‘Superhero’ Lawyer Who Argued Before Supreme Court Killed In Domestic Dispute
Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
A prominent Chicago-area lawyer was killed in his home in a domestic dispute, the Chicago Tribune reported Tuesday.
A suspect was escorted by police out of his Winnetka, Illinois, apartment and is being questioned.
Stephen Shapiro was known as a “superhero” among his fellow attorneys.
“We are shocked and saddened to learn of the death of Steve Shapiro, our friend and colleague. Steve joined our firm in 1972 and was promoted to partner in 1978, becoming one of the most accomplished appellate lawyers in the United States. Our thoughts are with Steve’s family at this difficult time,” said his law firm, Mayer Brown.
Shapiro was a partner at Mayer Brown and the senior member of the Supreme Court and appellate practice that he had founded. He argued thirty cases before the U.S. Supreme Court.
“He was the most unassuming, ‘Oh, golly gee’ kind of a guy,” said his friend Alan Salpeter, an attorney who knew Shapiro for decades. “In a way he was an enigma because he was so sophisticated as a lawyer but so down-to-earth as a person.”
Contact Aisha Tahir at [email protected] or on Twitter, @aishatahir
Did you know that only 2% of Forward readers donate to support our nonprofit newsroom? That 2% make it possible for millions to read the Forward without a paywall or subscription — removing any barriers to the full and fair Jewish story.
But while the Forward is free to read, it isn’t free to produce. Big stories — like deep dives into the antisemitism data, political scoops or reporting trips to college campuses — take months of research and fact-checking. All while we keep you informed of what you need to know each day.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Forward Publisher & CEO
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
