Stephen Barnett facts for kids

Stephen Roger Barnett (December 25, 1935 – October 13, 2009) was an American law professor. He was a legal expert who worked to make things fairer in the world of newspapers and courts. He spoke out against a law called the Newspaper Preservation Act of 1970. He believed this law made it harder for smaller newspapers to compete. He also thought the California Supreme Court was hiding some information from the public.

Stephen Barnett's Early Life and Education

Stephen Barnett was born on December 25, 1935. His birthplace was Brooklyn, a part of New York City. He grew up in West Hartford, Connecticut. For high school, he went to Loomis Chaffee School.

College and Law School

Stephen earned a scholarship to attend Harvard University. He finished his first degree there in 1957. While at Harvard, he was the president of the student newspaper, The Harvard Crimson. He then went to Harvard Law School. He worked as an editor for the Harvard Law Review. He earned his law degree in 1962.

Starting His Law Career

After law school, Stephen worked for important judges. He was a clerk for Judge Henry J. Friendly. He also clerked for Justice William J. Brennan at the Supreme Court of the United States. This is the highest court in the country. After working at a law firm for a few years, he became a professor.

A Career in Law and Teaching

Stephen Barnett spent most of his career teaching law. He taught at the Berkeley Law School. He worked there until he retired in 2003.

Working for the Government

From 1977 to 1979, Stephen took a break from teaching. He worked for the United States Department of Justice. He was an assistant solicitor general. In this role, he argued cases in front of the Supreme Court.

Fighting for Fair Newspapers

Stephen Barnett was a strong critic of the Newspaper Preservation Act of 1970. This law was supposed to help newspapers survive. It allowed newspapers in the same city to work together. They could share money and cut costs.

How the Law Caused Problems

However, Stephen argued that the law had a bad side effect. He said it led to big newspaper companies buying up many smaller ones. This meant fewer choices for readers. Often, when these agreements ended, the weaker newspaper would close down. He believed this hurt competition.

Making Courts More Open

Stephen also spoke out about how courts shared information. He wrote an article called The Dog That Did Not Bark. In it, he criticized a practice called "depublication."

What is Depublication?

"Depublication" meant that the California Supreme Court could choose to hide a decision. If a decision from the California Court of Appeals was "depublished," it could not be used in future legal cases. Stephen believed this made the court less open. It also made it harder for people to hold the court accountable.

His Impact on Court Rules

His strong opinions led to a big change in 1999. A group called the Commission on Judicial Performance had to start showing how each member voted. This made their actions more public and clear.

Stephen Barnett's Final Years

Stephen Barnett passed away on October 13, 2009. He was 73 years old. He died in Oakland, California, from a heart attack. He was survived by his wife, Karine. He also had a son, Alexander, and a stepson, Levon.

See also

• List of law clerks of the United States Supreme Court