The Limelight and Alan Dershowitz
Alan Dershowitz is an American lawyer and academic, who has been involved in some of the most iconic legal battles of our time. His involvement in controversial cases has led to him becoming one of the first people to attain celebrity status in law and has subjected him to harsh criticism and accusations of hypocrisy. Dershowitz first came into limelight in 1976, when he defended censorship in pornography citing the First Amendment, which sent shock-waves across a much more conservative the United States than we see today.
For the next two decades, Dershowitz took the lead in the defence of multiple upper-class public figures including Claus Von Bulow, Jozef Glamp and Mike Barnicle from cases that ranged from defamation to attempted murder. Perhaps the most renowned work of Dershowitz involves his role in the defence of O.J. Simpson, which many believe was integral to his famous acquittal. Despite the case being the most advertised criminal case in the history of America, Dershowitz has, on multiple occasions claimed that it is not one of the most famous cases of his career. It pushed him into the limelight like nothing before, as the strategy of the defence created racial tensions and led to the acquittal of a man, who many now believe was guilty.
Dershowitz’s most famous or infamous trials in the 21st century include his defence of sex criminals- Jeffery Epstein and Harvey Weinstein. However, perhaps the second most publicized and renowned work of Dershowitz involved his defence of President Donald Trump, after he was impeached by the House of Representatives. To save his declining public image, he decided to donate all earnings from the Trump Impeachment Trial to charity and claimed on multiple appearances that his involvement in the trial was restricted to upholding the constitutional integrity of the United States. However, he continued to face flak and be in the center of criticism for his hypocrisy and his defence of Donald Trump.
Dershowitz has been a life-long member of the Democratic Party and has deemed Donald Trump as a threat to the security of the United States. His defence of the President despite his political leanings shows Dershowtiz’s knack of staying in the limelight and at the center of controversy. Beyond his involvement in celebrity cases, Dershowitz is celebrated in the legal community for his works as a writer, a Harvard Law School Professor and his expertise in the Israeli- Arab Conflict.
