PRO BONO EFFORTS:
 

For his pro bono dedication, Mr. Shapiro was presented San Bernardino County's highest award for pro bono recognition, the "Matthew Kearney Award," for "outstanding contribution to the community through 20 years of dedicated service to the Legal Aid Society of San Bernardino."

Spanning 3 decades, Mr. Shapiro has participated in the San Bernardino Legal Aid Society, providing legal services to the indigent, victims of fire and other disasters. During the last 20 years, he has been on the Executive Board of Legal Aid, traveling throughout the state both as a spokesperson and representing the Legal Aid Society in fund-raising efforts, meetings with officials of the California State Bar, Inland Counties Legal Services, the City and County of San Bernardino, as well as other private entities. In addition to direct financial contributions, he encourages others to join him in donating all funds received from speaking engagements.

The San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors recently presented him a Proclamation recognizing Mr. Shapiro for the efforts and dedication in support of "National Law Day" activities. California State Senator Joe Baca honored Mr. Shapiro proclaiming "for over 20 years of providing legal services to the indigent community and donated both time and money to the cause," presenting him with the Senator's "Certificate of Recognition.",

Dedicated to educating youth and community on the law, since its inception, Mr. Shapiro has been a part of the unique "Outreach program of California's 4th District Court of Appeal." Traveling to local area high schools, the Court listens to actual appeals argued before students, after which Mr. Shapiro partners with the 4th District Court of Appeals' Presiding Justice Manual Ramirez, Justice Jeffrey King and others in classrooms to discuss law and the legal profession. A strong supporter of the ABOTA Foundation, he is a "Legacy level Fellow" contributor. He has been active in promoting the Foundation's "Justice for the People" program in local schools. Mr. Shapiro has been honored to participate in programs and demonstration videos for Judge's college, as well as several times appearing on Public Television interviewed on legal topics.

Eager to assist in access to the Courts, Mr. Shapiro has and continues to serve as Judge pro tem in both San Bernardino and Riverside Counties, as well as donating his time as an arbitrator and mediator. On behalf of Riverside County, Presiding Judge Richard Fields recently presented Mr. Shapiro a Certificate of Appreciation for his Superior Court pro tem efforts. In addition to serving the trial courts, Mr. Shapiro was a charter mediator of the 4th District Court of Appeal's groundbreaking mediation program. Recognized for his outstanding efforts, the Court's Presiding Justice, Manual Ramirez, presented him with the "Ralph N. Kleps Award," "for Improvement in the Administration of the Courts."

His pro bono efforts further demonstrate leadership in the legal community. As a founding member, he served as President of the Joseph B. Campbell Chapter of the American INN's of Court where under his leadership the membership and quality of programming excelled. He was past President of the Inland Chapter of the California Trial Lawyers Association. Since admission to the Bar, Mr. Shapiro has been an active member in the San Bernardino County Bar Association, where he has been a member of the Executive Board, as well as serving on the Medical/Legal, Trial Delay Reduction, Alternative Dispute Resolution Committees. He currently serves on the Judicial Appointment Committee, Historical Committee, as well as being a panelist for Fee Dispute Resolution. In 2007-2008, Mr. Shapiro served as President of the San Bernardino County Bar Association, where his primary objective has been to increase the image of the legal profession, publishing monthly articles on the topic. Also for 2007-2008, Mr. Shapiro served as President of the San Bernardino/Riverside Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates. Since 2007, he has been on the Executive Board of CAL ABOTA and in 2009, was appointed to the National Board of the American Board of Trial Advocates. He has participated in several ABOTA, "Masters In Trial" programs and in 2008 as President, was honored in Dallas, Texas to accept ABOTA's National "Chapter of the Year" Award presented to Mr. Shapiro on behalf of the San Bernardino/Riverside Chapter.
JUDICIAL INVOLVEMENT:
Aside from providing free legal services directly to those in the community, the legal system itself calls upon lawyers to provide their services and abilities, to contribute to the administration of the legal system. Year after year, William Shapiro is proud to have served as Judge Pro Tem, presiding over trials, settlement conferences and hearings for both the Municipal and Superior Courts. As one of the original Justice Pro Tem Mediators with the Fourth District Court of Appeal, he was instrumental in the current success of the appellate courts mediation program having been a recipient of the, “Ralph N. Kleps Award,” "for improvement in the administration of the Courts," awarded by Division Two of the Fourth District Court of Appeal. Following the State of California implementing the Arbitration System over a decade ago, Mr. Shapiro has presided over hundreds of Judicial Arbitrations, and has served and continues to serve on the A.D.R. Committee (Alternative Dispute Resolution) of the San Bernardino County Bar which provides the recommendations to the Courts as to administration of the Arbitration Program.
INSTRUCTION / LECTURE:

In addition to serving the needy and Judiciary, William Shapiro donates his time to provide legal instruction and lectures within the legal community, as well as participating in the many programs and local efforts to provide awareness of legal issues to the community.

Having held a California Teaching Credential, as well spending years as an Associate Professor of Products Liability, Torts, and Legal Ethics, at the Western State University College of Law located in Orange County, Mr. Shapiro was asked, and agreed to be one of three panelist for the Riverside County Bar Associations, "Annual Trial Conference." Dedicated to the improvement of an attorneys trial skills, Mr. Shapiro, along with his co-panelist, donated four (4) consecutive days with the attendees of the conference. For the seven (7) consecutive years he served, he attended the planning meetings, as well as offering scholarships to those who wanted to attend however due to financial hardship were unable to do so. Consistent with his belief in Continuing Education, Mr. Shapiro was asked, and was a guest lecturer/speaker in the field of Trial Evidence at the Citrus Belt, School of Law, as well as conferences and seminars of the following: Association of Trial Lawyers of America, the California Trial Lawyers Association, the Riverside, and San Bernardino County Bar Associations, the Western San Bernardino County Bar Association, the San Bernardino County Legal Secretaries Association, the American Arbitration Association, the Riverside (Leo A. Deegan) , as well as the San Bernardino (Joseph B. Campbell) Chapters of the Inn's of Court, the Judicial Arbitration and Mediation Service, Bancroft Whitney Continuing Legal Education, the State Farm Insurance Company, Aetna Insurance Company, Farmers Insurance Company, the Southern California Insurance Adjusters Association, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the San Bernardino County Medical Center, and the Center for Judicial Education and Research.

In addition to the donated efforts identified above, Mr. Shapiro, has devoted time directly to the community in speaking to the students at many of the local elementary, middle and high schools as well as to the members of numerous service organizations including, the Optimist Clubs, Kiwanis Clubs. They have been involved with, and has made many public service television appearances on, "Legal Issues," a program devoted to educating the community of interesting topics in the field of law, as well as appearing as a special guest on public television's KCVR, "On Call," to educate on issues of law.
COMMITTEES:
Going farther then simply becoming a dues paying member of the many associations William Shapiro has joined, he is directly involved in subcommittees within the organization. Within the American Bar Association, Mr. Shapiro is a committee member of the, "Torts and Insurance Section," (T.I.P.S.) as well as the, "Products, General Liability and Consumer Law Section." Within the State Bar of California, Mr. Shapiro is a member of the, "Insurance Litigation Committee," and he served as President of the California Trial Lawyers Association, Inland Empire Chapter in 1986-1988. Withing the, "Association of Trial Lawyers of America," Mr. Shapiro was a member of the, "ATV Litigation Group."
CHARITIES:
The Law Offices of William D. Shapiro make direct financial contributions to the following charities: San Bernardino Police, children's groups, underprivileged kids programs, Pop Warner Football, A.Y.S.O. youth soccer, youth little league, sponsorship of youth baseball, basketball, football and soccer teams. In addition to these donations, Mr. Shapiro is proud to report they he has been head and assistant coaches for many youth sports teams, and remains active in youth sports and activities in their community.