Clarence Darrow for the Defense: A Biography

xi, 570 pp. A biography of the influential lawyer known for fighting on behalf of Eugene V. Debs and the American Railway Union, who made a name for himself by standing up for principles, even when doing so was unpopular. "Clarence Seward Darrow (/'dæro?/; 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]"