 Fitzpatrick was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and received his BA in political science from Saint Joseph's University (then known as Saint Joseph's College) in 1952.He received his LL.B degree from the University of Pennsylvania Law School in 1955.Fitzpatrick initially gained notoriety through his representation of defendants in several high-profile federal criminal cases, including Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act-related prosecutions.