Johnnie L. Cochran Jr., who became a legal superstar after helping clear O.J. Simpson during a sensational murder trial, died on Tuesday at the age of 67.

Cochran died at his home in Los Feliz of an inoperable brain tumor, according to news reports citing his brother-in-law, Bill Baker. His wife and his two sisters were with him at the time of his death.

With his colorful suits and ties, his gift for courtroom oratory and a knack for coining memorable phrases, Cochran came to epitomize the formidable litigator sought after by the famous and wealthy in legal distress.

The phrase, “If it doesn’t fit, you must acquit,” would be quoted and parodied for years after the Simpson trial. It derived from a dramatic moment during which Simpson tried on a pair of bloodstained “murder gloves” to show jurors they did not fit. Some legal experts called it the turning point in the trial.

But long before his defense of Simpson, Cochran was challenging the Los Angeles Police Department’s misconduct.

From the 1960s on, when he represented the widow of Leonard Deadwyler, a black motorist killed during a police stop in Los Angeles, Cochran took police abuse to court. He won historic financial settlements and helped bring about lasting changes in police procedure.