January 17, 2014
The charge: matricide. That will be the focus of another ancient Greek mock trial as the “dream team” of lawyers takes on “The Trial of Orestes.”
Robert A. Clifford, senior partner at Clifford Law Offices, with Dan Webb of Winston & Strawn will serve as counsel for the defense, defending the son of Agamemnon. Counsel for the prosecution is Patrick J. Fitzgerald of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, and Patrick M. Collins of Perkins Coie. These are the same sides that were drawn in last year’s popular Retrial of Socrates hosted by the National Hellenic Museum.
“The Trial of Orestes” involves the tale from Greek mythology of a father who kills his daughter, his wife kills him and then their son kills his mother. Orestes was acquitted in his first trial in Athens, and the fictional retrial will determine if a jury will be as forgiving today.
Judges Richard A. Posner and William J. Bauer of the Seventh U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and U.S. District Court Judge Charles P. Kocoras will serve on the judicial panel of this Greek tragedy based on the play by Aeschylus.
“The Trial of Orestes” will be held 6-9 p.m. Jan. 29 at the UIC Forum, 725 W. Roosevelt Rd., Chicago. Tickets are $100 and can be purchased at ticketmaster.com. Student tickets are not available online but can be purchased in person for $50 at the National Hellenic Museum gift store, 333 S. Halsted St., Chicago.