constitutional system that the ideals
of freedom and equality are often in
conflict," he wrote in an eloquent
opinion often cited by other judges.
"The difficult, and sometimes
painful, task of our political and
legal institutions is to mediate the
appropriate balance between these
two competing values.
"While the court is sympathetic
to the university's obligation to
ensure equal educational opportuni-
ties for all of its students, such
efforts must not be at the expense of
free speech."

Battling Prejudice

Cohn's commitment to the First
Amendment is equaled only by his
belief in the rights of minorities.
"No minority is safe from the prej-
udices of the majority," he said. "It is a
judge's job to see to it that constitu-
tional limitations are heeded to ensure
the majority does not tyrannize the
minority. It's true that a majority rules
in a democracy, but not to the detri-
ment of the minority."
The former chairman of the
Michigan Civil Rights Commission
noted: "Prejudice never disappears.
At best, it may be kept in a state of
repose."
• This viewpoint has been the basis
of Cohn's decisions in cases involv-
ing racial intolerance and harass-
ment on campuses, desegregation
and discrimination.
In this regard, he is "most proud"
of the case of Dozier vs. the
Automobile Club of Michigan in
which he helped desegregate the AAA's
board of directors. The board had
sought to perpetuate itself with only
white directors, even though thou-
sands of drivers of all races belong to
the organization. The result was to get
an African-American director on the
AAA board.
Cohn serves as a visiting judge in
Brooklyn, N.Y., for four weeks a
year, staying at a small condo that he
and his wife, Lois, keep in
Manhattan.
"It's a real experience trying your
craft in strange territory," he said,
"but the cases are basically the same
and the lawyers do a good job."
He and Lois have three children
and six grandchildren.
Cohn is a third-generation mem-
ber of Congregation Shaarey Zedek.
He celebrated his bar mitzvah at the
synagogue's old Chicago Boulevard
location in Detroit; he now has the
first aliyah (call to read Torah) every

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