2025 Athens, Greece

Socrates, the wisest man alive, was put on trial for corrupting the youth and introducing new deities. While the Trial of Socrates happened well before the advent of Instagram, and the tweets from that period are somewhat limited, the impact on the legal system was and continues to be significant. Socrates was on trial for corrupting the minds of the youth. Which is rather ironic because most youth think the word revolves around them. The Trial of Socrates has significantly impacted the law to this day. In this session, we will learn the importance of public trials, trials by jury, the importance of academic freedom and controlling freedom of thought. This class will prove one thing – the more things change, the more they stay the same.

Comparing the advantages and disadvantages of the jury system then as compared to now, the analysis covers the benefits and flaws of the current system, including the prosecution’s case against Socrates. The impiety and corruption charges are examined in detail, highlighting the defense’s strategy, which leverages sympathy, the merits of the case, the illogical nature of the charges, and Socrates’ status as a war hero. The discussion also explores the verdicts, the pendulum-style motivations behind the death penalty, and Socrates’ own offer. The final vote is considered alongside the application of Socrates’ trial to current trials, emphasizing the role of government and the debate between democracy and philosopher kings/oligarchy. The cross-examination techniques, including the Socratic method, are evaluated, as well as the origins of freedom of thought and speech. The summary concludes by questioning why, in a society with unprecedented freedom and democracy, a 70-year-old philosopher would be put to death for his teachings.

Socrates was known for his brilliant use of cross-examination, giving rise to the “Socratic Method.” In our legal system, cross-examinations are crucial for uncovering the truth. This discussion will explore the theories behind the importance and value of cross-examination, review techniques for effective cross-examination, and examine how our laws incorporate cross-examination in the admission and exclusion of evidence. We will address the problem with modern cross-examinations, including examples of poor questions and how a poor cross-examination can harm a case by failing to meet expectations. The objective should be to collect points for your summation. Federal rules derived from the value of cross-examination will be reviewed, alongside ten rules for effective cross-examination: keep it short, keep it simple, lead the horse to water, be prepared, listen, avoid mud fights, resist revisiting points, get off the other side’s payroll, focus on summation building, and always maintain credibility.

This class examines the protection and influence of youth from both historical and contemporary legal perspectives. It begins with an exploration of Socrates’ trial for corrupting young minds, questioning the relevance of such charges today. The course also delves into the Lenny Bruce trials, analyzing his 1964 conviction under obscenity laws and subsequent legal challenges. Pivotal Supreme Court cases like Miller v. California (1973), IANCU v. Brunetti (2019), and Mahanoy Area School District v. B.L. (2021) are reviewed to illustrate how these decisions shape current laws concerning the impact of speech and actions on youth, reflecting on whether laws today still protect the cultivation of young minds.