Background
Gabel is the only son of Arlene Francis and Martin Gabel.
Gabel is the only son of Arlene Francis and Martin Gabel.
He graduated from Deerfield Academy, received his Bachelor of Arts (1968) and Juris Doctor (1972) from Harvard University, where he served as editor for the Harvard Lampoon, and received his Doctor of Philosophy from the Wright Institute in 1981.
Early life and education
Gabel taught law at Boalt Hall (the law school of the University of California, Berkeley) and at the University of Minnesota before becoming a law professor for 30 years at the New College of California School of Law. He also served as New College"s president for 20 years. The college, founded in 1971, was an alternative school in the Mission District that offered undergraduate degrees as well as graduate degrees in psychology and law before its accreditation was revoked and the school was forced to close in June 2008.
One of the group"s successful actions was to save a small independent bookstore, Cover to Cover, which was hurt by a publishing slump.
Gabel created a group email for neighbors who wanted to help and distributed fliers in the neighborhood, asking neighbors to sign a list pledging to buy a hardback book every month. Gabel is the bassist in Central Park Zoo, a dance band.
He has published more than a dozen articles in law journals such as the Harvard Law Review and Texas Law Review, focusing on the role of law in shaping popular consciousness and on how law can best be used to bring about progressive social change.