The National Hellenic Museum (NHM) is thrilled to announce the roster of prominent judges and jurors participating in the eighth installment of its NHM Trial Series, The Trial of Socrates on Monday, May 22 at 7 p.m. at the Harris Theater (205 E. Randolph Street, Chicago). At this dynamic event, nationally renowned attorneys and judges will take on ancient Greece’s most famous court case: The People vs. Socrates. The audience will cast their own votes live during the event to determine if the great philosopher Socrates is guilty of impiety and corrupting the youth—or if he is not guilty, merely encouraging free thought. For more information and tickets, visit nationalhellenicmuseum.org/trial.
Hollywood actor and The Second City alum John Kapelos (The Shape of Water, The Umbrella Academy, The Breakfast Club, Forever Knight) will portray Socrates during the event, which is hosted by award-winning TV and radio personality Andrea Darlas. Prominent judges presiding over The Trial of Socrates are Hon. Joy V. Cunningham of the Illinois Supreme Court, Hon. Jorge Alonso of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, and Hon. Anna Demacopoulos and Hon. Anthony C. Kyriakopoulos of the Circuit Court of Cook County.
Featured jurors at the Trial include: Hon. Louis G. Apostol, Public Administrator of Cook County; Monica Eng, Reporter at Axios Chicago; Toby Eveland, Managing Partner at Saul Ewing; Andrea Hanis, Editor of Chicago Daily Law Bulletin; John Howell, Host at 890 WLS AM; Tony Karman, President and Director of EXPO CHICAGO; Eleni Katsoulis, Senior Counsel of Northwestern Memorial Healthcare and President of the Hellenic Bar Association; Young Richard Kim, Associate Professor and Head of Classics and Mediterranean Studies at the University of Illinois Chicago; Johnny Mars, DJ at 93 WXRT FM; Dan Mihalopoulos, Investigative Reporter at 91.5 WBEZ FM; Jim Sotos, Managing Partner at Sotos Law Firm; Georgia Tasiopoulou, Consul of Greece in Chicago; and alternate juror George Bellas, Partner at Bellas & Wachowski Attorneys at Law.
Tickets for the National Hellenic Museum’s The Trial of Socrates on Monday, May 22 at 7 p.m. at the Harris Theater (205 E. Randolph Street, Chicago) are now on sale for $100, with student tickets available for $50. Attorneys can register for CLE credit on site. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit nationalhellenicmuseum.org/trial or call 312-655-1234.
The Trial of Socrates features a lineup of renowned attorneys. During the event, prosecution attorneys Patrick Collins (King & Spalding), Tinos Diamantatos (Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP) and Julie Porter (Salvatore Prescott Porter & Porter, PLLC) will present the People’s case against Socrates. Defense attorneys Robert A. Clifford (Clifford Law Offices), Dan K. Webb (Winston & Strawn) and Sarah King (Clifford Law Offices) will present the defense of Socrates.
Support for The Trial of Socrates is generously provided by lead sponsors The Jaharis Family Foundation, Calamos Investments and Clifford Law Offices.
“Utilizing some of today’s premier legal minds in a contemporary courtroom setting, The Trial of Socrates will continue our exploration of how the ancient Greeks grappled with timeless controversies that continue to shape modern society,” says NHM Trustee Konstantinos Armiros, counsel at Saul Ewing LLP. “This is a rare opportunity for people to see some of the best attorneys in the nation argue a historic case with unscripted, authentic drama and legal acumen.”
“The Trial of Socrates forces us to confront some of the most difficult questions about democracy and liberty, including what limits free societies can put in place to protect themselves while still maintaining their freedom,” says NHM Director of Research and Content Katherine Kelaidis, PhD. “There are no easy or obvious answers to these questions, hence why we are still asking them 2500 years after Socrates’ death.”
Socrates’ trial has fascinated and troubled generations who have struggled to comprehend the death of one of history’s greatest philosophers at the hands of a lawful jury. Convicted in Athens in 399 B.C.E. with impiety and corrupting the youth, Socrates’ pursuit of wisdom was seen as a threat to the survival of Athenian democracy. NHM’s The Trial of Socrates invites audiences to consider anew the fragility of democracy, the limits of freedom, and the imperfection of human justice. Guests at the Trial are invited to participate by exploring the arguments of each side and submitting their “guilty” or “not guilty” vote to literally tip the scale and make their verdict heard, in the style of the courts of ancient Athens.
The dynamic NHM Trial Series highlights the enduring relevance and value of Greek thought and history. It has grown both in reputation and following since its inception in 2013. In 2016, NHM’s The Trial of Antigone was broadcast on WTTW TV (PBS Chicago) and in May 2017 it was nominated for a Midwest regional Emmy. Subsequent NHM Trial Series events have also aired on public television and received regional Emmy nominations. Since 2017, the annual event has been qualified by the Illinois Attorney Registration & Disciplinary Commission (IARDC) for continuing legal education (CLE) credit. Attorneys attending the event can register for CLE credit on site.
About the National Hellenic Museum
The National Hellenic Museum (NHM) is the premier US museum dedicated to sharing Greek history, art and culture, from ancient times to the present day, including the modern Greek American experience. NHM preserves the Hellenic legacy and makes this rich heritage relevant today through its extensive collection of more than 10,000 physical artifacts, hundreds of oral histories, exhibitions, educational programs and special events. Originally founded in 1983 and located in Chicago’s historic Greektown neighborhood since 2011, the museum provides lifelong learning for the community and sparks inquiry and discussion about the broader issues in our lives and society. Regular museum hours are Thursday through Sunday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. For more information, visit nationalhellenicmuseum.org or call 312-655-1234.