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Alan Dershowitz

Alan Dershowitz Quotes

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Alan Dershowitz is a renowned American lawyer, author, and scholar, born on September 1, 1938. He is highly respected in the legal community and has served as a professor at Harvard Law School. Dershowitz has been involved in several high-profile cases as a defense attorney.

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Famous Alan Dershowitz Quotes

“When it comes to partisan politics, everyone is a hypocrite. And all they care about is whether it hurts or helps them ... Is it good or bad for the Democrats? Is it good or bad for the Republicans? Is it good or bad for Jews, or good or bad for blacks, or is it good or bad for women? Is it good or bad for men? Is it good or bad for gays? That's the way people think about issues today. There is very little discussion of enduring principles.”

People Thinking Men Helping Care Today Hurt Republican Gay Democrat Endure Jew Discussion It Hurts Hypocrite

Author:Alan Dershowitz

“I have made a career out of arguing that we shouldn't be criminalizing political differences. I've made a career out of arguing that the grand jury is an abusive institution. I have made a career out of arguing that we shouldn't stretch and expand the criminal law. I'm not going to change it because you think these are abnormal times. When Thomas Jefferson told the Justice Department that they had to prosecute Aaron Burr, and that he was going to have the chief justice impeached unless he found Aaron Burr guilty, those were special times too.”

Thinking Political Justice Special Arguing Guilty Jury Abusive Criminal Law

Author:Alan Dershowitz

“That's when civil liberty suffers - when we think special times justify the diminution of civil liberties. And I'm not going to accept that.”

Thinking Suffering Liberty Accepting Special Justify Civil Liberties

Author:Alan Dershowitz

“I think that lawyers are terrible at admitting that they're wrong. And not just admitting it; also realizing it. Most lawyers are very successful, and they think that because they're making money and people think well of them, they must be doing everything right.”

People Thinking Wells Realizing Successful Terrible Lawyer Making Money Admitting

Author:Alan Dershowitz

“I think that lawyers are terrible at admitting that they're wrong. And not just admitting it - also realizing it.”

Thinking Realizing Terrible Lawyer Admitting

Author:Alan Dershowitz

“I've thought hard about my psychological connections and I think I've managed to separate out the psychological from the legal, moral, and political.”

Thinking Hard Political Moral Connections Psychological

Author:Alan Dershowitz

“I think extremists within the base may very well move the Democratic party away from its pro-Israel position.”

Thinking Wells May Moving Party Position Democratic Israel Democratic Party Extremist

Author:Alan Dershowitz

“I think there would be less torture with a warrant requirement than without one.”

Thinking Would Be Torture Requirements Warrants

Book:Why Terrorism Works: Understanding the Threat, Responding to the Challenge

Source: Why Terrorism Works: Understanding the Threat, Responding to the Challenge

“I think we're seeing privacy diminish, not by laws... but by young people who don't seem to value their privacy.”

People Thinking Seems Law Young Values Seeing Privacy Diminish

Author:Alan Dershowitz

“The worst mistake you can make is underrating your enemy. Assuming that they're evil - I think it's a terrible thing to do.”

Thinking Evil Mistake Enemy Worst Terrible Assuming Things To Do Terrible Things

Author:Alan Dershowitz

“I think mistakes are the essence of science and law. It's impossible to conceive of either scientific progress or legal progress without understanding the important role of being wrong and of mistakes.”

Thinking Important Law Understanding Mistake Roles Progress Impossible Essence Being Wrong Scientific Progress

Author:Alan Dershowitz

“You can't think about terrorism without thinking about Palestinian terrorism. Palestinians began international terrorism. It started with them in 1968. They used it as the first resort, not the last resort. They invented it, they perfected it, they benefited from it and they taught the world how to use it and that it would be successful.”

Thinking World Firsts Use Would Be Lasts Used Successful Taught International Terrorism Being Successful Palestinian Resorts International Terrorism

Author:Alan Dershowitz

“I can't find anything in the Constitution that says you prefer the life of the mother, or the convenience of the mother if it's an abortion by choice, over the potential life of the fetus. Look, I think women, if they're required to not have abortions, could die and could - so I favor a woman's right to choose.”

Ifs Thinking Looks I Can Mother Dies Choices Constitution Favors Abortion Convenience Fetus

Author:Alan Dershowitz

“I don't think the law exists to arrive at the truth. If it did, we wouldn't have exclusionary rules, we wouldn't have presumptions of innocence, we wouldn't have proof beyond reasonable doubt. There's an enormous difference between the role of truth in law and the role of truth in science. In law, truth is one among many goals.”

Ifs Thinking Law Goal Differences Roles Doubt Truth Is Proof Enormous Innocence Reasonable In-laws Presumption Reasonable Doubt Presumption Of Innocence Beyond A Reasonable Doubt

Author:Alan Dershowitz

“I think we have to give religion its due. I think we have to respect those for whom religion is important, but equally respect those who can achieve good morality without religion.”

Thinking Giving Important Achieve Morality Dues Good Moral

Author:Alan Dershowitz

“I think most defense attorneys honestly believe the principle that says, 'Better 10 guilty go free than even one possibly innocent person be convicted.”

Thinking Believe Persons Principles Defense Honestly Innocent Guilty Attorney Innocent Person Defense Attorneys

Author:Alan Dershowitz