The 71-year-old founder of Mayer Brown‘s US Supreme Court practice, Mr Shapiro served as US deputy solicitor general during the Reagan administration. He also appeared regularly at the court, arguing 30 cases and personally briefing in over 200 cases.

Shocked and saddened

Mr Shapiro’s death has shocked legal circles from Chicago to Washington, with friends and colleagues praising a top lawyer who had modest tastes and lacked pretention. A statement issued by Mayer Brown said, ‘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.’ Mr Shapiro left Mayer Brown in 1978 to work in the solicitor general’s office and returned in 1983. He was deputy solicitor general from 1981-83 after serving as an assistant to the solicitor general from 1978-80. Among his responsibilities were briefing and arguing cases for the federal government in the Supreme Court and supervising appellate litigation in the courts of appeals. He was also co-author of the 2013 book, Supreme Court Practice.

‘Domestic-related’

Police were called to what they termed ‘a domestic-related shooting’ and a suspect was taken into custody about three hours after the shooting. The suspect, who is yet to be identified, had fled Shapiro’s home and barricaded himself in his nearby apartment. The suspect was arrested following a brief standoff with a SWAT team. A neigbour told local news sources, ‘I've never seen a gun ever in Winnetka. This is one of the most safest neighborhoods in the entire world. Northfield police said they expected to file charges against the suspect in custody.