Robert B. Fiske Jr., ’55, HLLD ’97, a renowned federal prosecutor and private practitioner who established the Robert B. Fiske Jr. Fellowship Program for Government Service at Michigan Law, died on December 4, 2025. He was 94.
Fiske believed in the value of government service and endowed the Fiske Fellowship Program in 2001 to encourage recent Law School graduates to pursue positions as government lawyers. The fellowship program pays for both college and law school debt for three years, plus a stipend for living expenses. To date, 84 fellows have been supported by the fellowship. (Read more about the program.)
“Bob knew that government service is essential to a healthy democracy and a well-functioning legal system,” said Neel U. Sukhatme, the David A. Breach Dean of Law and professor of law. “Through the Fiske Fellowship, he has enabled dozens of Michigan Law graduates to pursue that work without financial constraint. His generosity and vision will continue to shape our alumni and strengthen the institutions they serve.”
Fiske was born in Brooklyn, New York, and was an alumnus of Pomfret School and Yale University, in addition to Michigan Law. He began his legal career at Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP in 1955, where his practice focused on professional liability, securities, products liability, and white collar crime.
His New York Times obituary called him “a tenacious young prosecutor [who…] earned a reputation for winning challenging cases against organized crime.” In 1960, when he was only 28 years old, he successfully had John Dioguardi, a labor racketeer, sentenced to four years in prison on tax evasion charges after repeated failed convictions against him. In 1977, he secured the conviction of Nicky Barnes, a Harlem drug kingpin who had been known as “Mr. Untouchable” for eluding conviction in four earlier cases. In 1979, Fiske successfully prosecuted Anthony M. Scotto, a powerful and politically connected leader of the longshoremen’s union, who was found guilty of extorting payoffs from waterfront businessmen.
While at Davis Polk, Fiske represented the Judicial Council of the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in disciplinary proceedings against a US District judge and served as chairman of a Judicial Commission on Drugs and the Courts appointed by New York State Chief Judge Judith Kaye.
His extensive experience as a government prosecutor also includes service as assistant US attorney for the Southern District of New York from 1957 to 1961 and US attorney for that same district from 1976 to 1980, during which he also served as the chairman of the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee of US Attorneys. In 1994, Fiske served as independent counsel in the Whitewater Investigation of Bill and Hillary Clinton.
In 2008, Fiske became a member of the Commission for the Review of FBI Security Programs and Special Advisor to then-Attorney General Andrew Cuomo in an investigation of the New York State Police. He also served on the seven-member Judicial Compensation Commission established by the New York Legislature to determine compensation of New York State judges.
Additionally, Fiske served as a past president of the American College of Trial Lawyers and the Federal Bar Council; chaired the Standing Committee on Federal Judiciary of the American Bar Association and the Planning and Programming Committee of the Judicial Conference of the Second Circuit; and was a Fellow of the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers.
Beyond his philanthropy, he remained deeply connected to the University of Michigan, serving on U-M President Mary Sue Coleman’s Advisory Group and on the Law School’s Dean’s Advisory Council and Development and Alumni Relations Committee. In addition to his honorary degree from the University, he received the Law School’s Distinguished Alumni Award in 2011.
“Bob used his quiet demeanor and deep intellect for good. He had a profound impact on the legal profession, and he served with integrity, led with generosity, and elevated others through his kind mentorship and wise counsel,” says Mary Buikema, the assistant dean for development and alumni relations at the Law School. “Bob leaves an indelible mark on the world, on Michigan Law, and in the hearts of all who knew him.
Fiske is survived by his wife, Janet; their children, Linda Fiske, Robert Fiske III, and Susan Williams; five grandsons; and one great-grandson.
This obituary draws from that which was published by the New York Times on December 5, 2025.
