Letters to a Young LawyerAs defender of both the righteous and the questionable, Alan Dershowitz has become perhaps the most famous and outspoken attorney in the land. Whether or not they agree with his legal tactics, most people would agree that he possesses a powerful and profound sense of justice. In this meditation on his profession, Dershowitz writes about life, law, and the opportunities that young lawyers have to do good and do well at the same time. We live in an age of growing dissatisfaction with law as a career, which ironically comes at a time of unprecedented wealth for many lawyers. Dershowitz addresses this paradox, as well as the uncomfortable reality of working hard for clients who are often without many redeeming qualities. He writes about the lure of money, fame, and power, as well as about the seduction of success. In the process, he conveys some of the "tricks of the trade" that have helped him win cases and become successful at the art and practice of "lawyering." |
Contents
| 3 | |
Dont Do What Youre Best | 21 |
Dont Follow OfftheRack Advice | 29 |
Dont Risk What You Dont Have Enough | 37 |
Should Good Lawyers Defend Bad People? | 47 |
Defending Yourself from Legal McCarthyism | 57 |
How to Balance Idealism Realism and Cynicism | 65 |
The Perfect Is the Enemy of the Excellent | 77 |
Who Is Your Client? | 129 |
Losing | 133 |
Dont Underestimate Your Opponent | 135 |
The Prosecutors Blind Spot | 137 |
The Difference Between a Prosecutor and a Defense Attorney | 147 |
Lawyers Moralsand Other Oxymorons | 151 |
Know When to Fightand When to Give In | 161 |
Dealing with Criticism | 163 |
An Honorable Profession? 17 Blowing the Whistle 79 | 79 |
The Good the Bad the Honest and the Dishonest | 87 |
Your Client Is Not Your Friend | 95 |
Stop Whining Start Winning | 99 |
Winning and Losing | 103 |
The Aha Theory 105 | 105 |
Political Justice | 119 |
Arguing in the Supreme Court | 125 |
Being a Good Person | 167 |
Can a Good Lawyer Be a Good Person? | 169 |
Can You Pass the Fluoridation Test? | 177 |
Graduating Law Students | 181 |
Graduating University Students | 187 |
Why Be a Good Person? | 193 |
Notes | 201 |
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