Abraham

October 19, 2015
In this fresh commentary, Dershowitz compares the words and actions of the biblical Abraham to the various historical archetypes of the Jewish lawyer. He asserts that Abraham may be seen as the "first Jewish lawyer," exercising the legal roles of iconoclast, advocate, collaborator, and negotiator. For example, scholars and Bible students have debated how best to understand the fact that while Abraham questioned the justice of God's intent to destroy the Sodomites, he failed to challenge God's command to sacrifice Isaac. In the first case, notes Dershowitz, Abraham acted as a legal advocate, zealous to defend his unrelated and almost certainly guilty client; in the second, when he fails to argue on behalf of his own son, he bears a disturbing resemblance to certain Jewish lawyers complicit, by their silence, in immoral acts against Jews by those in power. At once frank and wry, Dershowitz demonstrates how the Jewish value of the rule of law, and the actions of Jewish lawyers themselves, have contributed to the pursuit of justice. Clear and accessible, with endnotes to please scholars, this book will likely appeal to both Jews and non-Jews.

August 1, 2015
The great patriarch as a template for Jewish lawyers across the ages. Famed Harvard attorney Dershowitz (Taking the Stand: My Life in the Law, 2013, etc.) presents Abraham, father of three religions, as the original Jewish lawyer. Describing him as "an idol smasher, a conniver, a rescuer, an advocate, a compliant fundamentalist, and a shrewd real estate investor, the author identifies a wide range of lawyerly traits, good and bad, in the portrait of the patriarch provided by Scripture and the Midrash. Dershowitz begins with an overview of what little we know of the life of Abraham, along the way pointing out legal touches in the story. For instance, he argued like a defense attorney for the lives of the people of Sodom, and in procuring a burial plot for his wife, he negotiated like a real estate attorney might. Dershowitz goes on to look at Jews as defendants. He examines a few specific examples, such as Alfred Dreyfus and Leo Frank, but his focus is much more global. He asserts that the very injustice suffered by the Jews over the course of centuries has honed their collective respect and aptitude for the law. "Jews have come to appreciate justice and the rule of law," writes the author, "because we have experienced so much injustice and the rule of might over right." Dershowitz profiles a number of great Jewish lawyers from the modern era as well. The author begins with a great concept, but the effort seems lacking. A comprehensive look at Abraham as a proto-lawyer, influencing future generations, would be a welcome and fascinating addition to the corpus of Jewish studies. Dershowitz only provides a cursory glance here, but the book, replete with Jewish jokes and Woody Allen quotes, is a homey start. An interesting concept deserving of twice the effort.

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October 1, 2015

This latest volume from Dershowitz (law, emeritus, Harvard Univ.; Taking the Stand) begins with an assertion that sounds like a gimmick--that Abraham, arguing with God to spare the people of Sodom, was acting as the first Jewish lawyer--but continues to discuss the lives and careers of numerous notable Jewish lawyers. The author concedes that it was only recently that the last professional and social barriers against Jewish lawyers fell. Scripture does command God's people to pursue justice, and that example may have emboldened these iconic figures to defend the oppressed and defy controversy. VERDICT Smart, entertaining, and of interest to readers of all faiths.

Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 15, 2015
Dershowitz is a divisive figure. On that score, his latest book doesn't disappoint. It begins with a retelling of the life of Abraham, patriarch of the ancient Israelites. In this version, Abraham is the first Jewish lawyer, an advocate who willingly goes toe to toe with no less an opponent than God. His performance in that highest of courts, which set the standard for millennia of Jewish lawyers to come, left big sandals to fill, as Dershowitz humorously observes. This intriguing premise is followed by various stories of persecuted Jews and noteworthy Jewish lawyers and jurists who pursued justice and zealously represented the downtrodden. In the book's final chapter, Dershowitz worries that demographics do not favor Jews and that fewer Jews will result in a less creative and compassionate America and American legal profession. A bit of awkwardness in this otherwise engaging mix of legal and Jewish history is Dershowitz's backhanded compliment at WASPs when he notes that hard as it is to imagine, America would be a less interesting place without them.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)