mi_gov_FIEGER
GEOFFREY FIEGER
Age: 47 Born: December 23, 1950, Detroit, Michigan Education: Detroit College of Law, J.D. (1979); University of Michigan, M.A. (1976), B.A. (1974) Military: None Family: Married - Keenie; No children Hometown: Bloomfield Hills, Michigan Religion: Unitarian Career: Practicing attorney (1979-current) |
• Fieger was born in Detroit, Michigan to June and Bernie Fieger. His father was a Freedom Rider in the Deep South during the early days of the civil rights movement. Both of his parents were active in the teachers union movement and his father also was a trial lawyer and general counsel for the Michigan Federation of Teachers.
• Fieger's brother Doug leads the pop music band "The Knack," which hit the top of the charts in 1979 with "My Sharona."
• Upon graduating from high school, Fieger went to the University of Michigan and earned his B.A. and M.A. there. He proceeded on to the Detroit College of Law, from which he graduated in 1989.
• Fieger met his wife Keenie shortly after he finished law school. The marriage has been rocky at times, and she has filed for divorce twice, in 1990 and again in 1995. However, they remain married.
• He has been a practicing attorney his entire professional life. Currently he runs the law firm of Fieger, Fieger & Schwartz in Southfield, Michigan. He specializes in civil rights and personal injury law and is one of the country's leading attorneys in winning multi-million dollar lawsuits.
• Fieger has gained national fame by representing Dr. Jack Kevorkian, the "suicide doctor." While Fieger does not support assisted suicide, he believes that the decision belongs with the individual, not the government.
• A brash, outspoken figure, Fieger has alienated many people. He repeatedly has insulted his opponent, Gov. John Engler, and he has called the Pope "some [expletive]who's wearing a hat three feet tall." Republican leaders have called Fieger a religious bigot, and they have called on the Democratic Party to repudiate "the Democrats' David Duke."