HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_017092.jpg

4.2.12
WC: 191694

was privileged to have participated in many of the most intriguing and important cases and
controversies of our era.
The law has changed considerably over the past half century. I have not only observed and
written about these changes, I have helped to bring some of them about through my litigation, my
writing and my teaching. This book presents an account of these changes and of my participation
in the cases that precipitated them. It is also an account of one man’s intellectual and ideological
development during a dramatic century of world, American, and Jewish history, enriched with
anecdotes and behind-the-scenes stories from my life and the lives of those I have encountered.

An autobiographer is like a defendant who takes the stand at his own trial. We all have the right
to remain silent, both in life and in law. But if one elects to bear witness about his own life, then
he or she must tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. This commitment to
complete candor is subject only to limited privileges such as those between a lawyer and a client,
or a husband and a wife. A witness may be questioned not only about his actions, but also about
his motivations, his feelings, his biases, and his regrets. In this autobiography, I intend to comply
with these rules to the best of my ability.

Why then have I waived my privilege of silence and decided to write this autobiography: because
I have lived the passion of my times and participated in some of the most transforming, legal and
political events of the past half century. In this autobiography, I will describe and explain my role
in litigating cases and advocating causes that have changed the political and legal landscape—for
better or worse. I will also explain how I litigate difficult cases—the tactics and strategies I have
successfully developed over the years. My oath of honesty makes it impossible to hide behind the
false modesty that often denies the readers of autobiographies an accurate picture of the impact an
author has had on events.

Since you’re reading these words, you’ve probably encountered the public Alan
Dershowitz—confrontational, unapologetic, brash, tough, argumentative, and uncompromising.
Those who know me well—family, friends, and colleagues—hardly recognize the “character” I
play on TV [alternative: my TV persona]. They tell me in my personal life, I shy away from
confrontation and am something of a pushover. My son Elon says that when people bring me up
in conversation, he can instantly tell whether they know me from TV or from personal
interactions—whether they know what he calls “The Dersh Character” or “the real Alan.”

This sharp dichotomy between my public and private personas was brought home to me quite
dramatically, when a major motion picture, Reversal of Fortune, was made about my role in the
Claus Von Bulow case, and a character, based on me, was played by Tony Award actor Ron
Silver. The New York Times asked me to write an article for the arts and entertainment section
on how it feels to watch someone play you on the big screen.

The opening scene of the film had my character playing an energetic basketball game with
himself—true enough. But when he’s interrupted by a phone call giving him the news that he had
lost a case involving two brothers on death row (the Tison brothers, see Chapter 12), he smashes
the phone on the pavement.

5

HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_017092