Dr. Freedman is an emeritus Professor of psychology at the University of Toronto. He grew up in New York City, did his undergraduate work at Harvard, and his graduate work at Yale where he earned a Ph.D in social psychology. He taught at Stanford University and then Columbia University, and moved to the University of Toronto (U of T) as Chair of the department.

At U of T, he has held various administrative positions, including Dean and Principal of the University of Toronto Scarborough and Deputy Provost of the University. His research has focused on social influence, the effect of media violence, and psychological issues in the law. He is Co-President of the Association in Defence of the Wrongly Convicted (AIDWYC).