U.S. District Judge Milton Shadur wrote more than 11,000 opinions during 37 years on the federal bench, an output Chief District Judge Ruben Castillo called “a small reflection of his dedication to the rule of law.”

“In addition to this work, Judge Shadur has mentored a number of judges throughout his career, including me,” Castillo said in a statement Tuesday. “Judge Shadur will be remembered for his passion — his passion for his wife and his family, the law and the Northern District of Illinois.”

Shadur, 93, who presided over a pivotal Chicago school desegregation case and a long-running lawsuit over severe overcrowding at Cook County Jail, died Monday after complications from surgery at JourneyCare hospice in Glenview, according to his daughter Beth. He was a resident of Glencoe.

“Judge Milton Shadur devoted his life to upholding justice, to his country, and to his family,” Mayor Rahm Emanuel said in a statement. “He served the country bravely in uniform in World War II, honorably for 37 years on the bench, and will long be remembered for his sharp legal mind, independence and integrity.”

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