Frederick W. Lambert

February 12, 1943 – August 16, 2018

The Lambert family sadly reports the passing of Fred Lambert, beloved husband, father, and grandfather. He died of complications from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis at home with his wife Barbara at his side.

Fred lived an extraordinary life punctuated by many successes and accomplishments. He had a larger than life personality, and he left an unforgettable impression on everyone who met him.

He spent most of his childhood and teenage years in Milburn, New Jersey.

He excelled as a student/ athlete at Milburn High School with many notable achievements. In 1961, Fred won state championship titles in the discus and shot put, setting a New Jersey state record in the discus. Milburn High School honored him in 1998 by inducting him into its Athletic Hall of Fame.

The University of Michigan awarded him full scholarships in football and track & field. After 1962, Fred focused his attention on Track, where he contributed scoring performances in the discus and shot put as part of Michigan’s Big Ten Championship teams in 1962, 1963 and 1964.

As President of the Theta Theta Chapter of Sigma Chi fraternity for two terms, he became life-long friends with his fraternity brothers, many of whom were his teammates on the U of M football team. They graciously included him in their 1965 Rose Bowl Championship team reunions.

He met Barbara Fogell in 1963. She became his wife and life-long partner in 1965. He frequently commented that, “Barbara was the best thing that ever happened to me.”

Following his undergraduate degree, Fred earned his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Michigan Law School. During that time, Barbara gave birth to their first child, Lisa in 1966, followed by Mark in 1968. From 1969-70 he served as law clerk to Judge Stanley Nelson Barnes of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Fred continued his government service in Washington D.C., serving from 1970-71 as Attorney Advisor in the Office of Legal Counsel (“OLC”), a Division of the United States Department of Justice and the President’s legal team led by future Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist.

Fred played a leading role in helping Rehnquist prepare for his Senate confirmation hearings when President Nixon nominated him as an Associate Justice to the United States Supreme Court. Fred served as Justice Rehnquist’s law clerk during Supreme Court’s 1971 – 72 term. He remained in contact with Justice Rehnquist over the years and treasured their friendship.

In the spring of 1973 following his clerkship, Fred and his family traveled westward in a VW camper along the gulf coast and southwest, finally settling in Pacific Palisades, California.

He practiced law with three Los Angeles firms from 1973-1990. His practice focused on corporate and securities law, mergers and acquisitions and capital markets.

In 1990, he began his twenty-year teaching career as a visiting professor at the University of Michigan and Duke University law schools. In 1993, he joined the faculty of the University of California, Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco as a full-time professor.

Fred finished his teaching career at U.C. Hastings as Emeritus Professor of Law. Students who appreciated his dedication and commitment to preparing them for law practice recalled “his big personality [and] great intelligence”

In 2012, the Hastings Business Law Journal honored him as its Distinguished Professor of the Year.

Fred valued honesty, directness and loyalty. He was known for his wry sense of humor and incisive intellect. His family was the most important part of his life. His close relationship with his granddaughter, Luci, was one of his greatest joys. Fred was tremendously proud of his son Mark’s and daughter, Lisa’s accomplishments.

He was an active member of the Bohemian Club and cherished the friendships he developed there. Everyone who knew him misses his playfulness, sharp wit and big presence.

He is survived by his beloved wife, Barbara, his daughter Lisa, son, Mark, granddaughter, Luci, daughter-in-law, Kelly and his brother David. He is also survived by extended family members Bill Beck and Susan Cleaver. His family has planned March 23, 2019 Celebration of Life in Half Moon Bay, CA.