[1] Friend was born in Omaha, and graduated from Millard Senior High School in 1980.
He then attended Kearney State College from 1980 to 1982 and Creighton University in journalism, graduated in 1985 but studied law for an extra year.
[citation needed] In 2006, Nebraska lawmakers passed a bill sponsored by Friend that restricts picketing and protesting at funerals.
[citation needed] In August 2009, Friend resigned from the Legislature after governor Dave Heineman appointed him Director of the Office of Violence Prevention.
[1] The office holds the responsibility of overseeing grants to combat community violence.