Shats Max (Max Shats-Anin) born 22 June 1885 in Jaunjelgava, into a merchant's family; father — Uriel. Studied at the Jaunjelgava city school. In 1905, completed the Jelgava Gymnasium. From 1905, studied law at St Petersburg University. In 1906, was expelled from Russia for political activity. Studied law at the universities of Geneva (Switzerland) and Giessen (Germany); in 1909, completed the University of Bern in Switzerland; in 1913, the Demidov Law Lyceum in Yaroslavl. From 2 October 1913, assistant to sworn advocate Ya. Shablovsky in Riga, then assistant to sworn advocate V. Salmanovich in Riga. From 1915, in evacuation in Petrograd. In 1917, assistant to sworn advocate M. Bomze in Petrograd; was secretary of the editorial board of the journal “Vestnik Trudovoy Pomoshchi.” After the February Revolution of 1917, was a member of the Petrograd Soviet of Workers', Peasants' and Soldiers' Deputies; member of the Central Committee of the Jewish Socialist Workers' Party of Territorialists. From 13 September 1918, assistant to sworn advocate S. Ratner in Kyiv (until 1919); member of the editorial board of the newspapers “Yevreysky Proletariat” and “Neue Zeit.”
In August 1919, returned to Riga. In 1919–21, was chairman of the board of the workers' society “Arbeiterheim”; in 1920–29 — rector of the Jewish People's University. In 1921, spent 3 months in detention by the political police on suspicion of communist activity. From 24 August 1921, assistant to sworn advocate O. Finkelstein in Riga. In 1923–24, editor of the weekly newspaper “Naye Tsayt” of the Jewish cultural society “Kulturliga,” the newspaper was closed. From 1925, legal counsel of the USSR embassy, later worked at the USSR Trade Representation. From 27 April 1927, sworn advocate in Riga. In 1928, lost his sight. On 12 April 1935, by order of the Minister of Justice, was struck off the list of sworn advocates. Was a board member of the Jewish colonisation society “Osek.” In the second half of the 1930s, was engaged in selling property belonging to USSR citizens in Latvia.
During the Soviet occupation, on 3 July 1940, the 1935 striking-off from the list of sworn advocates was annulled. Member of the editorial board of the newspaper “Kampf.” In January 1941, enrolled in the Bar Association; was head of Riga 4th Legal Consultation. Evacuated to Russia. Lived in Kazan, from September 1941 in Almaty, Kazakh SSR. Senior research fellow at the Institute of History, Languages and Literature of the Academy of Sciences and at the State Law Department of the Almaty Law Institute (professor from 1943). In 1943, moved to Moscow; in 1945, returned to Riga. Member of the Communist Party of the USSR from 1944. Was for 40 years a member of the Jewish Anti-Fascist Committee of the USSR.
From May 1945, personal pensioner. In February-April 1953, in detention on charges of “organised anti-Soviet activity.” Was an active publicist, member of the Writers' Union of the USSR and of the Latvian SSR. Died 10 January 1975 in Riga. Buried at the Riga New Jewish Cemetery.
Married Frekha Rosenberg (born 2 May 1898), daughter of Judith. Daughter Ruth (born 4 February 1927, after marriage Maryash) — advocate, deputy of the 5th and 6th Saeima.
Works: Who Needs Pogroms? — St Petersburg, 1905. National Liberation and Socialist Parties. — St Petersburg, 1906. Zur Nationalitätenfrage. — Bern, 1908. Das Nationalproblem der Gegenwart. — Riga, 1910. Social Opposition in the History of the Jews: History of Jewish Social Thought from Ancient Times to the 19th Century. — Riga, 1927. Leading Tendencies in Western European Literature and Art. — Riga, 1932. The Crisis of Bourgeois Culture. — Riga, 1932. Kvēlais tribūns: V. Dermaņa dzīves un cīņu ceļš. — Riga, 1964 (with Yu. Kiper). The Fiery Tribune. — Riga, 1970 (with Yu. Kiper).