David Israel Shapiro (June 17, 1928 – October 1, 2009)[1] was an American 1st Amendment attorney and civil liberties activist, known best in the United States for his key roles defending people against accusations by the House Committee on Un-American Activities, his representation of the American Nazi Party in a free speech case, and his pioneering of class action lawsuits.
[2] In 1956, Shapiro represented Kendrick Cole in front of the Supreme Court, leading to a decision undermining the Loyalty-Security program.
[3] Shapiro argued the case of Silver v. New York Stock Exchange in 1963 before the Supreme Court, representing a securities dealer who had been excluded from wire connections because of grounds that he was disloyal.
[4] In 1973, Shapiro led the defense of former Richard Nixon White House Counsel Charles Colson,[5] a friend and law partner.
He was one of a group of attorneys who filed a class action lawsuit representing Vietnam veterans against the makers of Agent Orange, a herbicide later shown to cause cancer and birth defects.