Rich Friedman
Alene and Allan F. Smith Professor of Law
Professor Rich Friedman is an expert on evidence and U.S. Supreme Court history, and has successfully argued two cases before the Court. He also is one of a few scholars developing a new field that examines sports and games as legal systems.
“I’ve been a sports fan since I was a young boy, and I noticed that issues sometimes arose in sports that presented interesting legal questions,” says Rich. “Gwen Torrence ran an amazing 220 meter race, far ahead of any of her competitors, but was disqualified for stepping on an inside lane. Was this the proper result?” His musings became one of the Law School’s mini-seminars and now is a regular course. He also has drafted a book on the topic with a former student who is a law professor at the University of Pennsylvania.
“None of this could have happened without the Law School’s support,” says Rich. “I give back to the Law School because it is a wonderful place that manages to be warm, civil, and humane without sacrificing an ounce of intellectual rigor.
We give students a first-class legal education and also instill a strong sense that one can be both a first-class lawyer and a first-class person.”