Janelle Irwin Taylor
Constitutional lawyer and best-selling author Alan Dershowitz will be the 2025 commencement speaker for New College of Florida in Sarasota.
Dershowitz is perhaps best known in recent years as one of President Donald Trump’s defense attorneys during his first impeachment trial in 2020. Dershowitz also represented Jeffrey Epstein and Harvey Weinstein.
Earlier in his career, Dershowitz was an appellate adviser in O.J. Simpson’s murder trial, working alongside famous attorneys on the case Johnnie Cochran and F. Lee Bailey, together known as the “Dream Team.”
Outside his reputation for taking on controversial cases and clients, Dershowitz is the author of several books discussing politics and law, including “Reversal of Fortune: Inside the von Bülow Case” in 1985; “Reasonable Doubts: The Criminal Justice System and the O.J. Simpson Case” in 1996; “The Case for Israel” in 2003; and “The Case for Peace” in 2005.
More recently, he authored “The Case Against Impeaching Trump” in 2018 and “Guilt by Accusation: The Challenge of Proving Innocence in the Age of #MeToo” in 2019.
Dershowitz is a constitutional lawyer and a Harvard Law professor emeritus.
Though he’s moved his base of support more toward conservatives lately, Dershowitz was actually a Democrat until recently. He left the Democratic Party in September, citing the party’s failure to address antisemitism and soft stance on Hamas.
He will speak at New College amid ongoing criticism among some of a conservative takeover of the liberal arts school, a premise rejected by Gov. Ron DeSantis and the new New College President, Richard Corcoran, who celebrated Dershowitz’s scheduled address.
“New College is a place for bold ideas and fearless debate,” Corcoran said. “We are thrilled to welcome Alan Dershowitz to Sarasota for our 2025 Commencement.”
The ceremony and address will take place May 23 from 5-7 p.m. at the Bayfront Lawn of the Historic Ringling Mansion College Hall. The annual commencement is considered one of Sarasota’s premier intellectual and cultural events, drawing students, faculty, families and thought leaders from across Florida, the nation and beyond.
This year’s address aims to celebrate academic excellence and reinforce New College’s commitment to free inquiry, rigorous scholarship and pursuit of truth, according to the school.
In addition to his address, Dershowitz will also participate in the 2025 Socratic Stage Dialogue Series on May 22 in a discussion entitled “Justice or Politics? The Weaponization of Law in Modern America.”
3 comments
PeterH
February 14, 2025 at 8:20 am
The once respected Dershowitz has turned into a MAGA talking freak show.
It’s predictable that New College students will organize their own Commencement Ceremony AGAIN.
JustBabs
February 14, 2025 at 1:50 pm
All I picture, when his name is mentioned, is a creepy old guy in his underwear, going after some poor teenager. I wish that never was revealed seeing as he is walking free, anyway.
Grant A. Balfour
February 15, 2025 at 10:47 pm
“The annual commencement is considered one of Sarasota’s premier intellectual and cultural events, drawing students, faculty, families and thought leaders from across Florida, the nation and beyond.”
Um, really? I’ve been attending these since the 1980s, and the only thought leaders I recall being there were other alums – folks like Pepsi CEO John Cranor and tech founder Aaron Hillegass. Kinda don’t think they’re showing up for the political speeches nowadays.