Inherit the Wind, written by Jerome Lawrence and Robert Edwin Lee in 1955 dramatizes the famous 1925 Scopes “Monkey Trial” here in Tennessee, where a schoolteacher was prosecuted for teaching the theory of evolution. The courtroom drama pits two legendary attorneys against each other: Henry Drummond (based on Clarence Darrow) defending the teacher, and Matthew Harrison Brady (inspired by William Jennings Bryan) prosecuting. Though fictional, the play masterfully captures the tension between tradition and progress, faith and science, and community standards and individual freedom—themes that continue to resonate in our society today.

Experiencing Inherit the Wind at the Clarence Brown Theatre for Professor Cornett’s Law and Literature class here at UT Law transformed my understanding of legal leadership beyond what I had originally anticipated. The dynamic between the defense attorney, Drummond, and the prosecutor, Brady, illuminated how principled advocacy can coexist with mutual respect, while Cates’ (Scopes’) quiet conviction demonstrated that leadership often emerges in small, authentic moments of standing one’s ground. This theatrical immersion prompted deep reflection on the lawyer and leader I aspire to become—one who balances intellectual rigor with moral courage, embraces complexity rather than certainty, and recognizes that our professional identity is shaped not merely by legal expertise but by our own values and strengths that we uphold when facing resistance.