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Argues that the institution of friendship deserves the same legal protection & recognition as families, households, & professional relationships. A definition of a friend is provided, delineating several core characteristics of friendship. It is contended that the centrality of friendship to people's lives requires that law take notice. Further, laws, legal institutions, & public policy agendas should be oriented toward promoting & facilitating friendship. D. Edelman

Friendship is one of our most important social institutions. It is the not only the salve for personal loneliness and isolation; it is the glue that binds society together. Yet for a host of reasons--longer hours at work, the Internet, suburban sprawl--many have argued that friendship is on the decline in contemporary America. In social surveys, researchers have found that Americans on average have fewer friends today than in times past. In Friend v. Friend, Ethan J. Leib takes stock of this most ancient of social institutions and its ongoing transformations, and contends that it could benefit