Judge Milton I. Shadur, who died on Jan. 17, at the age of 93, was one of the most prolific federal judges in U.S. history, authoring more than 11,000 opinions and orders during the course of his 37 years on the federal district court bench in Chicago. But one of his opinions has been a constant source of inspiration to me throughout my career.I never got to thank him while he was alive. This essay is my attempt to repay the debt.In 2001, Shadur granted my client Derrick Hardaway a writ of habeas corpus, holding that 14 …