Born on September 2, 1942 in New Jersey, Robert Shapiro is a prominent criminal defense lawyer who currently heads the White-Collar Defense Section of the California law firm Christensen, Glaser, Wink, Fink, Jacobs & Shapiro, LLP. Shapiro graduated from Loyola Law School in 1968, where he also received 2 American Juris Prudence Awards.

Recognized in the New York Times as one of the nation’s most prominent attorneys, Robert Shapiro focuses on the practice of criminal and civil law, principally on litigation. Other recognitions for his notable works include his inclusion in the 100 Super Lawyers by The Los Angeles Daily Journal; being the recipient of the pro-bono lawyer of the year from the State of Nevada; and being honored by the California State Bar Journal for having written one of the 10 Best Legal Articles of the decade. In 1994, Shapiro won the title of “Defense Counsel of the Year” in recognition of his competence in crafting a deal.

Robert Shapiro is most known for being part of the defense team of ex-football player O.J. Simpson in the 1995 criminal trial for the murder of Simpson’s ex-wife, Nicole, and her friend Ronald Goldman, in 1994. The defense team successfully defended their client with Simpson’s acquittal from the criminal charges. Other famous personalities represented by Shapiro include Johnny Carson, Linda Lovelace, Christian Brando, Robert Evans, and famous athletes Darryl Strawberry, José Canseco, and Vince Coleman. Shapiro has represented corporate clients as well, including Northrop, Lawrence Engineering, and Mobil Oil. Shapiro has handled civil cases like representing Occidental Petroleum and John Paul Mitchell Systems in litigation. Robert Shapiro has also displayed his expertise in international law through his successful representation of Zhang Hongbao, a Chinese fugitive, and Amdi Peterson, founder of the Teacher’s Group.

Following the death of his son, Brent, due to drug overdose when he experimented on putting a half tab of Ecstasy on his alcohol in 2005, Robert Shapiro founded The Brent Shapiro Foundation for Drug Awareness, a non-profit organization committed to raising awareness on alcohol dependency; supporting research, and facilitating discussions to educate people throughout the country.

Shapiro has authored a couple of books including When the Press Calls, For the Defense, the New York Times Bestseller The Search For Justice: A Defense Attorney’s Brief on the O.J. Simpson Case, and the novel Misconception. Robert Shapiro also co-founded LegalZoom, a leading online legal documentation service.