 In 1916, he was appointed a Master in Chancery of the Superior Court of Cook County by Judge Albert C. Barnes.On September 18, 1920, Republican Governor Frank Lowden appointed him to the Cook County Circuit Court.In 1921, Judge Friend was assigned the Chicago "Black Sox" case; eight ex-White Sox players had been suspended from baseball after being indicted for throwing the 1919 World Series, along with several gamblers and go-betweens.