Frankfurter Professor of Law Alan M. Dershowitz has spent much of his career in the spotlight defending some of the most controversial and famous figures of a generation, including O.J. Simpson, accused murderer Claus von Bulow, junk-bond king Michael Milken, and John Lennon.

Most recently, he has agreed to serve as an ‘objective expert’ for the legal team handling the appeal of Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al-Megrahi, the Libyan convicted of bombing Pan Am flight 103 in 1988.

His involvement with the Al-Megrahi case was decried by some even before the events of Sept. 11. Now, Dershowitz says he only expects more criticism.

His critics allege that Dershowitz embroils himself with such controverial figures out of a need for the limelight.

“Drawn to the camera and the microphone like a moth to a flame,” is the description given Dershowitz by The Washington Post’s Jonathan Yardley. This was in December, as Dershowitz plunged into the presidential election scandal representing voters in Palm Beach County, Florida—before he became involved in the Al-Megrahi case.

Dershowitz characterizes his attraction to the media differently.

It goes back to the original meaning of Dershowitz, he says. The name comes from the Hebrew root ‘darshow,’—“an iternerant teacher traveling around teaching to whoever would listen.”

The man who has carved a reputation as the most famous defender of individual rights says that all his work has filled this role of darshow.

“I see all my roles as teaching—T.V., books, cases, and classes,” he said.

Dershowitz’s definition of teaching is broad, for he considers himself not only an Harvard Law School (HLS) professor but a “public intellectual” who says appearing on T.V. helps him educate the public about important issues such as civil liberties.

Dershowitz also doesn’t resist the opportunity to jab back at those who attack him for his TV appearances.

“The criticism comes mostly from other professors who wish they were asked to be on TV more,” Dershowitz says.

Dershowitz’s off campus endeavors may even enhance his HLS teaching, according to second year HLS student Naomi E. Klein, who will take his course “Tactics and Ethics in Crime and Litigation” in the spring.

“From what I’ve heard around campus people seem to be really excited to take his classes because of his reputation and the projects he’s been involved in,” she said. “No one has ever alluded to me that these projects take him away from his teaching responsibilities.”

On Call At HLS