David Shrager
Encyclopedia
United States
trial lawyer, author, speaker, and philanthropist. A former president of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, he specialized in major and complex civil litigation representing consumers, injured healthcare workers and individuals, and appeared on many occasions before the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
, including cases that resulted in fundamental changes in the laws protecting the rights of injured victims.
, he served as president (1983 - 1984), and also as president of the Roscoe Pound
Foundation (1985 - 1988), which works to preserve access to the civil-justice system.
Shrager edited the definitive treatise on the Pennsylvania No-Fault Motor Vehicle Act and was co-author of The Quotable Lawyer. He also established a Foundation, which supports artists and arts programs for disadvantaged children, as well as an endowment for research and patient care at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.
Shrager graduated from the University of Pennsylvania
in 1957, and from the University of Pennsylvania Law School
in 1960. At Penn he was president of the debate society, an All-Ivy League
fencing
champion for epee, and a member of Phi Beta Kappa. After graduating from the law school, he began his legal career at what became the Philadelphia law firm of Farage & Shrager. Later he was the senior partner of Shrager, McDaid, Loftus, Flum & Spivey, and finally Shrager, Spivey & Sachs.
-related illness and multi-district litigation on behalf of healthcare workers with latex allergy
. He also represented the father of Michael Ward, aka Birdie Africa, the sole child survivor of the much-publicized 1985 MOVE
fire in Philadelphia
in a 1987 lawsuit against the city for injuries suffered in the fire.
, Shrager was chair of ATLA's organization review committee, and was named to the executive committee. He received two of its most prestigious awards: the 1995 Harry M. Philo Award in recognition of his leadership in protecting the rights of individuals through the civil-justice system; and the 2004 Leonard M. Ring Award for his distinguished service to the association. Shrager was also one of the first volunteer lawyers to participate in "Trial Lawyers Care" a major pro bono effort undertaken to aid victims of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.
David Shrager's other professional honors included an appointment to the civil-procedure rules committee of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
(1978 - 1988), service as chair of the civil-litigation section of the Pennsylvania Bar Association, service on the board of the Pennsylvania Bar Institute (1982 - 1984), and appointment as a judge pro-tem of the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas (1992 - 1998). Additionally, he served as a diplomate of the National Board of Trial Advocacy (1980 - 1986) and for six years on the overseers board of the Institute of Civil Justice at the RAND
Corporation. He was recognized for many years in The Best Lawyers in America and listed in the Bar Register of Preeminent Practitioners.
In 2006, in honor of Shrager's lifetime of contributions to the bar, the Association of Trial Lawyers of America
(now the American Association for Justice or AAJ) renamed it's president's annual recognition award "The David S. Shrager President's Award." In 2007, the Philadelphia Bar Association inducted Shrager as a "Legend of the Bar." In July 2009, Shrager was inducted into AAJ's "Hall of Fame," in recognition of "outstanding integrity, upstanding character, and dedication to AAJ and to the overall public welfare of all Americans."
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
trial lawyer, author, speaker, and philanthropist. A former president of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, he specialized in major and complex civil litigation representing consumers, injured healthcare workers and individuals, and appeared on many occasions before the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania is the court of last resort for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It meets in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.-History:...
, including cases that resulted in fundamental changes in the laws protecting the rights of injured victims.
Career
David S. Shrager was a founding member of Trial Lawyers for Public Justice (now known as Public Justice Foundation), and was a principal founder of the Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association and served as president (1971 - 1972). A life member of the Association of Trial Lawyers of AmericaAssociation of Trial Lawyers of America
The American Association for Justice , formerly the Association of Trial Lawyers of America is the leading organization for lawyers representing plaintiffs in the United States...
, he served as president (1983 - 1984), and also as president of the Roscoe Pound
Roscoe Pound
Nathan Roscoe Pound was a distinguished American legal scholar and educator. He was Dean of Harvard Law School from 1916 to 1936...
Foundation (1985 - 1988), which works to preserve access to the civil-justice system.
Shrager edited the definitive treatise on the Pennsylvania No-Fault Motor Vehicle Act and was co-author of The Quotable Lawyer. He also established a Foundation, which supports artists and arts programs for disadvantaged children, as well as an endowment for research and patient care at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.
Shrager graduated from the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
in 1957, and from the University of Pennsylvania Law School
University of Pennsylvania Law School
The University of Pennsylvania Law School, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the law school of the University of Pennsylvania. A member of the Ivy League, it is among the oldest and most selective law schools in the nation. It is currently ranked 7th overall by U.S. News & World Report,...
in 1960. At Penn he was president of the debate society, an All-Ivy League
Ivy League
The Ivy League is an athletic conference comprising eight private institutions of higher education in the Northeastern United States. The conference name is also commonly used to refer to those eight schools as a group...
fencing
Fencing
Fencing, which is also known as modern fencing to distinguish it from historical fencing, is a family of combat sports using bladed weapons.Fencing is one of four sports which have been featured at every one of the modern Olympic Games...
champion for epee, and a member of Phi Beta Kappa. After graduating from the law school, he began his legal career at what became the Philadelphia law firm of Farage & Shrager. Later he was the senior partner of Shrager, McDaid, Loftus, Flum & Spivey, and finally Shrager, Spivey & Sachs.
Notable Cases
Notable cases for which he served as court-appointed lead counsel include a national class action on behalf of thousands of hemophiliacs with HIVHIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
-related illness and multi-district litigation on behalf of healthcare workers with latex allergy
Latex allergy
Latex allergy is a medical term encompassing a range of allergic reactions to natural rubber latex.-Type I:The most serious and rare form, type I is an immediate and potentially life-threatening reaction, not unlike the severe reaction some people have to bee stings...
. He also represented the father of Michael Ward, aka Birdie Africa, the sole child survivor of the much-publicized 1985 MOVE
MOVE
MOVE or the MOVE Organization is a Philadelphia-based black liberation group founded by John Africa. MOVE was described by CNN as "a loose-knit, mostly black group whose members all adopted the surname Africa, advocated a "back-to-nature" lifestyle and preached against technology." The group...
fire in Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
in a 1987 lawsuit against the city for injuries suffered in the fire.
Honors and awards
During his extensive service to the Association of Trial Lawyers of AmericaAssociation of Trial Lawyers of America
The American Association for Justice , formerly the Association of Trial Lawyers of America is the leading organization for lawyers representing plaintiffs in the United States...
, Shrager was chair of ATLA's organization review committee, and was named to the executive committee. He received two of its most prestigious awards: the 1995 Harry M. Philo Award in recognition of his leadership in protecting the rights of individuals through the civil-justice system; and the 2004 Leonard M. Ring Award for his distinguished service to the association. Shrager was also one of the first volunteer lawyers to participate in "Trial Lawyers Care" a major pro bono effort undertaken to aid victims of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.
David Shrager's other professional honors included an appointment to the civil-procedure rules committee of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania is the court of last resort for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It meets in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.-History:...
(1978 - 1988), service as chair of the civil-litigation section of the Pennsylvania Bar Association, service on the board of the Pennsylvania Bar Institute (1982 - 1984), and appointment as a judge pro-tem of the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas (1992 - 1998). Additionally, he served as a diplomate of the National Board of Trial Advocacy (1980 - 1986) and for six years on the overseers board of the Institute of Civil Justice at the RAND
RAND
RAND Corporation is a nonprofit global policy think tank first formed to offer research and analysis to the United States armed forces by Douglas Aircraft Company. It is currently financed by the U.S. government and private endowment, corporations including the healthcare industry, universities...
Corporation. He was recognized for many years in The Best Lawyers in America and listed in the Bar Register of Preeminent Practitioners.
In 2006, in honor of Shrager's lifetime of contributions to the bar, the Association of Trial Lawyers of America
Association of Trial Lawyers of America
The American Association for Justice , formerly the Association of Trial Lawyers of America is the leading organization for lawyers representing plaintiffs in the United States...
(now the American Association for Justice or AAJ) renamed it's president's annual recognition award "The David S. Shrager President's Award." In 2007, the Philadelphia Bar Association inducted Shrager as a "Legend of the Bar." In July 2009, Shrager was inducted into AAJ's "Hall of Fame," in recognition of "outstanding integrity, upstanding character, and dedication to AAJ and to the overall public welfare of all Americans."