Clarence Darrow

Biography

Clarence Seward Darrow (/ˈdæroʊ/; April 18, 1857 – March 13, 1938) was an
American lawyer, a leading member of the American Civil Liberties Union, and a
prominent advocate for Georgist economic reform. He defended high-profile clients in
many famous trials of the early 20th century, including teenage thrill killers Leopold
and Loeb for murdering 14-year-old Robert "Bobby" Franks (1924); teacher John T.
Scopes in the Scopes "Monkey" Trial (1925), in which he opposed statesman and
orator William Jennings Bryan; and Ossian Sweet in a racially-charged self-defense
case (1926). Called a "sophisticated country lawyer",[2] Darrow's wit and eloquence
made him one of the most prominent attorneys and civil libertarians in the nation.[3]