Flint Memorial Library (North Reading)

Taking the stand, my life in the law, Alan Dershowitz

eng

Includes bibliographical references and index

autobiography

illustrations

index present

non fiction

Taking the stand

bibliography

849740874

Alan Dershowitz

my life in the law

Alan Dershowitz has been called the "winningest appellate criminal defense lawyer in history." He has led or been part of the defense team for such storied clients as Bill Clinton, Julian Assange, O. J. Simpson, Claus von Bülow, Mia Farrow, Jeffrey MacDonald, Patty Hearst, Mike Tyson, and many more. Here, for the first time, Dershowitz writes about his evolution as a lawyer--how within a few short years he changed from a C-minus student in Yeshiva High School to become the youngest full professor in the history of Harvard Law School. He describes his formative years as a clerk for the United States Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court. He discusses the evolution of his thinking over the years as he tackles the subtleties of censorship and the limits of First Amendment law, the ongoing tension between individual freedom and national security, the evolution of civil rights, and why the abortion rights debate hasn't moved forward since Roe v. Wade. Filled with unforgettable cases and vignettes, Taking the Stand is a deeply personal account of one of the legendary legal minds of our time.--From publisher description

Born and religiously educated in Brooklyn -- My secular education -- My clerkships -- Beginning my life as an academic -- The evolution of the First Amendment -- Direct and vicarious "offensiveness" of obscenity -- Disclosure of secrets -- Expressions that incite violence and disrupt speakers -- The right to falsify history and science -- Defamation and privacy -- Speech that "supports" terrorist groups -- Life intrudes on law -- "Death is different" -- The death penalty for those who don't kill -- Using science, law, logic, and experience to disprove murder -- Death, politics, religion, and international intrigue -- Death cases from the classroom to the courtroom and from the courtroom to the classroom -- The changing politics of rape -- The changing impact of the media on the law -- The changing face of race -- The crumbling wall between church and state -- From human rights to human wrongs