Abstract Elmer Gertz (1906-2000) was a lawyer, author, professor, and civil rights advocate. He fought many legal battles relating to the death penalty, police brutality, housing equality, freedom of speech, and other civil liberties. Gertz played a role in some of the most famous legal cases of the second half of the 20th century. He helped secure parole for "thrill killer" Nathan Leopold, defended Henry Miller’s novel Tropic of Cancer in numerous obscenity...

Abstract Nathan Freudenthal Leopold, Jr. (November 19, 1904-August 29, 1971) and Richard Albert Loeb (June 11, 1905-January 28, 1936), often referred to as "Leopold and Loeb", were privileged and wealthy teenage University of Chicago students who murdered 14-year-old Robert "Bobby" Franks in 1924 in a desire to commit the "perfect crime," and were sentenced to prison for 99 years plus a life term. Through correspondence, newspaper clippings, court documents, miscellanea, photographs, publications,...