US lawyer, communist, took risks (5)
I believe the answer is:
dared
'took risks' is the definition.
(I've seen this in another clue)
'us lawyer communist' is the wordplay.
'us lawyer' becomes 'DA' (abbreviation for District Attorney).
'communist' becomes 'red' (red can informally mean communist).
'da'+'red'='DARED'
(Other definitions for dared that I've seen before include "Made bold" , "Had the nerve to" , "Acted with courage - or dread?" , "Ventured" , "Had the courage (to do something)" .)