Edward V. Sparer facts for kids

Edward V. Sparer (born March 21, 1928 – died June 21, 1983) was a lawyer. He is known as the "father of welfare law." He was a very important legal expert.

Edward Sparer started groups like Mobilization for Justice and the National Center for Law and Economic Justice. He also planned the big U.S. Supreme Court case called Goldberg v. Kelly.

Early Life and School

Edward Sparer was born in New York City. His parents were Marcus Sparer and Ada Cohen. He went to Benjamin Franklin High School. After that, he studied at the City College of New York.

In 1947, Edward traveled to the southern United States. He helped textile workers organize for better conditions. This was for Henry A. Wallace. While in college, he was vice president of the student council. He led student actions because some teachers and leaders treated people unfairly.

Edward and his classmate Tanya Schecter left college and got married. They joined the American Communist Party. They moved to Schenectady, New York. There, they worked to organize a General Electric factory. Edward also served in the U.S. Army from 1951 to 1953. He worked as a teacher and a lifeguard in Panama.

In 1956, Edward left the Communist Party. He then went to Brooklyn Law School. It was the only law school in New York City that would accept him without a college degree. He was a top student and led the Brooklyn Law Review magazine.

His Work as a Lawyer

After law school in 1959, Edward worked for the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union. He then helped a professor at Columbia Law School. They studied courts for young people.

Through this work, he learned about an anti-poverty group called Mobilization for Youth (MFY). MFY was starting to offer legal help to people with low incomes. Edward Sparer became the first director of MFY Legal Services in 1963.

Edward wanted MFY Legal Services to do more than just help individuals. He pushed the group to focus on "impact litigation." This meant using lawsuits to change big systems that caused poverty. MFY Legal Services became a model for many other legal aid offices across America.

In 1965, he left MFY Legal Services. He started the Center on Social Welfare Policy and Law. This center became very important for the welfare rights movement in New York City. Edward believed that neighborhood lawyers could help daily cases. His new center could then work on bigger, more important lawsuits.

Edward tried to create a constitutional "right to live." This would mean courts would say people have a right to basic needs like food and shelter. His plan did not create this "right to live." But it did lead to several big wins at the U.S. Supreme Court. These wins included King v. Smith, Shapiro v. Thompson, and Goldberg v. Kelly.

Later, Edward became a teacher. He taught at Yale Law School from 1967 to 1969. Then he taught at the University of Pennsylvania Law School from 1969 until he passed away. At the University of Pennsylvania, he started the Health Law Project. He was a leader in health law and worked for more people to get healthcare.

His Passing

Edward Sparer passed away on June 21, 1983, in Woodstock, New York. He was survived by his wife Tanya and their three children: Ellen, Michael, and Carol.

His Legacy

In 1984, the University of Pennsylvania Law School honored him. They renamed their Public Interest Law Conference to the Edward V. Sparer Symposium. This event brings together legal experts to discuss poverty law.

In 1985, Brooklyn Law School started the Edward V. Sparer Public Interest Law Fellowship Program. This program helps law students prepare for careers in social justice.