Huge Loss for Appellate Community

Last week the appellate advocacy community lost one of its stars.  Stephen Shapiro, the founder of Mayer Brown's Supreme Court  practice and a well-known advocate before the high court, was shot and killed in his Chicago-area home.  During his impressive career, Shapiro argued 30 cases before the Supreme Court and briefed at least 200 cases.  He was the author of the treatise "Supreme Court Practice."

Shapiro's brother-in-law, John Gately III, has been charged in the murder.  According to the Chicago Tribune, "Gately also attempted to shoot his sister, Joan Shapiro, the wife of the attorney who was killed, authorities said. They said Joan Shapiro had been paying Gately’s rent and providing him other financial support but that the siblings had argued about how he was handling the money."

Our thoughts and prayers are with the Shapiro family during this time.