Osmond Fraenkel facts for kids
Osmond Fraenkel (born October 17, 1888 – died May 17, 1983) was an American lawyer. He was known for defending people's civil liberties and worked as a top lawyer for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
Contents
Early Life and Education
Osmond Kessler Fraenkel was born in New York City on October 17, 1888. His parents were Joseph E. Fraenkel and Emily Kessler.
He went to the Horace Mann School. In 1908, he earned two degrees from Harvard College. He then studied law at Columbia Law School, getting his law degree in 1911.
A Career in Law
Fraenkel became a lawyer in New York State in 1910. He spent most of his career working in private law firms.
Working for People's Rights
From 1934 to 1955, Fraenkel was a lawyer for the New York Civil Liberties Committee. After that, he became the main lawyer for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) until 1977. The ACLU is a group that works to protect the rights and freedoms of all Americans.
Fraenkel became well-known in the 1930s for taking on important cases. He defended the Scottsboro boys, a group of young Black men wrongly accused of a crime. He also defended labor leader Harry Bridges and famous thinker Bertrand Russell.
He argued many important cases in front of the Supreme Court. These cases helped define what civil liberties mean in America. For example, in the case De Jonge v. Oregon, he defended a person accused of breaking a law just for speaking at a meeting. This case helped protect the right to free speech and assembly.
Some other important cases he argued include:
- 1939: Schneider v. State of New Jersey (about free speech and protests)
- 1941: Bridges v. California (about free speech for the press)
- 1958: Trop v. Dulles (about citizenship rights)
- 1969: Kramer v. Union Free School District No. 15 (about voting rights)
- 1974: United States v. Richardson (about government secrecy)
In his last big case, United States v. Richardson, Fraenkel argued against United States Attorney General Robert H. Bork.
Fraenkel was a strong opponent of McCarthyism. This was a time in the 1950s when people were unfairly accused of being disloyal to the United States. He also worked on cases related to the unfair imprisonment of Japanese Americans during World War II, the release of the Pentagon Papers (secret government documents), and debates about school prayer in the United States.
Helping Lawyers Work Together
Fraenkel was one of the people who started the National Lawyers Guild. This group brings lawyers together to work for justice and human rights.
Personal Life
On December 11, 1913, Osmond Fraenkel married Helene Esberg. They had three children: Nancy, Carol, and George.
Besides his work, Fraenkel was also a member of other legal groups, like the Association of the Bar of the City of New York.
Fraenkel died on May 17, 1983, in New York City. He was 94 years old and was walking to work when he passed away.
A Famous Quote
- Fraenkel once said: "People should do whatever they wanted as long as they didn't hurt anyone else."
Legacy and Awards
Legal experts Norman Dorsen and Ira Glasser called Fraenkel "one of the giants in contemporary life." This means he was a very important person in his time.
In 1973, he received the Florina Lasker Award from the New York Civil Liberties Union for his work.
His Writings
Osmond Fraenkel wrote many books and articles, more than 100 in total. One of his well-known books was about the Sacco and Vanzetti case, a famous and controversial trial.
Some of his other important works include:
- The Sacco-Vanzetti Case (1931)
- One hundred and fifty years of the Bill of rights (1939)
- Supreme court and civil liberties: How far has the court protected the Bill of rights? (1941)
- Our civil liberties (1944)
- Rights we have (1971)
See also
- Scottsboro boys
- Harry Bridges
- Bertrand Russell
- National Lawyers Guild
- Victor Rabinowitz
- Boudin
