Letters to a Young Lawyer

by Alan M. Dershowitz

As defender of both the righteous and the not-so-righteous, Alan Dershowitz has become perhaps the most renowned and outspoken attorney in the land. A dedicated champion of civil liberty and the rule of law, he has earned the respect of admirers and critics alike for the way he has chosen to live his life and pursue a truly unparalleled career as teacher, lawyer, author, and scholar. In Letters to a Young Lawyer, he distills the wealth of his experiences and the passion of his beliefs into essays about life, law, and what it means to be a good lawyer and a good person.

Genres: Law, Nonfiction, Legal, Memoir, Biography Memoir, Self Help

Hardcover

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

Alan Morton Dershowitz is an American lawyer, jurist, and political commentator. He is the Felix Frankfurter Professor of Law at Harvard Law School. He is known for his career as an attorney in several high-profile law cases and commentary on the Arab-Israeli conflict.

He has spent most of his career at Harvard, where, at the age of 28, he became the youngest full professor in its history, until Noam Elkies took the record. Dershowitz still holds the record as the youngest person to become a professor of law there.

As a criminal appellate lawyer, Dershowitz has won thirteen out of the fifteen murder and attempted murder cases he has handled. He successfully argued to overturn the conviction of Claus von Bülow for the attempted murder of Bülow's wife, Sunny. Dershowitz was the appellate advisor for the defense in the criminal trial of O.J. Simpson for the murder of his ex-wife Nicole Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman.

Reviews

[Anna Glezina · Rating 5 out of 5]

My faves:
• "... most lawyers win the winners and lose the losers. That's why if your only goal as a lawyer is to win, it's not hard to do; just pick winning cases. But if it's not the goal only to win. It would be as if a doctor wanted only perfect outcomes and never wanted to lose a patient. It would be pretty easy to become a podiatrist or a cosmetic surgeon. Doctors who fix feet and straighten up noses rarely end up with fatalities. It's the brain surgeons and the heart surgeons who save lives. The same is true for lawyers. Those who take the most difficult cases lose most often. But they also can occasionally win extremely difficult cases. That's the thrill of advocacy";
• "Cases are won and lost in preparation- in the library and in the field";
• "If everybody likes you, you're doing something wrong. You're not being tough enough. You're not taking on controversial cases. You're putting your friendship with other lawyers above the interests of your clients. You're sucking up";
• "The scandal is not that the rich are zealously defended; it is that the poor and middle class are not";
• "An unrealistic cynic is as naïve as an unrealistic idealist, just a lot less noble".

[Florin Andrei · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the reviews for this book, and I am befuddled. Some say that you should stay away from this because he's defending his point of view (leftists, defence lawyer). Other say that it's a must read. It isn't. One theme in the reviews that I did agree with was that Dersh gives off a weird uncle vibe.

What most of these reviewers seem to miss is the Introduction of the book, and if they read it they missed the gist of it. Dersh says he doesn't want you to be like him. Dersh wants to share his opinions and experiences in case they apply to you. Judges may be biased. As a young lawyer take it from a dinosaur rather than realize this at the end of your first trial. So you don't agree with the examples he gives. Does that make the lesson invalid?

I hope to remember some of these lessons as I progress is my lawyerly career. They would help.

[Izwan Zakaria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read. As a student of law, I wish I've read this book sooner. Tells you a lot about the lawyering profession and practical tips on managing expectations.

[Whyola · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book not only contains career-advice for people aspiring to achieve a legal profession, but goes beyond that by exploring the importance of being a good person in this profit oriented, capitalist, selfish world.
All in all - a good read.

[Matthew · Rating 2 out of 5]

Alan Dershowitz has very strong opinions about things and he is not afraid to tell you what they are. Defense attorneys should go right up to the line of what is ethical but prosecutors should not. Everyone deserves a vigorous defense no matter how big a scumbag they are, except for big corporations because defending them is like being a mouthpiece for the Mafia. Personal injury lawyers are heroes because they stand up for the little guy, but anyone who makes his living defending the big guy from all the little guys deserves to be vilified. Bush vs. Gore was a travesty of justice arrived at by a corrupt supreme court that was in the pocket of the Bush family.

In this book, Dershowitz gives some good advice, like be ethical. Don't just work for the money. Don't befriend your clients. Stand up for what you believe. This advice is all overshadowed, however, by his gargantuan ego. He spends a lot of time attacking critics that have personally attacked him, even though he claims not to care about public criticism. By so heatedly coming after people who have criticized him, especially regarding the O. J. Simpson trial, he comes across as very insecure about some of the decisions he has made. This book just doesn't seem like the appropriate venue for it. He is politically very partisan and all his negative examples tend to be of lawyers and judges from the other side of the political spectrum. He seems to be saying "Stand up for what you believe as long as it is what I believe, because if it's not, you are wrong."

[Jane Sul]

This book contains career advice from someone who is clearly passionate about being a lawyer. This felt very refreshing to me because often I'm met with such cynicism about the field when I tell people I want to be a lawyer. Reading this book made me excited about all the challenges to come and the personal growth that my legal career will require of me! I particularly liked the discussion on ethics.

But please note that the book reads nothing like Rilke's "Letters to a Young Poet," which I read imagining a European savant whispering to me as soft classical music played in the background. "Letters to a young lawyer" is more like a boisterous old man with a New York accent yelling at you across the street... of course with only the best intentions :)

[Kate Butler · Rating 2 out of 5]

Probably one of the worst books I've ever read. This reads like advice from a stereotypical lawyer - scummy, money-grubbing, self-praising, know-it-all. The author has no love lost for conservative ideology, especially on the Supreme Court. He gives off the air that he is perfect in his understanding of the law and ethics and everyone else is motivated by politics, money, or self-interest. I have no doubt these people exist but I truly hated reading the way this is written.

It is often repetitive and talks down to the reader. There were a few nuggets of wisdom (hence the two stars) but I felt like I was turning the page and reading the same thing over again. I definitely would not recommend this as pre-1L reading. Or a new lawyer.

[Isabelle Qian · Rating 2 out of 5]

Is it time to apply for law school? Every day I have a new kind of panic attack.

At its most interesting when it deals with religion and ethical being. “The true hero—the truly good person—is the believer who risks an eternity in hell by refusing an unjust demand by God.”

[Rick Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s good and a fascinating insight to the thought process of an interesting lawyer. Starts to repeat itself and at times feels like “of course that’s your contention, given who you are and your life“ and this is especially noticeable when the author is writing about being a defense attorney, and how important defense attorneys are, and how wonderful they are, and shouldn’t we all just give the defense attorney in our life a little smooch?

It’s a minor quibble, overall, I think the book is well done and much better than many similarly positioned “look how important I am and won’t it feel good to write a book of life advice for the young people.” This actually has good points and seems based in reasonable experience.

[Hemanth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exposes the harsh truth of the profession and does not sugarcoat the downside of choosing this Profession. A good reality check for students and practicing lawyers alike. Recommended reading for students/young litigating lawyers.

[Danielle Weiss · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

[Bryan Shaw · Rating 2 out of 5]

Last chapter so asinine you will regret reading the thirty-three excellent chapters preceding it.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

this book was ok - prof. dershowitz reminds us of those life lessons necessary to be a good lawyer. ex. find a mentor, but dont follow that mentor blindly; try to find original ways to solve client problems that could help the greater good. a nice reminder of the part of being a lawyer that they don't teach you or train you for in law school. i thought dershowitz was preachy at points, but on the other hand, he's earned his right to be preachy. i wouldn't call it a vital read, but it's relatively inspiring and helps ground me.

[Linus Mealey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alan Dershowitz isn't a likeable figure. He's defended the likes of O.J. Simpson, Jeffrey Epstein, and Harvey Weinstein. Why on earth would anyone take his advice? Well, as evidenced by his legal career, he puts forward a good case. British equivalents of this book that i've read shy away from topics Dershowitz proudly marches upon. Obviously, the juicy stuff is what a young lawyer wants to learn. He doesn't try and give the audience a sensible chuckle, anoraking whether it would be advisable for a lawyer to learn a second language. Rather, he answers the questions we've been slightly too afraid to ask lawyers aloud; "Would you defend a rapist?" (His answer: Yes, he still has rights), "Even if you thought he was guilty?" (His answer: Yes, he still has rights), "What about the free-speech rights of those who criticise you?" (His answer: Whoa, lets not get carried away here). While most of the book focuses on US law, so much of it is applicable to any country with a common law system (most of what he says applies far less to the civil law system) that i'd recommend it to any lawyer in an English-Speaking country.
The prose, however, can be quite tedious. It's not really a polemic, and it's not really a textbook either. Maybe it's an injury suffered on the job, by Dershowitz isn't one for gripping writing. It's not a huge issue on account of the fact the stuff he is describing is really interesting, and he's not a novelist/journalist, but at the same time - five stars is an accolade i'm not certain this book deserves.

[Ariel · Rating 2 out of 5]

My experience with this book was akin to the afternoon lunch your mom set up with an old retired lawyer she knows through church. You came in thinking you were going to get mountains of advice from this decorated partner, only to learn he mostly just wants to blabber about his random thoughts, war stories, and opinions/morals. But he's nice enough, and he's still whip smart, so you tell yourself that surely his stories will still have valuable lessons weaved in them! So you sit there entertaining him, hour after hour, trying excruciatingly hard to glean actionable nuggets...But instead, you leave with maybe 2 takeaways and an urge to bury the dismay of having wasted hours of your time.

I found this book from a "Books To Read before 1L" list, and I vehemently disagree. This is more appropriate for someone in their first year of practice who is starting to question the environment they work in, the impact and ethics of their work, and is starting to feel the tickle of a quarter-life crisis breathing down their neck.

[Ethan Teo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was given this book as a parting gift from the director of the firm I had worked at. Although I regret that he had spelt my name wrongly in his dedication on the first page, it was indeed a throughly enjoyable read, and very much intellectually stimulating for those interested in law.

With chapters titled 'Should Good Lawyers Defend Bad People', Dershowitz, through the use of numerous short chapters and anecdotes, answers some of the key questions underpinning the field of legal ethics and philosophy.

One must take Dershowitz's words with a pinch of salt - his opinions (some of them), after all, are as subjective as are ours. Regardless, this is a very good read, and one that I am sure my friends (law and non-law) will enjoy very much.

[Coffee & Chapters · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the book. It was an easy read, with chapters that flowed well from one another. It certainly offered a great insight into the workings of the US legal system and what it is like to be a US criminal defence lawyer.

In terms of wider lessons, the book offered advice on the type of lawyer one should aspire to be and opened the way for interpretation of correct advocate conduct.

I found the book incredibly interesting, but rather more relatable to those studying/practicing law in the US.

[Daniel Silveyra · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you're thinking of going to law school, this is a quick useful read. Skip the first five or six chapters which give general life advice - just the usual stuff. The later chapters deal with some specifics of the legal profession, e.g. the challenges of being a defence attorney vs. prosecutor, the impact of careerism and politics on the system, etc.

Fairly substantial ego on the author, but brains to match.

[Nadia · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Even if there are no heaven or hell, there are good reasons for human beings to do better than merely be happy. The truly moral person is the one who does the right thing without any promise of reward or threat of punishment - without engaging in a cost-benefit analysis. Doing something because God has said to do it does not make a person moral: It merely tells us that person is a prudential believer, akin to the person who obeys the command of an all-powerful secular king”

[Geoffrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book came to my attention when I was killing time at a library around 20 years ago. I was a law student.

It was a cold winter afternoon, it could be morning. Thanks to the weather, there's nothing good to do outside, so I just finished it in the library.

Today, I can't recall what I read, but the fact that I finished reading this book was very beneficial to my career. I'm going to reread it sometimes later.

[Areej H · Rating 2 out of 5]

I gave this book 2 stars because I feel like its title is quite misleading. It was much more focused on the criminal justice system and the flaws of being a lawyer than anything else. Some chapters I liked, as they were general enough to apply to myself, while others I basically skipped through. But overall, I was disappointed.

[Tanya Sinha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Flagged this up good. Love me those radical Jewish progressive criminal defense lawyers who fought for their clients and abided by a strict code of professional ethics. Makes you believe you can be a good lawyer and a decent human being. Glad I read this 2 years out of lawschool whilst finishing up my legal training. Highly recommend to young lawyers joining the profession.

[Rafael Joseph · Rating 4 out of 5]

Too Criminal Law Centric - which makes sense based on Dershowitz’s career. However, there is great advice here for Law students such as myself and I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It contains great lessons on the reality of being a lawyer along with great lessons on character and ethics. I recommend this book, but it will have wasted pages for those interested in transactional law.

[Nibras Abdalbasit · Rating 5 out of 5]

Came to me in the perfect time, highly advised for even non lawyers, it explains the legal profession brilliantly, answers a lot of questions on law and morality and gives first hand experience on the trials and errors of what its like to handle a high pressure case and how to deal with the public opinion in controversial cases.

[Isaac Dean · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book, the writing was somehow both incredibly dry but also interesting. Some of his thoughts on morals were very thought provoking. As a whole I only gave it three stars because it was often just dissapointingly blunt. The bluntness was both necessary and also upsetting. I deffinitely thing that it is worth reading for anyone looking to become a lawyer.

[Dylan Kuncken · Rating 4 out of 5]

Has some perspectives I agree with and some I disagree with. Overall good advice and useful as a law student.
I enjoyed that the author was unapologetic, bold and transparent. But hearing stories and receiving advice from the perspective of a successful Harvard Law graduate makes it difficult to relate to a throughout.

[Georgia Alexander · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic book. Provides general and morally-focused advice, often accompanied by real life practical experience. Although now written almost 20 years ago, it's advice that any young lawyer should find invaluable.

[Aditya Bharadwaj · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a law student from India and I found the book very good. It has good solid advice that I've tried to make relevant notes from. I believe every student of law should read this book once to gain some perspective.

[Dilip Massand · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for anyone involved in the legal profession at all stages. Students, practitioners, judges and late comers to the calling, and those with an interest in the mindset, ethical challenges, and intellectual rigours of the law...

[Arya Chen]

This is a really good book that I believe every young lawyer should read before they start their career in law firms. The author knows exactly what his readers need and gives very practical advice in this book.

Thank you so much, Mr. Dershowitz.

From China.