Tribute to Joe Friedberg

If you practiced law or watched the news in Minnesota you knew of criminal defense attorney Joe Friedberg, but if you really knew him you can still hear his laugh. Over the years he told stories to Super Lawyers, and we told some of his. Friedberg was on the cover Minnesota’s Journal of Law & Politics in 1991 when the first-ever Super Lawyers list was published.

Friedberg was profiled in 2009, and I encourage you to read it on our website. In that piece there are some classic Joe quotes:

“I’ve always had this faint fear that there will be somebody in a jury I won’t recognize that I sold an encyclopedia to.”

“I love the underdog mentality. It’s part of having a small-man complex.”

“I’ve always been a gambler. I love shooting craps, and I’m damn lucky it’s not legal in this state.”

“I used to say I loved running, but in retrospect every step hurt. And trying a case is exhausting, at times painful. But I love trying cases. Someday I’ll have to think about what I mean by that.”

In 2022, we asked Joe if he’d ever consider retirement. He said, “It’s too late to start collecting stamps. All the good ones are gone.” With the passing of Joe Friedberg, a good one is gone.