The contending attorneys at the scopes trial in 1925 were william jennings bryan and

William Jennings Byran had been the Democratic nominee for president three times.  He was a prominent national figure.  He argued for the prosecution against a high school teacher, John Scopes.  Scopes was accused of violating Tennessee law which prohibited the teaching of evolution in any state-funded school.

Arguing for Scopes' defense was Clarence Darrow, a well-known defense attorney and a leading member of the American Civil Liberties Union.

Scopes was found guilty.  But then the verdict was appealed to the Tennessee Supreme Court, which set aside the conviction because of a legal technicality that the original trial has failed to observe.

The "Scopes Monkey Trial," as it is sometimes called, was a key event in creation vs. evolution debates in this country.