Latest news with #AlanDershowitz
New York Post
2 days ago
- Business
- New York Post
Famed lawyer Alan Dershowitz publishes his ‘magnum opus' — but fears people won't read it for this reason
Alan Dershowitz calls his new book his 'magnum opus.' It's the culmination of the legendary legal mind's 60-year career — and he's written nearly that many books. But though he's had multiple bestsellers, including one atop The New York Times list, America's most famous lawyer worries people won't read this tome. Blame Donald Trump — it's a popular pastime these days. Remember the 2002 Tom Cruise sci-fi thriller 'Minority Report'? 'The Preventive State: The Challenge of Preventing Serious Harms While Preserving Essential Liberties' is the new book version, its author tells The Post in an exclusive interview. Advertisement Walking into his Manhattan apartment and seeing a framed Benjamin Franklin letter on the wall, one immediately recalls the founder's famous line: 'Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.' 'That's the theme of my book,' Dershowitz says. 'There's no free lunch, and every time we act to prevent great harms, we take away a little liberty. There's no doubt about that. There's always going to be a trade-off. And the key is to make the trade-off based on principles. And it's OK, as I say in the book, to give up a little inessential liberty to gain a lot of security but not to give up basic liberties to gain a small amount of security. We do too much of the latter and not enough of the former. And so what I've tried to do is create a jurisprudence which weighs when it's proper and when it's not proper to take preventive actions and erring always on the side of liberty rather than security but giving weight to security.' It's a colossal and contentious topic. 'I have been writing and teaching about 'the preventive state' (a phrase I coined during my teaching in the 1960s) over my entire career,' Dershowitz writes. Advertisement 'So finally, after all these years, at 86 I decided to put it all together into one book,' he tells The Post. That's after challenging others to do it at the end of a 2008 book. 'I wasn't ready. I didn't have the answer. I had the problem, but I didn't have the solution,' he explains. 'I really had to have the time to work through, and I finally created a jurisprudence. Now I've figured out how to solve these problems.' And these problems constantly arise. 'Why do we deport people? To prevent them from committing crimes. Why are we thinking about bombing Iran? To prevent them from developing a nuclear weapon. Why did we require people to wear masks and be inoculated during COVID? To prevent it from spreading. Why do we lock people up pending trial? To prevent them from fleeing or committing crimes. So prevention runs through our legal system, but there's no systematic attempt to either define it or create a jurisprudence. That's what I've done.' Advertisement It's the career capstone of the man who at 28 became the youngest-ever Harvard law professor granted tenure. 'I'm hoping this book will have an impact on legislators, on courts. It's the most important book I've ever written. It'll be probably the least recognized because of the cancellation issue. But if I'm going to be remembered 50 years from now, it's going to be because of this book,' he says. 'I was the first academic to basically discover prevention and start writing about it, 60 years ago, and now I'm the first academic to write a major whole book on this.' That's a bold statement from someone whose work has created a seemingly unceasing supply of memorable moments. His bestselling 1985 book 'Reversal of Fortune' was turned into a 1990 film that earned Jeremy Irons an Oscar for his portrayal of Dershowitz's client Claus von Bülow, who was acquitted on appeal of attempting to murder his wife, Sunny, played by Glenn Close. Dersh approves Ron Silver's portrayal of him — mostly. 'He was very, very, very good. The only thing I objected to is as a kid, I was a really, really good basketball player. I played Madison Square Garden. I guarded Ralphie Lifshitz, who became Ralph Lauren.' Silver's dribbles were dreadful. Advertisement Of course, a place in Hollywood history doesn't exempt one from cancel culture. Dershowitz himself brings it up. 'I've written 57 books. The vast majority of them were reviewed by The New York Times. I had seven New York Times bestsellers. One a front-page number-one bestseller, 'Chutzpah.' Since I defended Donald Trump, The New York Times will not review my books,' he says. 'They will not review this book.' A lifelong Democrat until last year's party convention featured Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Sen. Bernie Sanders 'and all those rabid antisemites,' Dershowitz supported Hillary Clinton in 2016 — but joined Trump's legal team in January 2020, defending the president in his first impeachment trial, without payment. The Gray Lady isn't the only institution that's canceled him. The historic Temple Emanu-El has too, despite Dershowitz's prolific work supporting Israel and Jews. The 92nd Street Y 'won't allow me to speak, even though I used to draw the biggest crowds,' he says. 'If you've defended Trump, you can't speak. You can't be part of the mainstream.' It's even gotten personal. 'I used to have a good relationship with Chuck Schumer. He doesn't in any way talk to me anymore. He used to confer with me about cases,' he reveals. 'My former students, people like Jamie Raskin, they used to always confer with me, but not since I defended Donald Trump. Martha's Vineyard, people stopped talking to me. Wouldn't allow me to speak in the library. Wouldn't allow me to speak at the Jewish center. The synagogue in Martha's Vineyard wouldn't allow me to speak there about Israel or anything else. So what do you think we did? We fought back. We founded our own synagogue on Martha's Vineyard' — 'which now has more people going than the synagogue that banned me.' He continues, 'Barack Obama invited me to the White House, invited me to the Oval Office, invited me on Martha's Vineyard. Well, now he won't.' Personal friends like comedian Larry David also quit speaking to him after the Trump defense. Is he certain it's all about the liberal bête noire now occupying the Oval Office? Dershowitz worked on the late financier Jeffrey Epstein's first criminal case over victimizing underage girls — and one, Virginia Giuffre, claimed the lawyer abused her. She eventually walked back that claim, which he wrote about in The Post. 'It all started before Jeffrey Epstein. It started with Trump. And the Jeffrey Epstein thing, when it happened, never had any effect on me, on Martha's Vineyard, especially now that I've been, of course, exonerated,' he says. Advertisement Dershowitz's banishment for defending a president from impeachment comes after a lifetime of defending unpopular clients — including accused murderers. 'O.J. Simpson, Claus von Bülow, Leona Helmsley, you name it. I defended Nazis marching through Skokie,' he says. 'And that's never been a problem. I defended Bill Clinton. I defended Ted Kennedy for driving a car off the bridge, and nobody objected to that. And that was the Vineyard. That was the first time I ever set foot on Martha's Vineyard. I'll tell you a wonderful story about that.' He was seated next to Ted's niece Caroline at a dinner party a few years ago. 'Caroline Kennedy looks at me when I sit down and says, 'I'm polite, so I'm not going to get up and leave, but if I knew that you had been invited, I never would have come to this dinner party. This was right after I defended Trump. So I said to her, 'Is this because I defended Trump?' She said, 'Absolutely.' I said, 'But I defended Ted Kennedy, your uncle. Did you object to that?' And she walked away,' he recalls. 'I've had 18 murder cases, and I've won 15 of the 18 murder cases. Not all of them have been innocent, I can tell you that right now, not all of them have been innocent. And nobody objected. It was only Donald.' Yet Dershowitz's influence cannot be denied — besides the signal lawsuits, his students have been making their own history in powerful positions, from NYPD commissioner (Jessica Tisch) to secretary of state (Mike Pompeo). Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan would sit next to CNN legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin in Cambridge. 'They flirted with each other all the time,' Dersh reveals. 'They were too cute with each other in class.' Advertisement The Harvard professor emeritus says, 'I love teaching, but when I turned 75 I decided I want a new career. I figured at that time I have 10 good years left — it's been 11 so far — I wanted to do something different. And so I am.' What is that new career? 'Provocateur. I love that word,' he immediately responds. He adds he's a 'meritocratic egalitarian, constitutional libertarian and constructive contrarian' — and even a 'classical liberal.' His insights in 'The Preventive State' aren't limited to law; the book is filled with economics, philosophy and politics too — just like his apartment. He has an early copy Congress made of the Declaration of Independence, with all the original signers and letters by Abraham Lincoln, Albert Einstein, John Stuart Mill and many others. Advertisement 'This is my most valuable letter. It's signed by George Washington. It's written to the troops in the middle of the Revolutionary War. But the text was not written by George Washington. It was written by his obscure secretary named Alexander Hamilton,' he chuckles. 'It talks about how all soldiers have to get inoculated against smallpox.' America has been a preventive state since the beginning. 'Just good stuff,' the genial writer concludes after proudly showing part of his collection. 'It inspires me every day.'
New York Post
5 days ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Is America's Jewish leadership failing American Jews?
The murder of a young Israeli couple outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, DC, last month traumatized Jews nationwide — leaving many asking tough questions about the state of Jewish leadership in America. Their concern is understandable. While the Hamas attack on Israel two Octobers ago thrust the Jewish nation into its longest war ever, it also ushered in unprecedented levels of antisemitism in the US. There were nearly 10,000 antisemitic incidents nationwide last year, according to the Anti-Defamation League, a 5% increase over the record-breaking numbers in 2023 sparked by the war in Gaza. 12 The killing of Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim in Washington, DC in May has promted many American Jews to question the effectiveness of their institutional leadership. AP Those figures, while startling, fail to capture the endless examples of Jews being blacklisted, ostracized or targeted in sectors ranging from medicine to the arts. Indeed, according to the newly released 2025 blacklisted, ostracized or targeted in sectors ranging from medicine to the arts. Indeed, according to the newly released 2025 Jewish Landscape Report from the Israel-based Voice of the People Initiative, Jews worldwide now believe rising antisemitism is the most important challenge facing their communities. Amid this surge of hate, American Jews have begun questioning whether major Jewish groups like the ADL are doing enough — and have done enough — to keep Jews safe. The answer for many — once unspoken and now increasingly reaching fever pitch — is a resounding no. 12 Former Harvard professor Alan Dershowitz says the climate of inaction around Jewish leadership in the US reminds him of the period before World War II. WireImage 'I see the same problem that we had in the 1930s with the rise of Nazis,' said former Harvard University professor Alan Dershowitz. 'Jewish leaders have been misallocating their resources, focusing on the wrong people, and are now a part of the problem.' 12 'Hundreds of millions of dollars went to the ADL and all these organizations to fight antisemitism, but antisemitism has only increased,' said long-time community-observer Adam Bellos. Adam Bellos In the wake of the Oct. 7 attacks and subsequent antisemitism surge, American Jews were expecting accountability — and change. Instead, it's been business as usual for major groups like the ADL, the Jewish Federations of North America and many Jewish Community Relations Council chapters: Glitzy galas, pricey celebrity appearances and slick conferences, according to critics. Meanwhile, within this void, grassroots organizations have been fighting the hate their far larger counterparts appear unable to counter. Missteps by some of our oldest and best-funded organizations were years in the making. For at least three decades, the Jewish establishment underwent a mission drift, transforming from defenders of Jewish-first issues into foot soldiers for progressive politics and social justice causes. They refused to seriously address the toxic brew of leftist and Islamist ideologies seeping into universities. Stuck in their woke echo chambers, they sidelined voices who rejected progressive agendas, the two-state solution or insistence that antisemitism is never worse than when it's on the right. 12 Amid mounting criticism, Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the ADL, says his organization has embraced new tactics and strategies to combat Jew-hatred in the US. Getty Images for Anti-Defamation League 'Hundreds of millions of dollars went to the ADL and all these organizations to fight antisemitism, but antisemitism has only increased,' said Adam Bellos, founder of the Israel Innovation Fund. 'What have they been doing for the last 20 years?' Aligning Jewish groups with liberal causes came with a hefty price tag: The focus on antisemitism — particularly within social justice groups themselves. Take Black Lives Matter, an organization that literally enshrined anti-Zionism within its foundational mission statement. That, however, didn't stop more than 600 Jewish organizations from signing a full-page New York Times ad in 2020 endorsing BLM's efforts. Three years later, the movement's Chicago chapter posted a paraglider with a Palestinian flag just days after paragliding Hamas terrorists infiltrated Israel. 12 'We're just 75 years since the gas chambers. So no, a billboard calling out Jew hate isn't an overreaction,' says Archie Gottesman of JewBelong. Emmy Park for NY Post The ADL says it's listening to community critique. In March, CEO Jonathan Greenblatt announced the implementation of 'new strategies and new approaches to fight antisemitism.' The methods used to gauge hate in the ADL's year-old Campus Antisemitism Report Cards, for instance, would extend to a new Ratings and Assessment Institute. The goal is 'to apply this same model of rigorous, data-based evaluations to . . . state governments, public companies, and professional associations,' Greenblatt said. 'We will hold them all accountable.' 12 Since its founding, JewBelong has mounted hundreds of billboards across the US and Canada. JewBelong Still, to many, the new ADL can look a lot like the old ADL. Those 'report cards,' while perhaps helpful — Harvard received a 'C'; Columbia a 'D' — bafflingly assigned a 'B' to CUNY Baruch College and an 'A' to CUNY Brooklyn College, both sites of well documented (and often violent) Jew hatred. Earlier this year, ADL's New England chapter hosted a panel in Boston to discuss the rise of school-place antisemitism. But rather than drill down on antisemitism, the panel mostly focused on, what else, racism and white supremacy. Missed opportunities like the Boston panel illustrate the ways in which Jewish groups have 'disarmed their own community, blinding us to the most lethal threats' that Jews now face, said Charles Jacobs, editor of the book 'Betrayal: The Failure of American Jewish Leadership.' 12 Morton Klein, formerly of the Zionist Organization of America, found himself under attack for straying from the progressive ideology dominant within American Jewish leadership. Getty Images The ADL did not provide response to repeated requests for direct comment about this story. Not everyone has been silent, of course — but those who speak up risk swift denunciation. In 2020, president of the Zionist Organization of America, Morton Klein, was the target of a letter signed by 200 'student leaders' urging the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations to censure him, citing 'a pattern of racist and Islamophobic behavior.' Klein's crime was suggesting it was inappropriate that a historically Jewish-focused immigration society was almost entirely aiding Muslim immigrants. Two months later, Klein was nearly ousted from the JCRC of Greater Boston after tweeting that Black Lives Matter was 'Jew hating' and 'promoting of violence.' Bias against conservative voices persists in mainstream Jewish organizations. 'You're never too left. You're always too right,' said 'Real Housewives of New Jersey' star Siggy Flicker, recently appointed by President Trump to the board of the National Holocaust Museum. Jewish organizations 'say they want unity,' Flicker adds. 'What they really want is conformity.' 12 The full-page ad in The New York Times signed hundreds of Jewish organizations in support of the #blacklivesmatter movement. On college campuses, too, legacy organizations may be most remembered for their absence rather than action. As they face well-financed groups like Students for Justice in Palestine, Jewish students had been given little more than pamphlets to support their cause. Campus activist Shabbos Kestenbaum — who sued his alma mater Harvard last year for failing to protect Jewish students — said he regularly receives calls from Jewish student groups lacking funds for the speakers or table displays needed to counter anti-Zionist protestors. 'I think there needs to be an inquiry as to how these nonprofits raised so many millions annually,' Kestenbaum said to The Post. 'When students needed them the most, so many were MIA.' 12 Jewish organizations 'say they want unity,' says Siggy Flicker, who was recently appointed by President Trump to the board of the National Holocaust Museum. 'What they really want is conformity.' Dennis A. Clark The Jewish establishment cannot claim campus ignorance. Producer Avi Goldwasser documented increasingly vicious campus antisemitism in 'Columbia Unbecoming' in 2004, followed by 'Hate Spaces: The Politics of Intolerance' in 2016. 'This was a five-alarm fire [to Jewish leaders]: Do something!' Goldwasser told The Post. 'We're in a fight for our lives,' adds California State Prosecutor Rick Moskowitz, who's helping to combat antisemitism at his alma maters, the University of Pennsylvania and University of California, Los Angeles law school. 'When are we going to get Jewish leadership that is prepared to act as though it's not business as usual?' 12 'When are we going to get Jewish leadership that is prepared to act as though it's not business as usual,' asks California State Prosecutor Rick Moskowitz. That 'when' is beginning to look like now as anger over institutional inaction shifts from merely polite to vocal and public. In April, the JCRC of Florida's Gulf Coast sent an urgent email to William Daroff, CEO of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, demanding action. 'For the last 30 years, no serious counter-offensive to the anti-Israel politics and accompanying antisemitism in the US has been mounted,' the JCRC chapter wrote. It begged, 'Please don't leave us leaderless any longer.' Daroff never responded to the JCRC — nor to The Post's request for comment. Within this void, scrappy grassroots organizations have begun to emerge. Unfettered by stale political loyalties or slavish devotion to identity politics, they are nimble are bold. JewBelong began in 2017 by putting up billboards nudging disengaged Jews to rejoin with Jewish life. But in 2021, co-founder Archie Gottesman also began tackling antisemitism with zingers such as: 'We're just 75 years since the gas chambers. So no, a billboard calling out Jew hate isn't an overreaction.' 12 'I think there needs to be an inquiry as to how these nonprofits raised so many millions annually,' says activist Shabbos Kestenbaum. Stephen Yang To date, the group has mounted more than 1,000 billboards with an estimated 2.8 billion views — all on an annual operating budget of about $3 million. (The ADL, meanwhile, had nearly $60 million in expenses in 2023, according to its annual report.) Gottesman often hears, 'I love your billboards — why isn't the ADL doing this? Why isn't [the American Jewish Committee]?' Her response: 'I don't know. But this needs to be done, so we're doing it.' Then there's End Jew Hatred, launched in 2020 by the New York City-based Lawfare Project. End Jew Hatred's community of WhatsApp groups now have 45,000 registered users, said director Michelle Adhoot. 'We've built up the network of thousands of activists we can mobilize with one text,' she says. If monoliths that shaped Jewish American life cannot reinvent themselves, they may end up running their course. But like the ADL, many organizations insist they're evolving. The Jewish Federations of North America, for example, now partners with Be the Narrative, a national organization helping Jewish kids explain Judaism to peers in their classrooms. 12 Tyler Gregory launched Bay Area Jewish Action in order to directly support pro-Jewish and pro-Israel political candidates. @TyeGregory / X The JCRC of Greater Miami is now training Jews to give free multimedia presentations on Israel in churches as a way to reach new allies. And in August, Tyler Gregory, CEO of the JCRC of the Bay Area, launched Bay Area Jewish Action, a political nonprofit to back pro-Israel candidates in local and state races. It's all part of a critical pivot — both post- Oct. 7 and following the DC murders — to develop solutions needed to reverse (or at least stem) America's antisemitism crisis. Gregory views this as a process of 'learning lessons and adapting accordingly; shame on us if we do not.' Others, however, are demanding more radical action. 'Too many have thought the status quo is OK: Don't rock the boat,' said Dershowitz. 'But they don't realize the boat is sinking.' Kathryn Wolf was formerly director of community engagement at Tablet and a staff reporter at the Miami Herald.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
New College of Florida 2025 graduation marks achievement and endurance
One day after dozens of students and alumni gathered for an off-campus 'People's Commencement' in protest of sweeping changes to New College of Florida, the school held its official 2025 graduation ceremony Friday evening. After two years of upheaval, the ceremony symbolized the academic achievement and endurance of students who were present as Governor Ron DeSantis reshaped the culture and identity of the small liberal arts college. Since the appointment of a new board of trustees and President Richard Corcoran in early 2023, the school has shifted away from its historically progressive roots toward a self-described 'classical' model of education, drawing national headlines. The ceremony was largely without conflict, except during the keynote address by Harvard law professor emeritus Alan Dershowitz, who was also awarded an honorary doctorate of law. His speech praised New College as a 'revolutionary' example of higher education pushing back against political correctness and identity-based programs. 'You are such a fortunate group to be part of a revolutionary movement starting right here,' Dershowitz said. 'New College is standing tall against political correctness... and saving higher education from propaganda instead of mutual, objective teaching.' While praising curious and neutral learning, Dershowitz was interrupted when a graduating student asked 'Then why remove women's and gender studies?' The comment drew soft cheers and rumbles from one section of the crowd. Dershowitz directly addressed the student and criticized schools that have established academic departments focused on gender and identity studies, one of the many reasons New College alumni have historically gravitated to the school. Later, a single audience member raised a middle finger in response to Dershowitz's remarks about meritocracy and his critique of New College's reduced international student presence. Alumna April Flanke offered a more personal message to graduates. Flanke called the journey of the Class of 2025 'unique, heightened, individually challenging, life-changing." 'A lot of your friends, a lot of your mentors left,' she said. 'But you are here today because you stayed... You did it. You made it. And you demanded your personalized liberal arts education. That education is the beating heart of New College — and what we will stick through.' For student speaker Sarafari Svenson, the celebration was as much about survival as it was about success. 'Every graduate here carries their own story of hurt. A story of sacrifice. A story of setbacks and defeats. But more than anything, a story of success,' Svenson said. She shared her personal story of experiencing homelessness, poverty and health issues before arriving at New College, calling the journey a testament to perseverance. Graduates and student athletes Jordan Clark, 24, and Jack Scott, 23, both earned athletic scholarships and transferred into New College last year amid the ongoing changes, including the implementation of the school's first sports and athletics department. Clark, a Sarasota native and Booker High School graduate, returned to the area from an out-of-state school. He was surrounded by family Friday evening as he crossed the New College commencement stage. While being a part of the inaugural Mighty Banyans Men's Basketball Team this year, Clarke earned a degree in economics. Clark plans to live in the Sarasota area and work in investment banking. "It's been a good year. I'm from here. I was at a school in Georgia, then I transferred back because I wanted to be close to home. I loved it (here)," Clark said. "Even though it was a new program, I feel like me being from here made it all manageable." Scott, also a transfer student, was similarly surrounded by family at Friday's commencement. "I transferred in from Palm Beach Atlantic. Here we had a good fun season. We had to fight through some stuff, we didn't have our own gym this season, but we made it work," said Scott. "Sports always unite people. I think it gives us all something to root for, the student body to root for." New College of Florida awarded diplomas to 155 students at the 2025 commencement. Samantha Gholar covers social justice, wellness, and culture across Florida for the USA Today Network. She's passionate about telling stories that challenge power and elevate voices often left out of the mainstream. Outside the newsroom, you can find her on the mat teaching Pilates or planning her next wellness adventure. Got a tip or story idea? Reach out at sgholar@ This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: New College of Florida commencement Alan Dershowitz
Fox News
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Alan Dershowitz: Either Malpractice On The Part Of President Biden's Doctors Or They Knew About It And They Covered It Up For Political Reasons
(AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) Alan Dershowitz spoke to Brian Kilmeade to discuss former President Biden's cancer diagnosis, congress' role in tackling immigration issues, the war in Israel and his new book, 'The Preventive State: The Challenge of Preventing Serious Harms While Preserving Essential Liberties.' Click here to order The Preventive State: The Challenge of Preventing Serious Harms While Preserving Essential Liberties watch here: Peter Caterina
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
New College to pay Alan Dershowitz $25k for commencement, speaker series
New College of Florida will pay Alan Dershowitz – a longtime and often polarizing celebrity lawyer and legal scholar – $25,000 for two speaking engagements in May, including commencement. Dershowitz, a retired Harvard Law professor, signed a contract to speak for the college's Socratic Stage Dialogue Series and graduation ceremony on May 22 and May 23, respectively. According to a contract obtained by the USA TODAY Network-Florida, Dershowitz was paid $12,500 on May 9 and will be paid the a second installment of $12,500 by May 30. "New College is a place for bold ideas and fearless debate,' said New College President Richard Corcoran in a press release from February, when the commencement speaker was announced. Questions to the college about the funding source for Dershowitz's speaking engagements and the rider for his contract are pending. (A contract rider is an additional provision or amendment attached to a main contract that specifies special conditions or requirements.) Though a self-described liberal, Dershowitz has become a conservative lightning rod due to his fierce public defenses of President Donald Trump, financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and others, drawing fire from critics across the political spectrum. Dershowitz has published over 40 books on law, free speech and constitutional rights, has a long list of famous clients, including Epstein, Mike Tyson, Patty Hearst, Julian Assange and O.J. Simpson. He also was hired as a consultant for film producer Harvey Weinstein, who was found guilty of rape in 2020, and was part of Trump's defense team when he was impeached in 2020. He also has written over 1,000 articles in The New York Times Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, The Harvard Law Review and the Yale Law Journal, among others, according to his bio on the Harvard Law School website. "Dershowitz's speech marks a defining moment in a year dedicated to exploring free speech and the future of American democracy. As a nationally recognized advocate for civil liberties and legal scholarship, his address will challenge graduates to engage with complex ideas and participate in shaping the nation's future," the college's press release says. Dershowitz's pick as commencement speaker has pushed some students and alumni to create another alternative graduation, said Carolyn Barker, vice chair of the college's alumni association. "Controversial political figures were invited to speak at both the 2023 and 2024 formal graduation ceremonies at New College. This year, the college's administration may be pushing the boundaries of controversy even further by inviting Alan Dershowitz to speak," said the Novo Collegian Alliance, a nonprofit group that has set up alternative graduations for the past three years. "Dershowitz draws in most controversy not solely for his scholarship, but largely due to his roles as a high-profile defense attorney for notorious figures such as Jeffrey Epstein, Harvey Weinstein and Donald Trump." Viet Thanh Nguyen, a Pulitzer Prize winner and professor of English and American studies and ethnicity at the University of Southern California, will speak at the alternative commencement ceremony. Students chose Nguyen both for his novels and because his writing explores themes of identity, uncertainty, and navigating political power and propaganda, "all of which are familiar themes for this group of graduates," the website for alternative graduation says. "As a New College alum, I am no longer donating to the school due to decisions like Alan Dershowitz and Russel Brand's invitations to speak, and I have donated to the Alternative Graduation instead," Barker said. Dershowitz will also participate in the Socratic State Dialogue Series, which at one point also featured Brand as a speaker and led to backlash from the New College community. In 2023, several women accused Brand of sexual misconduct, and in April, Brand was formally charged with rape by U.K. police, according to multiple national news reports — just one week before he was scheduled to appear at New College. Brand denied the allegations. Brand's event, "Thinking Without Permission: Russell Brand on Free Speech, Censorship, and Cultural Power" was then postponed after the college citied both logistical challenges and the current media climate. "While the conversation remains important, and possibly never more relevant, it is clear the current media climate is a distraction from the deeper purpose of the event to explore free speech and civil discourse through open dialogue," according to an email sent to students from the New College of Florida communications department. Dershowitz will appear with Steven Donziger at a Socratic Stage event titled: 'Justice or Politics? The Weaponization of Law in Modern America.' Donziger, an American attorney who is known for representing communities along the Amazon River against oil giants Chevron and Texaco and winning them $9.5 billion in damages, was later targeted, put on house arrest and then jailed. He was released in December 2024. "Both have seen the government and private industries manipulate the legal system as a way to punish their adversaries," the Socratic Stage website says. Ana Goñi-Lessan, state watchdog reporter for the USA TODAY Network – Florida, can be reached at agonilessan@ This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: New College to pay Alan Dershowitz $25k for graduation, speaker series
