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It is said that Clarence Darrow failed the bar exam six times, passing upon his seventh attempt. This feat is also shared by Judge Learned Hand, so fearful bar students can find solace in failing—they are in the company of the greats.

After beginning his career as a corporations lawyer in IllinoisIllinois is a state in the United States named after the Illiniwek Indian tribe, which used to live there. The capital of Illinois is Springfield and the U. postal abbreviation for the state is IL . Illinois is pronounced ill-len-NOY, or jokingly, ill-len, he switched sides to represent the American Railway UnionOn June 20, 1893, railway workers gathered in Chicago, Illinois, and founded the American Railway Union (ARU), the largest union of its time, and the first industrial union in the United States. Under the leadership of long-time locomotive fireman Eugene, led by Eugene V. DebsEugene Victor Debs ( November 5, 1855 October 20, 1926) was an American labor and political leader and five-time Socialist Party candidate for President of the United States. Rise to prominence Debs was born in Terre Haute, Indiana (where he lived most of, in the Pullman StrikeThe Pullman Strike of 1894 occurred when 3,000 Pullman Palace Car Company workers went on a wildcat strike in Illinois on 11 May. Owner George Pullman was a " welfare capitalist" who hoped to prevent labor discontent, but was not willing to grant high wag of 1894Events January 8 A fire at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago causes a good deal of damage. January 9 New England Telephone and Telegraph installs the first battery-operated telephone switchboard ( Lexington, Massachusetts). February 15 04:51 GMT. Darrow had conscientiously resigned his lucrative corporate position to represent the working class, because he empathized with their plight. Unfortunately, Darrow had to compromise his principles when defending radical labor leaders such as Big Bill Haywood.

Darrow successfully defended Haywood, the leader of the Industrial Workers of the WorldThe Industrial Workers of the World IWW or the Wobblies is a nominally international, but effectively American, union movement headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, having much in common with anarcho-syndicalist unions, but also many differences. and the Western Federation of MinersThe Western Federation of Miners WFM was a radical labor union that gained a reputation for militancy in the mine fields of the western United States. The WFM organized miners and smelter workers in the Western Rocky Mountains states after it was created, on charges of murdering the former governor of Idaho in 1905. He was not so successful when called on to defend the MacNamara Brothers , who were charged with dynamiting the Los Angeles Times building during the bitter struggle over the open shop in Southern California: Darrow convinced them to plead guilty and barely escaped conviction himself for an alleged attempt to bribe a juror.

Whether guilty or not, Darrow left labor practice to devote himself to opposing the death penalty, which he felt to be in conflict with humanitarian progress . In more than 100 cases, Darrow only lost one murder case in Chicago. He became renowned for moving juries, even judges to tears with his eloquence. Despite scant education, Darrow had a keen intellect often shielded by his rumpled, unassuming appearance. Contrary to popular belief, he did not oppose religious principle, but the intolerance and ignorance preached by its more conservative practitioners, such as the Fundamentalists.

A story attributed to Darrow is his quip to a client, who, after winning, said, "How can I ever show my appreciation, Mr. Darrow?" Darrow replied, "Ever since the Phoenicians invented money, there has been only one answer to that question." However, Darrow's pursuit of wealth has been overstated by his detractors. Darrow often took on pro bono defendants who had no means to pay for their attorney.

During the 1924 Leopold-Loeb trial, when Darrow had supposedly accepted "a million-dollar defense," ordinary Americans were angered at their apparent betrayal. In truth, Darrow and his two co-counsels were given $100,000 to split three ways—after dunning the wealthy Loeb family for several months.

In 1925, he defended Ossian Sweet , a black doctor from Detroit, in the shooting death of a member of a white mob. The mob of at least a 1000 people had gathered outside Sweet's home to force him to move from the neighborhood. Darrow referred to the trial as one his best argued, finishing with a legendary eight-hour impassioned closing argument which won acquittal for Dr. Sweet from the eleven-man jury, shocking the city.

After the 1925 Scopes Trial, Clarence Darrow largely retired from practice, emerging only occasionally to undertake cases, such as the 1934 Massey Murder Trial in Hawaii.

Darrow shared offices with Edgar Lee Masters, who achieved more fame for his poetry, in particular the Spoon River Anthology , than for his advocacy. Darrow also took Eugene V. Debs as a partner, following his release from prison.