Career
In 1887 he was arrested regarding the assassination of Alexander II of Russia but was released due to lack of evidence. In 1902-1917 he worked as a lawyer He was an attorney for Menahem Mendel Beilis, a Jew accused of ritual murder in the infamous Beilis trial.
In 1917 he was the Minister for Justice in the Russian Provisional Government.
After the October Revolution he stopped his political activities and worked as a lawyer in the Soviet Union.