Robert Leslie Shapiro (born September 2, 1942) is an American attorney and entrepreneur. He is best known for being the short-term defense lawyer of Erik Menéndez in 1990, and a member of the "Dream Team" of O. J. Simpson's attorneys that successfully defended him from the charges that he murdered his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and Ron Goldman, in 1994. He later turned to civil work and co-founded ShoeDazzle, LegalZoom, and RightCounsel.com, appearing in their television commercials.
In the case of Lyle and Erik Menéndez, who murdered their parents in 1989, Shapiro arranged the surrender of Erik in 1990, who at the time of Lyle's arrest was in Israel for a tennis tournament. He later represented Erik during their first arraignment, until the defense was handed over to Leslie Abramson, who represented Erik until the brothers' conviction in 1996.[6]
Shapiro played a crucial role in the O. J. Simpson murder case. Already associated with Simpson, on June 17, 1994, he was present at Robert Kardashian's press conference pleading for Simpson to turn himself in to the police. According to Shapiro, Simpson's psychiatrists agreed that his letter to "friends", which Kardashian read over the air, was a suicide note. On television, Shapiro appealed to Simpson to surrender.[7] Later that day, after the famous low-speed "Bronco chase", Simpson surrendered to the police, with Shapiro's assistance.
When the actual trial began, Shapiro led the defense team (dubbed the "Dream Team"), but later ceded lead chair to Johnnie Cochran.[8][9][10] Despite their team's success in freeing Simpson, Shapiro criticized his fellow Dream Team attorneys F. Lee Bailey (calling him a "loose cannon") and Cochran, for bringing race into the trial.[11] In his book The Search for Justice: A Defense Attorney's Brief on the O.J. Simpson Case (1998),[12] Shapiro states that he does not believe Simpson was framed by the LAPD but does believe the verdict was correct due to reasonable doubt.[13] Shortly after the Simpson trial, Shapiro steered his practice away from criminal defense toward civil litigation.
Shapiro was sued by record producer Phil Spector for refusing to return a $1 million retainer for legal services. Spector ultimately settled the lawsuit against Shapiro for an undisclosed amount.[14]
On April 30, 2007, Shapiro was the subject of a published appellate opinion involving allegations that he had forwarded a request from his client to the client's CEO to remove twelve duffel bags, each containing $500,000 in cash, from the client's apartment, prior to a judge's order freezing the client's assets. In that opinion the California Court of Appeal held that Shapiro's law firm, Christensen Miller Fink Jacobs Glaser Weil & Shapiro LLP, could be held liable for his alleged misconduct, even though Shapiro holds no equity interest in the firm and is not a true partner.[15] Ultimately, Shapiro settled the case for $450,000 (nearly twice the amount he said he was paid to represent the client in the first place), without admitting any wrongdoing.[16][17]
Shapiro frequently writes about the law and has published multiple books on the subject. In 2013, The National Law Journal named him on the list of the 100 Most Influential Lawyers in America.[20] Shapiro has also been recognized among the "500 Leading Lawyers in America," by Lawdragon in 2023 [21] and has been consistently named to Southern California Super Lawyers for decades. [22]
Children's book
Shapiro created Somo the Sober Monkey, a character in the children's book Somo Says No, which has an anti-drug theme.[23] It is made available to schools free of charge.[24]
Shapiro married Linell Thomas on March 8, 1970. They had two sons, Grant and Brent.
After his son Brent's death from a drug overdose in 2005, he founded the Brent Shapiro Foundation, a nonprofit organization with an aim to raise drug awareness, for which he serves as chairman of the board, as well as Pickford Lofts, a rehabilitation facility.[28]
Portrayals in films and television
Shapiro is known as a "celebrity" lawyer and as such is a celebrity himself. He has appeared as himself (or as a lawyer resembling his real-life self) in a number of films and television series, including the film Havoc (2005). He has also been portrayed by actors in film dramatizations of the O.J. Simpson murder trial.
Douglass Olsson portrayed Shapiro in the NBC miniseries Law & Order: True Crime - The Menendez Murders (2017). Olsson appeared in the second episode as Erik Menendez's lawyer who surrendered him to the LAPD from Israel. Shapiro was then mentioned several times by Erik Menendez in the seventh episode during a conversation with O. J. Simpson.[32]
^PCO, Inc. v. Shapiro, case no. BC262706, 2008 WL 2062773 (Judgment Enforcing Settlement Agreement (Los Angeles County Superior Court 6-Mar-2008) (""Plaintiffs PCO and PCO, Inc., through their receiver, Barry A Fisher, shall, and hereby do, have JUDGMENT against Defendant Robert L Shapiro (hereafter “Shapiro”) in the amount of $450,000 00, said amount having already been satisfied""), Text.
^"For Parents". TheSoberMonkey.com. The Brent Shapiro Foundation For Alcohol and Drug Awareness. Archived from the original on March 22, 2015. Retrieved April 18, 2015.
^"Childrens Books". The Brent Shapiro Foundation. Archived from the original on April 19, 2015. Retrieved April 18, 2015.