Clarence Darrow
Defense Attorney
1857 - 1938
America's most famous trial lawyer, who defended unpopular causes from labor rights to the teaching of evolution, embodying the ideal of courageous legal advocacy.
Biography
Clarence Darrow was the most celebrated trial lawyer in American history, known for his passionate defense of the underdog, his masterful jury arguments, and his willingness to take on cases that other lawyers would not touch. Over a career spanning more than fifty years, Darrow represented labor leaders, murderers, the poor, and the politically unpopular.
Darrow's most famous cases include the Scopes 'Monkey Trial' (1925), where he defended a high school teacher charged with teaching evolution in violation of Tennessee law, and the Leopold and Loeb case (1924), where he saved two confessed murderers from the death penalty through a twelve-hour closing argument that remains one of the great rhetorical performances in legal history.
Earlier in his career, Darrow was the leading labor lawyer in America, defending Eugene V. Debs during the Pullman Strike, the leaders of the Western Federation of Miners, and other union organizers. His commitment to civil liberties was broad and consistent—he defended the rights of African Americans, immigrants, and political radicals at a time when such advocacy was professionally and personally dangerous.
Major Accomplishments
- 1Defended John Scopes in the famous Monkey Trial (1925)
- 2Saved Leopold and Loeb from execution with a legendary closing argument
- 3Led the defense in landmark labor cases including the Debs case
- 4Championed civil liberties and racial justice decades before the civil rights movement
- 5Argued against the death penalty in more than 100 cases, losing none to execution
Notable Opinions & Cases
Scopes v. State (Scopes Monkey Trial)
1925
Challenged Tennessee's ban on teaching evolution, putting the conflict between science and religion on trial
People v. Leopold and Loeb
1924
Saved two confessed murderers from execution through a groundbreaking argument against the death penalty
In re Debs
1895
Defended labor leader Eugene V. Debs in the Pullman Strike case, championing workers' rights
People v. Sweet
1926
Defended Ossian Sweet, a Black doctor who shot a member of a mob attacking his home, winning acquittal on racial justice grounds
Legacy
Darrow established the model of the courageous defense lawyer who champions unpopular causes. His cases defined the cultural conflicts of the early twentieth century—labor versus capital, science versus fundamentalism, individual rights versus state power. His advocacy against the death penalty, for racial equality, and for civil liberties anticipated the major legal battles of the century that followed.
Famous Quotes
“As long as the world shall last there will be wrongs, and if no man objected and no man rebelled, those wrongs would last forever.”
“I have never killed anyone, but I have read some obituary notices with great satisfaction.”
“The law does not pretend to punish everything that is dishonest. That would seriously interfere with business.”
“Justice has nothing to do with what goes on in a courtroom.”