OUR COMMUNITY

I

n the latest episode of the 
podcast FedRadio Detroit, 
co-hosts Sam Dubin and 
Beverly Liss sit down with 
the Honorable Bernard A. 
Friedman to talk about his 
journey as a judge, some of his 
most memorable cases and the 
impact his Judaism has had on 
his career.
Friedman, who was appoint-
ed by President Ronald Reagan 
as a U.S. District Judge for the 
Eastern District of Michigan in 
June 1988, might have seemed 
unlikely to make the bench in 
his younger years. Friedman, 
in his characteristic rapid-fire 
way of speaking, describes 
himself as a poor student, “the 
last of his class” in high school. 
Given his poor record, he was 
not accepted by any university. 
By chance, he stopped by the 
former Detroit College of Law 
(which affiliated with Michigan 
State University in 1995) and 
discovered it was relatively easy 
to apply.
He filled out a very short 
application, was admitted even 
though he had not earned an 
undergraduate degree and with 
lots of hard work and study, 
well, the rest, as they say, is his-
tory. Friedman said he probably 
is the only judge to sit on a fed-
eral bench who never earned an 

undergraduate degree.
“I don’t know anybody who’s 
been to law school that doesn’t 
close their eyes and imagine 
they’re a district judge,
” he said 
on the podcast before sharing a 
story about how he — a lifelong 
liberal Democrat — became an 
“accidental Republican,
” which 
led to his appointment to the 
bench. 
He credits the support of the 
Jewish community, including 
the help of Republican activist 
Ed Levy and philanthropist 
David Hermelin “who knew Joe 
Biden who was the head of the 
Judiciary Committee” for the 
opportunity for the appoint-
ment.
“
At that time, it didn’t really 
matter whether a judge was 
Republican or Democrat,
” 
Friedman said. “Now, it seems 
politics is more important than 
competency.
”
He spoke of the current 
Supreme Court and said he’s 
“seen it swing both ways,
” but 
has never seen it swing so far.
“Term limits aren’t the 
answer,
” he said. “It will take 
time to get out of it.
”

EQUAL PROTECTION 
UNDER THE LAW
Judge Friedman’s said his abid-
ing belief in equal protection 

under the law played a role in 
two of his more memorable 
cases.
One case involved a chal-
lenge to the affirmative action 
program designed to increase 
diversity at the University of 
Michigan Law School. In the 
other case, a lesbian couple sued 
to overturn Michigan’s ban on 
same-sex marriage.
In the affirmative action case, 
he ruled against the University 
of Michigan program, issuing 
what would be described as 
a conservative opinion. The 
other was a liberal opinion in 
which he held that the ban on 
same-sex marriage approved by 
Michigan voters was unconsti-
tutional.
He decided both cases 
on the same principle: the 
14th Amendment of the U.S. 
Constitution that provides for 
“equal protection under the law.
”
It’s as simple as that, he said.

FEDRADIO PARTNERS 
WITH THE JEWISH NEWS
Hear more about those two 
cases from Judge Friedman, 
who shares stories about his 
life, his Judaism and his advice 
for young lawyers on the latest 
episode of FedRadio Detroit 
—now collaborating with the 
Jewish News on content and 
guests. 
As part of a new collab-
oration with the JN, Sam 
Dubin also talks to Aaron and 
Winnie Krieger, a couple mar-
ried 70 years who were recent-
ly featured in the JN’s “How 
We Met” series.
Federation and the Jewish 
News will collaborate on future 
episodes of FedRadio Detroit, 
as well, sharing stories and 
bringing them to the commu-
nity via print and podcast. 

 

Listen to the latest episode of Fed 

RadioDetroit at https://myjewishdetroit.

org/category/fedradiodetroit.

He’s the main guest on the 
new collaboration between 
Federation and the JN: the 
FedRadio Detroit podcast.

Meet Judge 
Bernard 
Friedman

JACKIE HEADAPOHL EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

20 | AUGUST 31 • 2023 

Judge Bernard Friedman

