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Hello!
I was given a small Juniper (I believe) about a year ago by a family friend. The bonsai had belonged to her son, my close friend, who had recently passed away in a motorcycle accident. She gave my family the tree as a gift from her son.
I am not a bonsai expert at all, I grow some roses and I have a few small succulents but they don’t do well usually. I didn’t know how to care for the tree really so I treated it like a succulent a watered it very little. I kept it outside but in the shade mostly last summer (I live in the PNW). I went on vacation for 2 weeks and my mother in law put it in the direct sunLight for a week because she thought it needed more light. It was in 80+ for a week. I was furious that she killed it but she didn’t know how to care for the tree and I hadn’t told her what to do what it really. I had watered it before we left and I thought she would just leave it alone.

When I came home my Juniper was fried and I was so upset at what had happened to my friends beloved tree. The leaves once were an evergreen color and now they are orangish yellow, dry and brittle. They are sharp and break off if I touch them. The trunk of the tree seems to be alive though. I gave it bonsai fertilizer and I water it sparingly. I believe it’s still alive but I have no idea what to do, is it even save able now? Do I prune off all the dead leaves? Any advice would be greatly appreciated, I hope I can save my friends tree but I’m aware it’s likely too late. Thank you!

A picture would help, but as you say it's probably too late.
Needle trees can be dead long before their needles become brown, so it' was probably already too late before you brought it to your mother in law.
Without seeing the tree I'd say not enough water over a longer period of time.
Junipers need a lot of sun ( so not in the shade) but also need to be watered regularly ( as in give it a good drench with the garden hose until water spills from the drainage hole)

It sound as if you had it inside, that as good as killed it, Junipers need sun and full sun is good. The temperature was not that high, but watering is essential,. I am watering every day unless it is heavy rain all day, otherwise my trees are watered every day. As Luc says above.

Yeah, it is gone.
Your tree dried out due to underwatering, and not being used to being in the sun (Bad idea, keeping juniper in the shade & dry). And then, you tried to revive it by fertilizing, which is the opposite of what was needed. Sorry.

Nest time, read up a little on the care for a species when you buy it.