Robert A. Clifford, founder and senior partner of Clifford Law Offices, and Tinos Diamantatos of Morgan Lewis took on their two legal “rivals,” Patrick Fitzgerald and Patrick Collins in the mock trial of Megacles, leader of Athens sponsored by the National Hellenic Museum (NHM) on March 1, 2018.
The Honorable William Joseph Bauer, Senior Judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit in Chicago, served as Chief Judge. He said in his 52 years on the bench, Bob Clifford and all of the attorneys’ arguments were “the best” he ever heard.
The three additional judges who heard the case were The Hon. Sharon Johnson Coleman, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois; The Hon. Anna H. Demacopoulos, Circuit Court of Cook County; and The Hon. Charles P. Kocoras, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.
The mock trial was held at the Rubloff Auditorium in the Art Institute of Chicago. Hundreds of attendees also served as mock jurors and participated in determining the guilt or innocence of the defendant. The trial was part of a series of mock trials held in Chicago to educate the public on Ancient Greek events.
Attendee feedback included:
“My husband and I have attended all the trials, and we love supporting NHM. The trials are exciting. It gives us, who do not go to court, a chance to see a “real” trial. The lawyers for both the defense and prosecution are the best one can possibly find. In this trial, Megacles was really guilty, and yet his defense attorneys put up an incredible fight to prove him innocent. I totally enjoyed the lawyers arguments. I want more.”
Another attendee said when asked what they enjoyed most about the Trial: “the entire thing: I changed my mind three times based upon counsels’ comments.”