Homicide Of Renowned North Shore Attorney Shocks Legal Community
NORTHFIELD, IL — The man found shot and killed in his Northfield home Monday evening is being remembered as an accomplished and influential attorney who argued dozens of cases before the highest court. Stephen M. Shapiro, 72, of the 200 block of Latrobe Avenue, died from multiple gunshot wounds around 7:19 p.m., according to police.
A North Shore native, Shapiro was a partner at the Chicago-based law firm Mayer Brown, where he was a partner and the founder of the firm's Supreme Court and appellate practice. He was also the author a treatise on practicing before the Court regarded as essential reading.
After joining Mayer Brown in 1972, Shapiro was made a partner in 1978. He would become "one of the most accomplished appellate lawyers in the United States," the firm said in a statement.
“We are shocked and saddened to learn of the death of Steve Shapiro, our friend and colleague,” it said. "Our thoughts are with Steve’s family at this difficult time.”
Shapiro left the firm, now ranked among the 15 largest in the country, to serve in the Office of the Solicitor General for five years after becoming partner. He would go on to argue 30 cases before the Supreme Court and brief more than 200, according to an online biography.
Timothy Bishop, who worked with Shapiro for more than a quarter century, remembered his mentor for his ability to rapidly devour background material and grasp the heart of any new matter.
“If I’ve ever worked with a lawyer who deserved the description of genius, I think it was Steve,” Bishop, who worked with Shapiro on a daily basis beginning in 1991, told The American Lawyer.
Shapiro was a brilliant legal mind with a strong community ethic, family and former colleagues told the Chicago Tribune. One former Mayer Brown attorney said he was the type of lawyer other lawyers would go to for legal advice. His daughter, who now teaches law, said her dad, a former top swimmer at New Trier High School, liked the simple things and made a habit of checking up on elderly neighbors.
Lori Lightfoot, a former Mayer Brown partner and current candidate for mayor of Chicago, said he was "one of the most down-to-earth people you'll ever meet" and a "really great guy," the Tribune reported. "People who know him are devastated by this news."
Shapiro's fatal shooting provoked a response and an hourslong standoff with a man suspected of involvement. Police described the shooting as "domestic related."
Northfield police said the suspect immediately fled the scene of the killing to his Winnetka apartment near the intersection of Green Bay and Tower roads. Winnetka police called in the Northern Illinois Police Alarm System's Emergency Services Team, which functions as a multi-agency suburban SWAT team. Officers set up a perimeter around the apartment building and redirected traffic while urging residents nearby to stay indoors.
Detectives from the North Regional Major Crimes Task Force have interviewed the man who surrendered around 10:35 p.m. after being surrounded in his apartment by heavily armed police Monday night. His identity had not been released and no charges had been filed as of late Tuesday. Northfield police said they anticipate filing criminal charges as the investigation proceeds.
"It is not very often we encounter this type of incident in Winnetka, and we realize it can be frightening to see or hear this activity so close to your known," said Chief Marc Hornstein, who estimated 70 to 80 officers were involved in the response.
"This incident could have had a very different outcome had it not been for the professionalism and commitment of all officers involved," he said, thanking residents and partnering suburban agencies for their assistance.
Earlier: Fatal Shooting In Northfield, Arrest In Winnetka After Standoff »
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