As we were pondering our past and setting goals for our future, Richard D. Shapero died yesterday at age 63. He will always be remembered for taking the Kentucky Bar Association to the United States Supreme Court, which resulted in a significant opinion striking down bar restrictions on lawyer advertising. Shapero v. Kentucky Bar Association, 486 U.S. 466 (1988) .
As we were pondering our past and setting goals for our future, Richard D. Shapero died yesterday at age 63. He will always be remembered for taking the Kentucky Bar Association to the United States Supreme Court, which resulted in a significant opinion striking down bar restrictions on lawyer advertising. Shapero v. Kentucky Bar Association, 486 U.S. 466 (1988) . You’ll also find a transcript of the oral arguments online.
A gutsy guy, lightyears ahead of his time, he enjoyed the business side of law much more than the actual practice of law. His forte was bringing in P.I. cases and then farming them out to other attorneys. His trademark, long before other lawfirms thought of tag lines or trademarks, was ” I Know The Experts.” His early TV ads made traditional lawyers cringe, but he spoke a language lay people understood and they hired him.
A memorial service will be held Wednesday at The Temple in Louisville. I bet the stories about Pin Ball Wizard will be doozies. We’ve lost one of a kind.
