description Harvey Silverglate Overview
Harvey Silverglate is an American lawyer and civil liberties advocate based in Boston, known for his work on free speech, due process, and academic freedom issues. He co-founded the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) in 1999 with Alan Charles Kors to defend the rights of students and faculty on college campuses. Silverglate practiced criminal defense law for several decades and authored "The Shadow University" (1998) with Kors, criticizing restrictions on speech at universities. He also wrote "Three Felonies a Day" (2009), which argues that vague federal criminal statutes expose ordinary citizens to prosecution risk.
help Harvey Silverglate FAQ
Why did Harvey Silverglate co-found FIRE?
Silverglate and historian Alan Charles Kors created FIRE in 1999 after documenting campus speech and due-process disputes. Their earlier book, The Shadow University, argued that college disciplinary systems were eroding basic liberties.
What is the argument of Harvey Silverglate's Three Felonies a Day?
The 2009 book argues that vague and expansive federal criminal laws can turn ordinary professional conduct into prosecutable offenses. Its title expresses Silverglate's warning about overcriminalization rather than a measured count of crimes committed by every American.
What kind of cases did Harvey Silverglate handle?
His Boston practice covered criminal defense, civil liberties, student rights, and media-related disputes at trial and on appeal. He has also written extensively about prosecutorial power and freedom of expression.
Is FIRE still limited to college campuses?
The organization Silverglate co-founded began as the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, concentrating on American colleges. In 2022 it became the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression and expanded its stated mission beyond campus.
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