Some of us have attended CLE performances about Clarence Darrow and now we can share the experience with our families.

The May Memorial Unitarian Universalist Society Social Justice Council presents "Clarence Darrow: The Search for Justice" as performed by Gary Anderson on Sunday, October 14, 2007 at 3:30 p.m.

Clarence Darrow (1857-1938) was America’s, and some might say the worlds, most famous, infamous, most hated and celebrated attorney in American history.  He was often referred to by the press as the “Attorney for the Damned” and the “Lion of the Courtroom.” Among fundamentalists, however, he was known as “The Great Infidel.”

This is a “warts and all” presentation.  He fell down hard and often. He was brilliant; he was a philanderer, a loving grandfather of three and an egotistical grandstander who may have been guilty of jury tampering. This is the man behind the legend, not always the hero and not always at his best, with serious legal problems of his own that scarred and haunted him forever.

These were times when our government and newspapers were telling Americans to mob, to jail and even kill dissenters. His clients, labeled as “unpatriotic” because they spoke out against war, were arrested, secretly moved from state to state, and denied access to legal counsel. Through Red baiting and witch hunts, Darrow defended conscientious objectors during World War I.

Darrow's trials and legal issues were and still are immediate, controversial, and inspiring. Famous for his work in the Scopes “Monkey” Trial, Darrow also fought against the death penalty, social injustice, racism, conspiracy laws, and civil liberties violations.