15
Federal Judge Avern Cohn's
`job' is a position
to which he always aspired.
law suit against them (AAA)," he
ler remembers, with a "supreme "particularly effective in improving
recounts. "At the time, they had a
ability to espouse a cause and do relations with the media, as well as lilly-white, male board of directors.
within
the
community
itself."
whatever was legal and ethical to
The network of contacts he has Now the board has women on it and
promote it."
built
up over the years, added to his has had blacks on it. It's now demo-
Equally evident were his indus-
cratically chosen.
try, his love of research and his need shrewdness and capacity to act
"I take credit for having brought
quickly
and
positively,
has
helped
to
to explore a subject as fully as possi-
the
board
of directors of the Auto-
make Cohn what Leon S. Cohan, mobile Club
ble. "He did a lot of things that
of Michigan into the
president
of
the
Jewish
Community
many established practicing lawyers
second half of the 20th Century," he
Council
of
Metropolitan
Detroit,
don't do," says Miller. "For example,
calls "an immense reservoir of re- says with a somewhat wry smile,
he read the decisions of the courts
sources for the Jewish community which disappears as he considers the
voraciously. Many young lawyers do
and the community at large." He has inequalities still be to overcome.
it at the beginning of their careers.
"Blacks have achieved a kind of
used it, says his longtime friend,
He did it until the day he became a
legal
parity and, to some extent, a
Bert Gordon, not only to work
judge."
social parity," he said. "They still
within
organizations,
but
to
bring
"He enjoyed the intellectual
necessary and immediate aid to have not achieved any kind of eco-
challenge of pursuing an issue from
nomic parity. The metropolitan area
every possible side. He would almost many needy individuals — often in is still, substantially, functionally
the best Jewish tradition of anonym-
create the other side, if necessary,
ity and with a depth of understand- segregated in many respects. I think
with the ultimate aim of making
one of the great tragedies of life is to
sure the issue was fully understood," ing unusual in someone brought up, be poor, and I think that if you're
as
Cohn
was,
with
wealth.
says Alan E. Schwartz, who has
"He did not grow up spoiled or poor and black, it's compounded, at
known Cohn from childhood and re-
indulged,
but it would have been least based on my experience as a
members him, even then, having a
very easy for someone who grew up judge as I've seen it in the last six
"quest for information."
years."
Cohn's appointment to the fed- like that not to really understand
As might be expected of a man
and
empathize
with
somone
who
did
eral bench in 1979 was, Schwartz be-
with
his taste for history and the cut
not have that background. Avern
lieves, a natural extension of his
and
thrust
of debate, politics have
does," says Gordon.
work and interests.
fascinated
Cohn
for as long as he
Wayne Feinstein sees in Cohn's
"Even when he was practicing
can recall. Since he first campaigned
compassion
and
concern
for
the
less
as a private lawyer, protecting pri-
fortunate a legacy or "ethical will" for Adlai Stevenson, he has been in-
vate interest, he had an understand-
from his late father, who was also a volved in dozens of Democratic cam-
ing and committment to the public
leading figure in the community and paigns, both local and national, in-
interest," he says. "It was logical
a philanthropist. "Judaism and cluding those of Kennedy, Johnson,
that Avern, who had such a passion
Jewish law is of critical importance McGovern and Carter.
for the law, should someday wish to
It is an interest he shares with
to him," says Feinstein. "Much of
function in the public interest as a
his
wife, Joyce, also a staunch
our prophetic teaching is alive in his
Democrat,
who, "weaned on Adlai
judge."
Committment to professional attitude to social issues."
Stevenson, was," she says, "such a
"My
father
was
a
strong
suppor-
and community interest has involved
Democrat" when she met her
ter of the Orthodox community and good
Cohn in numerous organizations and
husband at the young and idealistic
so
am
I,"
says
Cohn.
"But
if
I
have
public bodies, in many of which he
to be classified, I'm a Conservative." age of 21, that "if he had been a Re-
has held key positions. He is a
publican, I would not have gone out
member of the Federal, American, Classification and doctrinal dif- with him a second time." Fortu-
however, are something he
State and Detroit Bar Associations. ferences,
would
rather
avoid, preferring to nately, no such restraint was neces-
Social
He served on the Michigan
sary and, 30 years later, their very
emphasize unity as an important
Welfare Commission and was chair-
happy marriage is well able not only
contributor
to
the
preservation
of
man of both the Michigan Civil
to withstand but to thrive on their
Rights Commission and the Detroit Jewish tradition and identity, which
(minor) political differences. While
is
one
of
his
continuing
concerns.
Board of Police Commissioners.
The campaign for civil, and in Cohn supported the Carter campaign
A life member of the Zionist
human rights has always in 1976, his wife was a Morris Udall
Organization of America, he is a particular,
delegate to the Democratic conven-
been
another
of his major interests.
past vice president of the American "When I began,
Both relished the "fierce
there were no blacks tion.
Jewish Committee and a past in any of the major
arguments" and frank exchange of
Detroit
,
law
president of the Jewish Welfare Fed- firms. A black. judge was a rarity: views which this occasioned.
eration of Detroit, of which he is
His frankness and refusal to say
currently Executive Committee There were few women lawyers. All
only
what people want to hear are
that's changed," he recalls.
qualities valued by the candidates
chairman.
Two
cases
in
which
he
was
in-
"The great breadth of perspec-
he supports.
gave him special satisfaction:
tive" which he brought to the job volved
"I used to go to Avern when I
the
opening
to
the
community
of
the
made Cohn's leadership "outstand-
wanted
straight answers and not
Memorial Conference
ing," says Wayne Feinstein, execu- McGregor
necessarily just conventional wis-
Center
at
Wayne
State
University,
tive vice president of the Federation.
and the "democratization" of the dom. He was a person who had the
At "sensitive times, such as during board
to see beyond three feet in
of directors of the Automobile ability
the war with Lebanon, when com-
front
of
him, and to tell you so. He
Michigan.
munity relations were at low ebb," Club "I of was
the lawyer in a citizens' Continued on Page 28
says Feinstein, Cohn's skills were
.
"
A friend calls him
"an immense
reservoir of
resources" for the
Jewish and general
communities.