Clarence Darrow

Born in Kinsman, Ohio, in 1857, Clarence Darrow became one of the best-known American lawyers of his era. He first worked for a railroad company, then left corporate law to represent workers and labor leaders, building a reputation as a brilliant, skeptical, and deeply independent courtroom advocate.

Darrow is remembered for a string of famous cases, including the defense of Leopold and Loeb and his role in the 1925 Scopes "Monkey" Trial in Tennessee. He was also associated with the early American Civil Liberties Union, and his public image grew from his willingness to take controversial cases and argue against cruelty, dogmatism, and the death penalty.

He died in Chicago in 1938, but his reputation has endured because he combined legal skill with a powerful public voice. Whether writing or speaking, he came across as sharp, humane, and unafraid to challenge the moral certainty of his age.