Dan Abrams was born on May 20, 1966, in Manhattan, New York. He grew up in a family surrounded by law; his father is a First Amendment Lawyer, and his younger sister is a U.S. District Court Judge.  Abrams graduated cum laude from Duke University with a degree in political science. He later earned his Juris Doctor from Columbia Law School in 1992. Despite having a law degree, he chose journalism instead. 

Abrams launched his career at Court TV and quickly gained national recognition covering the O.J. Simpson trial. He then joined NBC News as Chief Legal Correspondent in 1997 and later hosted The Abrams Report on MSNBC. In 2011, he moved to ABC News, where he became Chief Legal Affairs Anchor and a co-anchor of Nightline — a role he held until 2014.

Beyond TV, Abrams built a thriving media empire. In 2009, he founded Abrams Media, home to outlets like Mediaite and the Law & Crime Network. In 2023, he sold the Law & Crime Network for a reported $125 million. He is also a New York Times bestselling author and has several business ventures, including Ev&Em Vineyards on Long Island and Danny’s, his New York City restaurant.