Alan M. Dershowitz, LLB Biography
- Title:
- Felix Frankfurter Professor of Law at Harvard Law School
- Position:
- Con to the question "Should the Words “under God” Be in the US Pledge of Allegiance?"
- Reasoning:
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“It worries me when we become like the Taliban. When we think we must be on the side of God. What about those of us who do not believe in a Supreme Being? Aren’t we good Americans? Can we accept a pledge that makes us accept a belief that not all of us subscribe to?…
Asking an atheist or an agnostic to pledge under God is exactly the same as asking us to pledge under Jesus. I as strongly reject the concept of God as I reject the concept of Jesus.”
Quoted in Ken Gewertz, “Heavyweights Battle over the Pledge of Allegiance,” Harvard University Gazette, Sep. 26, 2002
- Involvement and Affiliations:
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- Felix Frankfurter Professor of Law, Harvard Law School, 1993-present
- Recipient, The Soviet Jewry Freedom Award, Russian Jewish Community Foundation, 2007
- Appellate Advisor, defense, O.J. Simpson’s murder trial, 1995
- Professor of Law, Harvard Law School, 1967-1993
- Criminal Appellate Lawyer, conviction overturn of Claus von Bülow, 1984
- Recipient, William O. Douglas First Amendment Award for “compassionate eloquent leadership and persistent advocacy in the struggle for civil and human rights,” 1983
- Recipient, William O. Douglas First Amendment Award, Anti-Defamation League (ADL), 1983
- Recipient, Guggenheim Fellowship, 1979
- Recipient, Honorary Doctorates in Law from Yeshiva University, Hebrew Union College, Monmouth College, University of Haifa, and Bar-Ilan University
- Honored, New York Criminal Bar Association, for “outstanding contribution as a scholar and dedicated defender of human rights”
- Assistant Professor of Law, Harvard Law School, 1964-1967
- Clerk, US Supreme Court, Associate Justice Arthur Goldberg, 1963-1964
- Clerk, US Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, Chief Judge David L. Bazelon, 1962-1963
- Former Editor-in-Chief, Yale Law Journal
- Education:
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- LLB, Yale Law School, 1962
- AB, Brooklyn College, 1959
- Attended Yeshiva University High School
- Other:
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- Born: Sep. 1, 1938, Brooklyn, NY
- Author of two novels: Just Revenge, 1999, and The Advocate’s Devil, 1994
- Testified as a witness against President Clinton’s impeachment before the US House of Representatives Committee on the Judiciary, 1998
- Former host of Dershowitz!, a syndicated radio talk show
- Recipient, Freedom of Speech Award, National Association of Radio Talk Show Hosts, 1996
- Named a Father of the Year by the National Father’s Day Committee, 1991
- Recipient, Golden Plate Award, 1991
- Visiting Professor of Law, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel, 1988
- Named John F Kennedy Memorial Fellowship, Fulbright New Zealand, 1987
- Married to Carolyn Cohen, PhD (psychology)
- At age 28, became the youngest full professor in Harvard Law School’s history, 1967
- Former high school varsity basketball player
- Quoted in: