David Shapiro represents the true Renaissance man of legal academia. He has been a scholar, reformer, advocate, public servant and teacher, and at every turn, he has been a leader and model of excellence. There is much in his brilliant career to celebrate.

David is an icon of federal courts jurisprudence. He has published countless important articles on the subject, authored the celebrated book “Federalism: A Dialogue” and edited four of the five editions of the masterful “Hart and Wechsler’s Federal Courts and the Federal System.”

David’s significant contributions to federal courts jurisprudence led his fellow Hart and Wechsler editors, Daniel Meltzer [’75] and Richard Fallon, to dedicate the fifth edition to him. As the subject of the book’s dedication, David joins Felix Frankfurter, Henry M. Hart Jr., Henry Friendly and Herbert Wechsler—the “Federal Courts Hall of Fame.”

David’s impact, moreover, can be felt far and wide in the law. He has taught and written about statutory interpretation, civil procedure, administrative law, labor law and criminal law. Likewise, he has served as a reporter and adviser on several important American Law Institute projects.

David is also a lawyer’s lawyer. As deputy solicitor general in the first Bush administration, he argued 10 cases before the Supreme Court. He must have been a compelling advocate, for he won cases that, even with the benefit of hindsight, seemed like uphill battles. He has also collaborated on Supreme Court briefs throughout his career, work that continues even today.