Daniel Fryer, ’18, is an assistant professor of law  and philosophy at the University of Michigan whose work draws on scholarship in social and political philosophy, law, history, and public policy. He also is influenced by social movements and intellectual discourse outside the academy.

Fryer’s current research focuses on criminal justice reform, race, and reparative justice. He is interested in the way the law creates, and perpetuates, conditions of oppression in society. Previously, he served as an assistant district attorney in the Office of the District Attorney of Philadelphia. He currently serves on the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners’ Advisory Council on Reparations. 

Related Information

Areas of Interest

Education
  • John Jay College, BS
  • University College London, MA
  • University of Michigan, JD
  • University of Pennsylvania, PhD, philosophy

    • Recent Courses

    Clerkships

    • US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, the Hon. Roger L. Gregory

    Personal Links

    Featured Scholarship

    "Reforming Abolition"

    Michigan Law Review

    MLaw Repository HEIN

    "Idealizing Abolition"

    Criminal Law and Philosophy
    WWW
    • Criminal Law
    • Race and the Law
    • Philosophy of Law

    "Justice as Repair"

    American Philosophical Quarterly

    WWW

    "Race, Reform, & Progressive Prosecution"

    Journal of Criminal Law & Criminology
    MLaw Repository HEIN
    • Criminal Law
    • Race and the Law
    See All Scholarship

    News

    Michigan Law students gathered in groups in the Law Quad during Orientation 2025.
    News

    Our Michigan Law 2025 Roundup: A Year of Big Changes, Groundbreaking Work, and Shared Purpose

    Daniel Deacon(right) and Daniel Fryer(left)
    News

    Professors Deacon and Fryer Will Present Research at Upcoming Harvard-Yale-Stanford Junior Faculty Forum

    Portrait of Daniel Fryer
    News

    Professor Daniel Fryer Joins Washtenaw County Advisory Council on Reparations

    University of Michigan Law School Aerial Campus View
    News

    Dean Search Advisory Committee Appointed

    Admitted Students Hero
    News

    Looking Toward Fall: Iterum Ab Initio

    Exterior view of flowers in the Law School Courtyard during spring
    News

    Daniel Fryer, ’18, to Join Michigan Law Faculty

    In the Media

    The Washington Post

    How Jesse Jackson set the stage for today’s political landscape

    The Harvard Gazette

    Are reparations the answer?

    The Daily Beast

    Why This Texas Mom Is Applauding Conviction of Michigan Shooter’s Dad