.
Civil Liberties Advocate: Dershowitz is known for his staunch defense of civil liberties and individual rights. He has been involved in cases related to freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and the rights of the accused.
Authorship: Dershowitz is a prolific author, having written numerous books on legal topics, politics, and contemporary issues. Some of his notable works include “The Case for Israel,” “The Best Defense,” and “Rights from Wrongs: A Secular Theory of the Origins of Rights.”
Legal Commentary: Dershowitz is a frequent commentator on legal and political issues, often appearing in the media to provide analysis and commentary on current events. He has appeared on television programs such as CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC, and has written opinion pieces for major newspapers and magazines.
Controversies: Dershowitz’s views and actions have sometimes sparked controversy. He has been criticized for his defense of unpopular clients and for his positions on issues such as torture and the use of drones in warfare. He has also faced allegations of sexual misconduct, which he has vehemently denied.
Academic Contributions: In addition to his legal practice and writing, Dershowitz has made significant contributions to legal scholarship. He has published articles in leading law journals and has been recognized for his expertise in areas such as criminal law and appellate advocacy.
