---
title: "1 Imperfect Profession Quotes By Alan Dershowitz"
description: "1 Imperfect Profession quotes by Alan Dershowitz. Plus more from Alan Dershowitz and more Imperfect Profession sayings from other authors."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/287/alan-dershowitz-2194_absolutes_law-is-an-imperfect-profession-in-which_1264300.jpg"
---

> [Law is an imperfect profession in which success can rarely be achieved without some sacrifice of principle. Thus all practicing lawyers -- and most others in the profession -- will necessarily be imperfect, especially in the eyes of young idealists.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dershowitz/law-is-an-imperfect-profession-in-which-success-can-rarely-be/)

[Alan Dershowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dershowitz/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/287/alan-dershowitz-2194_absolutes_law-is-an-imperfect-profession-in-which_1264300.jpg)

## More by Alan Dershowitz

> [I am a peace supporting Jew.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dershowitz/i-am-a-peace-supporting-jew/)

[Alan Dershowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dershowitz/)

> [There is no perfect justice, just as there is no absolute in ethics. But there is perfect injustice, and we know it when we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dershowitz/there-is-no-perfect-justice-just-as-there-is-no-absolute-in-ethics/)

[Alan Dershowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dershowitz/)

> [A criminal trial is never about seeking justice for the victim. If it were, there could be only one verdict: guilty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dershowitz/a-criminal-trial-is-never-about-seeking-justice-for-the-victim-if-it/)

[Alan Dershowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dershowitz/)

> [If torture is going to be administered as a last resort in the ticking-bomb case, to save enormous numbers of lives, it ought to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dershowitz/if-torture-is-going-to-be-administered-as-a-last-resort-in-the/)

[Alan Dershowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dershowitz/)

> [The Second Amendment has no place in modern society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dershowitz/the-second-amendment-has-no-place-in-modern-society/)

[Alan Dershowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dershowitz/)

> [Our First Amendment expresses a far different calculus for regulating speech than for regulating nonexpressive conduct and that is as it should be. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dershowitz/our-first-amendment-expresses-a-far-different-calculus-for-regulating/)

[Alan Dershowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dershowitz/)

> [I think that lawyers are terrible at admitting that they're wrong. And not just admitting it; also realizing it. Most lawyers are very successful,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dershowitz/i-think-that-lawyers-are-terrible-at-admitting-that-they-re-wrong-and/)

[Alan Dershowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dershowitz/)

> [Asymmetrical warfare is a euphemism for terrorism, just like collateral damage is a euphemism for killing innocent civilians.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dershowitz/asymmetrical-warfare-is-a-euphemism-for-terrorism-just-like/)

[Alan Dershowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dershowitz/)

> [I never had an existential moment when I asked myself what I was going to do. I always wanted to be a lawyer, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dershowitz/i-never-had-an-existential-moment-when-i-asked-myself-what-i-was/)

[Alan Dershowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dershowitz/)

> [The Internet knows no national borders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dershowitz/the-internet-knows-no-national-borders/)

[Alan Dershowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dershowitz/)

> [It's a new phenomenon in America that states can now sue the national government and become a kind of check and balance on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dershowitz/it-s-a-new-phenomenon-in-america-that-states-can-now-sue-the-national/)

[Alan Dershowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dershowitz/)

> [When it comes to partisan politics, everyone is a hypocrite. And all they care about is whether it hurts or helps them ... Is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dershowitz/when-it-comes-to-partisan-politics-everyone-is-a-hypocrite-and-all/)

[Alan Dershowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dershowitz/)

> [Everybody says they're opposed to torture. But everyone would do it personally if they knew it could save the life of a kidnapped child…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dershowitz/everybody-says-they-re-opposed-to-torture-but-everyone-would-do-it/)

[Alan Dershowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dershowitz/)

> [I think mistakes are the essence of science and law. It's impossible to conceive of either scientific progress or legal progress without understanding the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dershowitz/i-think-mistakes-are-the-essence-of-science-and-law-it-s-impossible/)

[Alan Dershowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dershowitz/)

> [I never place limits on the potential success of my students. If they're going into acting, they're going to win the Oscar... If they're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dershowitz/i-never-place-limits-on-the-potential-success-of-my-students-if-they/)

[Alan Dershowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dershowitz/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "ItemList",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imperfect-profession/alan-dershowitz/#itemlist",
            "name": "1 Imperfect Profession Quotes By Alan Dershowitz",
            "numberOfItems": 1,
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "item": {
                        "@type": "Quotation",
                        "text": "Law is an imperfect profession in which success can rarely be achieved without some sacrifice of principle. Thus all practicing lawyers -- and most others in the profession -- will necessarily be imperfect, especially in the eyes of young idealists. There is no perfect justice, just as there is no absolute in ethics. But there is perfect injustice, and we know it when we see it.",
                        "creator": {
                            "@type": "Person",
                            "name": "Alan Dershowitz"
                        },
                        "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dershowitz/law-is-an-imperfect-profession-in-which-success-can-rarely-be/",
                        "image": {
                            "@type": "ImageObject",
                            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/287/alan-dershowitz-2194_absolutes_law-is-an-imperfect-profession-in-which_1264300.jpg",
                            "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/287/alan-dershowitz-2194_absolutes_law-is-an-imperfect-profession-in-which_1264300.jpg",
                            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/287/alan-dershowitz-2194_absolutes_law-is-an-imperfect-profession-in-which_1264300.jpg",
                            "width": 1080,
                            "height": 1080,
                            "caption": "“Law is an imperfect profession in which success can rarely be achieved without some sacrifice of principle…” — Alan Dershowitz",
                            "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                            "creator": {
                                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                            }
                        }
                    }
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "@type": "CollectionPage",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imperfect-profession/alan-dershowitz/#webpage",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imperfect-profession/alan-dershowitz/",
            "name": "Imperfect Profession Quotes by Alan Dershowitz",
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "mainEntity": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imperfect-profession/alan-dershowitz/#itemlist"
            },
            "primaryImageOfPage": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/287/alan-dershowitz-2194_absolutes_law-is-an-imperfect-profession-in-which_1264300.jpg"
            },
            "description": "1 Imperfect Profession quotes by Alan Dershowitz. Plus more from Alan Dershowitz and more Imperfect Profession sayings from other authors.",
            "breadcrumb": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imperfect-profession/alan-dershowitz/#breadcrumb"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imperfect-profession/alan-dershowitz/#breadcrumb",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Topics",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/categories/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Imperfect Profession",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imperfect-profession/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 5,
                    "name": "Alan Dershowitz",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imperfect-profession/alan-dershowitz/"
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```