Alan Dershowitz
Born 1938 · Age 87
American lawyer, criminal appellate attorney, author, and longtime Harvard Law professor known for high‑profile defenses, writings on constitutional law, and advocacy for Israel.
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Life & Career Timeline
Born in Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Born to Claire (née Ringel) and Harry Dershowitz in Williamsburg, Brooklyn; raised in Borough Park in an Orthodox Jewish family.
First job at deli factory
Worked at a deli factory on Manhattan's Lower East Side — his first job, at about age 14.
Graduated Yeshiva University High School (approx.)
Completed secondary education at Yeshiva University High School (approximate year based on subsequent college enrollment).
Graduated Brooklyn College, BA magna cum laude
Earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science from Brooklyn College, graduating magna cum laude.
Married Sue (Susan) Barlach
Married Sue Barlach, whom he met at a Jewish summer camp; they later had two sons.
Graduated Yale Law School LLB (ranked first)
Received Bachelor of Laws from Yale Law School, editor-in-chief of The Yale Law Journal, graduated first in class.
Clerked for Judge David L. Bazelon
Served as law clerk to Chief Judge David L. Bazelon, U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit (1962–1963).
Authored memo opposing death penalty (for Justice Goldberg)
At Justice Arthur Goldberg's behest as a clerk, wrote a memo arguing that the death penalty violated the Eighth Amendment; later circulated to NAACP LDF and ACLU.
Clerked for Justice Arthur J. Goldberg
Served as law clerk to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Arthur Goldberg (1963–1964); cited by Dershowitz as a major mentor.
Joined Harvard Law School faculty (assistant professor)
Joined Harvard Law School faculty as an assistant professor; began a teaching career that would span nearly five decades.
Granted tenure; youngest full professor at Harvard Law
Promoted to full professor at Harvard Law School at age 28 — the youngest full professor of law in Harvard's history at the time.
Argued I Am Curious (Yellow) free-speech case (Supreme Court)
Represented a Boston theater owner in appeals relating to the film I Am Curious (Yellow); succeeded before court of appeals and the Supreme Court (per Britannica mention).
Separated from first wife Sue Barlach
Separated from Sue Barlach; divorce followed in 1976.
Divorced Sue Barlach; awarded custody
Divorced first wife (divorce finalized in 1976); Dershowitz later was awarded full custody of their two children after litigation.
Won appeal for Harry Reems (Deep Throat)
Successfully handled the appeal that overturned actor Harry Reems's conviction for distribution of obscenity (1976).
Awarded Guggenheim Fellowship
Named a Guggenheim Fellow for work on human rights.
Published The Best Defense
Published one of his early popular books on criminal defense and law.
Received William O. Douglas First Amendment Award (ADL)
Awarded by the Anti-Defamation League for his civil rights work.
Won appeal for Claus von Bülow
Achieved reversal of von Bülow's conviction for attempted murder; von Bülow was later acquitted at retrial.
Published Reversal of Fortune
Authored Reversal of Fortune: Inside the von Bülow Case, recounting the von Bülow appeal.
Film Reversal of Fortune released; Dershowitz portrayed
The 1990 film Reversal of Fortune was released based on his book; Ron Silver portrayed Dershowitz and Dershowitz had a cameo.
Published Chutzpah
Published Chutzpah, a bestseller and well-known popular work on law and society.
Appointed Felix Frankfurter Professor of Law
Named the Felix Frankfurter Professor of Law at Harvard Law School, a chaired professorship.
Appellate adviser on O. J. Simpson defense (Dream Team)
Served as appellate adviser on the high-profile O. J. Simpson murder trial as part of the 'Dream Team'.
Published Reasonable Doubts (O. J. Simpson book)
Published Reasonable Doubts: The Criminal Justice System and the O. J. Simpson Case (1996).
Published The Vanishing American Jew
Published The Vanishing American Jew: In Search of Jewish Identity for the Next Century.
Staged debate about Harvard/MIT divestment petition
Organized and spoke at a debate opposing a petition calling for Harvard/MIT divestment from companies selling arms to Israel (spring 2002); engaged students and faculty.
Published 'New Response to Palestinian Terrorism' (op-ed)
Authored a controversial Jerusalem Post article proposing harsh preannounced responses to future terrorist acts; generated widespread criticism.
Published The Case for Israel
Published The Case for Israel, a prominent book defending Israeli policies and arguments.
Published The Case for Peace
Published The Case for Peace: How the Arab-Israeli Conflict Can be Resolved.
Helped negotiate non-prosecution agreement for Jeffrey Epstein (reported)
Reportedly assisted in negotiating a 2006 non-prosecution agreement on behalf of Jeffrey Epstein in the first major criminal investigation.
Published articles defending Israel during Israel–Lebanon conflict
Wrote a series of opinion pieces in July 2006 defending IDF conduct during the 2006 Israel–Lebanon conflict and criticizing international probes.
Received Soviet Jewry Freedom Award
Awarded the Soviet Jewry Freedom Award by the Russian Jewish Community Foundation (November 2007).
Jeffrey Epstein pleaded guilty and sentenced
Epstein pleaded guilty to state prostitution-related charges and was sentenced to 18 months; Dershowitz's role in the prior NPA became a subject of future scrutiny.
Public record milestone: 13 of 15 murder/attempted-murder appeals won (as of 2009)
Reported that as of 2009 he had won 13 of the 15 murder and attempted murder cases he handled as a criminal appellate lawyer.
Consultant for Julian Assange legal team
Served as a consultant for Julian Assange's legal team regarding potential U.S. charges for distributing classified documents; argued for First Amendment protections for new media.
Menachem Begin Award of Honor
Awarded the Menachem Begin Award of Honor by the Menachem Begin Heritage Center (December 2011).
Published Taking the Stand (autobiography)
Published Taking the Stand: My Life in the Law (autobiography) with Crown/Random House.
Retired from teaching at Harvard Law School
Retired from Harvard Law School after teaching there from 1964 to 2013; became Felix Frankfurter Professor of Law, Emeritus.
Began legal fights and defamation countersuits re: Epstein allegations
From 2015 onward engaged in defamation lawsuits and countersuits concerning allegations linking him to sexual misconduct with Jeffrey Epstein; litigation continued for years.
Published The Case Against Impeaching Trump
Published The Case Against Impeaching Trump, arguing against impeachment proceedings on legal grounds.
Joined Harvey Weinstein defense team (consultant)
Joined Harvey Weinstein's legal team as a consultant to assist in obtaining documents and strategy (May 2018).
Published Guilt by Accusation
Published Guilt by Accusation: The Challenge of Proving Innocence in the Age of #MeToo (2019).
Joined President Trump's impeachment defense team
Joined President Donald Trump's legal team for his first impeachment trial in the Senate; publicly said he would not accept compensation for the work.
Settled defamation suits with Virginia Giuffre (Epstein-related)
Defamation suits and countersuits related to Epstein allegations were settled in 2022; Giuffre issued a statement acknowledging she might have made a mistaken identification.
Active public commentary and publications
Continued to publish op-eds and columns in major outlets (Wall Street Journal, etc.) and to write and mail newsletters about Israel and legal issues (HLS lists multiple 2024 pieces).
Renounced Democratic Party; became Independent
Announced departure from the Democratic Party and registration as an Independent, citing objections to certain party figures and the 2024 convention.
Alleged threats and public dispute at Martha's Vineyard market (reported)
Reported (2025) confrontation with a pierogi seller at a Martha's Vineyard farmers' market tied to disputes over his Epstein connections; he threatened a lawsuit and called the behavior antisemitic (as reported).
Reported claims about Epstein list confidentiality
Reported claim (2025) that he is aware of names associated with an Epstein list but is bound by confidentiality; drew calls for accountability from victims' lawyers.
Recognitions: honorary degrees and honors (cumulative)
Has been awarded honorary doctorates from Yeshiva Univ., Hebrew Union College, Monmouth Univ., Univ. of Haifa, Syracuse Univ., Fitchburg State, Bar-Ilan Univ., Brooklyn College; stone in Brooklyn Botanic Garden Celebrity Path; board/advisory roles including NGO Monitor.
Key Achievement Ages
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