Charles Fried facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Charles Fried
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Fried in 2009
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| Associate Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court | |
| In office September 1995 – June 1999 |
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| Appointed by | William Weld |
| Preceded by | Joseph Nolan |
| Succeeded by | Judith Cowin |
| 38th Solicitor General of the United States | |
| In office June 1, 1985 – January 20, 1989 |
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| President | Ronald Reagan |
| Preceded by | Rex E. Lee |
| Succeeded by | Ken Starr |
| Personal details | |
| Born | April 15, 1935 Prague, Czechoslovakia |
| Died | January 23, 2024 (aged 88) |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Anne Summerscale |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Princeton University (AB) University of Oxford (BA, MPhil) Columbia University (LLB) |
Charles Anthony Fried (born April 15, 1935 – died January 23, 2024) was an important American lawyer and judge. He worked for the U.S. government as the United States Solicitor General from 1985 to 1989 under President Ronald Reagan. He was also a professor at Harvard Law School, teaching many students about law. He passed away at 88 years old.
Early Life and Education
Charles Fried was born in Prague, Czechoslovakia on April 15, 1935. His father was a successful businessman. In 1939, his family had to leave Czechoslovakia to escape the Nazis and their persecution of Jewish people. They lived in England for a short time before moving to the United States in 1941. Charles and his parents became U.S. citizens in 1948.
After finishing high school at the Lawrenceville School in 1952, Charles went to Princeton University. He studied modern languages and literature. Then, he went to the University of Oxford in England, where he earned degrees in law. In 1960, he received his law degree from Columbia Law School. After that, he worked as a law clerk for United States Supreme Court Justice John Marshall Harlan II. A law clerk helps a judge with their research and writing. In 1961, he started teaching at Harvard Law School.
Legal Career
Charles Fried was a very busy lawyer. As the Solicitor General of the United States, he represented the U.S. government in 25 cases before the United States Supreme Court. This means he argued on behalf of the government in the highest court in the country.
Before becoming Solicitor General, he advised the Attorney General of the United States and the United States Department of Transportation. In October 1985, President Ronald Reagan officially appointed him as the Solicitor General. When President Reagan left office in 1989, Fried went back to teaching at Harvard Law School.
From 1995 to 1999, Charles Fried also served as a judge on the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts. This is the highest court in the state of Massachusetts. While being a judge, he continued to teach law at Harvard. He taught many different law subjects, including constitutional law, which is about the U.S. Constitution, and legal philosophy, which explores the ideas behind law.
Fried wrote many books and articles about law and ethics. He wrote nine books and over 30 articles for journals. One of his books, Because It Is Wrong: Torture, Privacy, and Presidential Power in the Age of Terror, discusses important topics about government power.
Politics and Affiliations
Charles Fried was also involved in politics and public discussions. In 2005, he spoke to the Senate Judiciary Committee to support John G. Roberts becoming the Chief Justice of the United States. The Chief Justice is the main judge on the Supreme Court. He also supported Samuel Alito for the Supreme Court, saying Alito was a good judge.
In 2008, even though he had supported John McCain for president, Fried decided to vote for Barack Obama. He explained that he changed his mind because of McCain's choice of Sarah Palin as his running mate. Fried believed it was important to vote for the candidate he truly thought was best.
In 2011, Fried spoke to the Senate Judiciary Committee again. This time, he supported the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, a law about health care. When asked if the government could make people buy health insurance, he said yes. He also explained that while the government can't force you to eat vegetables, it can make you pay for certain things if there's a good reason.
Fried was an adviser for the Harvard chapter of the Federalist Society, a group that discusses legal ideas. He also supported different presidential candidates over the years, including Jon Huntsman Jr., John Kasich, Hillary Clinton, and Joe Biden.
Death
Charles Fried passed away on January 23, 2024. He is survived by his wife and two children.
Works
- Because It Is Wrong: Torture, Privacy and Presidential Power in the Age of Terror, by Charles Fried and Gregory Fried (2010 W.W. Norton)
- Modern Liberty and the Limits of Government (2006)
- Saying What the Law Is: The Constitution in the Supreme Court (2004)
- Making Tort Law: What Should Be Done and Who Should Do It (with David Rosenberg) (2003)
- Order and Law: Arguing the Reagan Revolution – A Firsthand Account (1991)
- Contract as Promise: A Theory of Contractual Obligation (2d edition, 2015)
- Right and Wrong (1978)
- Medical Experimentation: Personal Integrity and Social Policy (2d edition, 2016)
- An Anatomy of Values: Problems of Personal and Social Choice (1970)
See also
- Daubert standard
- List of law clerks of the Supreme Court of the United States (Seat 9)
