Alan Dershowitz

Alan Dershowitz is an American lawyer, legal scholar, and author who taught at Harvard Law School and represented high-profile clients in criminal and constitutional cases.

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Harvard Law School: Harvard University’s law school, founded in 1817 and based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Dershowitz taught there for decades and became one of its best-known professors.
Criminal defense: Legal representation for people accused of crimes, including challenges to prosecution evidence and procedure. Dershowitz built a major part of his public career defending criminal defendants.
United States Constitution: The supreme law of the United States, establishing the federal government and protecting specified rights. Many of Dershowitz’s public arguments turn on the Constitution’s text and interpretation.
Plea bargain: An agreement in which a defendant pleads guilty in exchange for concessions from the prosecution. Dershowitz’s role in negotiating Epstein’s non-prosecution agreement became a focus of public criticism.
Jeffrey Epstein: An American financier and convicted sex offender whose criminal cases drew international attention. Dershowitz represented Epstein in a 2006 Florida investigation and later faced allegations he denied.
Impeachment in the United States: The constitutional process by which the House impeaches federal officials and the Senate conducts a trial. He argued before the Senate in Trump’s first impeachment trial as part of the president’s defense team.
Due process: Legal protections requiring fair procedures when government deprives a person of life, liberty, or property. His defenses of accused people often invoke procedural fairness and constitutional protections.
First Amendment to the United States Constitution: The constitutional amendment protecting freedoms including speech, religion, press, assembly, and petition. Dershowitz has invoked free-speech protections in arguments about political expression and public controversy.
O. J. Simpson murder case: The 1994–1995 criminal trial in which O. J. Simpson was acquitted of murdering Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman. Dershowitz joined Simpson’s defense team as a legal adviser.
Constitutional law: The body of law governing the interpretation and application of a constitution. Dershowitz’s advocacy and scholarship frequently focus on constitutional rights and powers.