Stay ConnectedThe Trial Lawyers College Podcast talks to leading attorneys, TLC board members, and faculty about the ideas and the issues that are affecting trial lawyers today.
The TLC podcast covers courtroom strategy, communicating with jurors, connecting with clients, methods that drive success, balancing healthy relationships with a busy practice and more.
"Always be willing to be flexible -- don't get so married to your methodologies that you can't change those, too. It is in preparation and hard work but it's also in willing to be open to the ideas of others."
This week, Todd Kelly of Austin, Texas, joins host Rafe Foreman to kick off our new podcast series titled 'Reconstructing Success' with an engaging overview of the importance of preparation and planning as a trial lawyer, particularly in the scope of pretrial. In discussing the strategies applied to some of his most recent trials, Todd explores the ideal balance between flexibility and consistency and the value of varying one's approach to win justice for their clients.
"For me, getting this opportunity with this scholarship, the biggest thing is spreading the message to go and get the vaccine."
On this week's podcast, high school freshman Jack Lucchesi and his mother, Bridget Lucchesi, join host Rafe Foreman. Jack is one of the first ten winners selected in New York State's College Scholarship raffle for vaccinated teens, and his mom Bridget is a clinical mental health therapist who has deep Trial Lawyers College connections. In addition to knowing Rafe since childhood, Bridget joined TLC for the Death Penalty seminar in 2010, and she studied with Zerka Moreno, wife of Jacob Levy Moreno, the inventor of psychodrama!
Rafe, Jack, and Bridget cover a variety of COVID-19-related topics during their conversation including Jack's scholarship raffle win, how to combat and identify misinformation, how to deal with grief throughout the pandemic, and much more.
"I decided that I should do something I don't normally do, and that's reverse roles with a defense attorney and try to figure out where they're coming from and how their lives have changed. So, I was trying to get personally involved with defense attorneys, not just in the case but in their actual lives..."
On this week's podcast, Conroe, TX trial attorney and TLC faculty member Paula Estefan joins host Rafe Foreman to discuss how she works with opposing counsel, the benefits of doing so, and how her approach to opposing counsel has changed over time. Through their conversation, Paula and Rafe also touch on the power of silence and listening, what endures about TLC's methods, and the deep connections formed at the Trial Lawyers College.
"The plaintiff's practice can be very lonely. I think that loneliness has been a bit amplified by being inside, cooped up, and not able to communicate and build relationships like we were meant to. The pandemic has caused an amplification of those relationships gone silent."
On this week's podcast, Kansas City trial attorney Brian McCallister joins host Rafe Foreman to discuss the ways that the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and other events of the past year will impact the practice of law in the future. As he guides listeners through the cases that have been impacted by this new era in his own practice of trial law and those of his colleagues, Brian provides a stark illustration of the fragility of the jury trial and the importance of human connection.
"Judges are just like us -- they're egocentric, they think with their own minds, they speak with their own heart, and they bring a lifetime of experiences as a human and as a previous lawyer to the bench."
This riveting podcast features former Oklahoma judge Kenny Adair, now a criminal and civil trial lawyer, who gives his unique perspective on the fears and vulnerabilities of the more challenging judges encountered by trial lawyers. Sharing invaluable insight into the human side of the men and women behind the bench, Kenny presents listeners with a refreshing take on the use of psychodrama to connect with the judge and win justice for their clients.
"I'm one of those types of people that wants to be all things all the time, and what I'm learning is you can't be all things all the time. It's just not possible. That's how you wind up burned out and really of no use to anybody."
Continuing our theme of 'Managing in Tough Times' is Kahlie Hoffman, a Kansas City-based personal injury trial lawyer who's raising two young boys behind the scenes. Despite the difficulties her busy life has handed her, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, Kahlie believes that each role she plays strengthens her abilities in the other. Reflecting on the challenges and triumphs she has faced while managing both full-time roles, Kahlie provides invaluable insight into the value of self-care, setting realistic boundaries for oneself, and communicating those boundaries to others.
"There are some people who have not had an opportunity to represent a gay client or a member of a minority group, and there may be some biases there. Before proper representation can be done, I think that a person needs to sit with themselves and try to overcome those biases or really truthfully address them and see if they're going to play into the case."
This week's podcast features Colorado attorney Sean Brown, who engages in a captivating conversation with host Rafe Foreman about navigating the touchy topic of sexuality when representing an LGBTQ client. Discussing the potential biases of judges, jury members, and even themselves as trial lawyers, Sean provides a vital perspective for attorneys to successfully uphold the rights of members of marginalized groups.
"I want widows to know that once they have loved someone so deeply and been loved, it will come again. Nobody should live without love, and they don't have to."
This podcast features California attorney Samantha Berryessa, who continues our 'Managing in Tough Times' series with a moving account of her experience navigating grief before and after the 2019 death of her husband, attorney Dax Cowart.
A wrongful death lawyer by practice, Samantha gracefully highlights the parallels between her personal experience with grief and her perception of the grief of her widowed clients. Offering a unique glimpse into the inner world of a newly widowed woman, Samantha's riveting testimony is essential listening for any trial lawyer who represents the bereaved.
"We need to communicate with our eyes more, whether it's to your spouse or the jury on voir dire or to your client."
In this week's episode of the TLC podcast, civil lawyer Chandler Loupe joins host Rafe Foreman in a contentious discussion around the unique challenges faced by trial lawyers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sharing his experience as a trial attorney in one of the few regions that kept its courtroom doors open through 2020, Chandler provides a timely reminder of the value of looking into people's eyes.
"In order for me to do a trial right now, I need to prepare extra-special. It's sort of like an extended warm-up to get my head in the right spot."
This week's podcast features Jason Savela, a criminal defense lawyer with more than two decades of experience trying cases to juries in Colorado. Continuing our theme of "Managing in Tough Times," Jason shares the details of some of his most riveting cases, guiding listeners through the hardships and triumphs that he has shared with his clients.
As a TLC-trained trial lawyer, Jason stays true to the psychodramatic methods, sharing the strategies he used to discover his clients' stories and tell them authentically to the jury. Bringing the discussion back to the tough times we're collectively facing, Jason reminds listeners of the importance of using demonstrative evidence now more than ever.
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