The justice system in America is broken -- average people are not getting fair trials, qualified representation, or justice from a jury of peers.  TLC will give you the needed tools to fight and win for your clients.  Hear about the art of Voir Dire and learn invaluable techniques from Gerry Spence and over 40 of TLC's faculty, including Faculty Leaders Ben Bunn, Ken Turek and Anne Valentine. This seminar is the second TLC "Urban Regional" Seminar, designed to make this a more family-friendly, CLE event for lawyers. The weekend course, beginning on Friday afternoon and ending at 1 PM on Sunday, is shorter and will include 1 session of personal psychodrama, a large group demonstration on Voir Dire by Gerry Spence,  communications work with Joshua Karton, and at least two sessions of small group work with TLC faculty members.  Learn More. 

Held at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront hotel, and located near the major shopping areas near San Diego's Gaslamp downtown neighborhood for your families!  This is the perfect location to bring your family along for a beautiful weekend while you learn new TLC skills. Make reservations by either calling 1-800-445-8667 with group code TLCS or Reserve Your Room Here.
  

Gerry Spence

Gerry Spence, born, reared and educated in Wyoming, is recognized nationwide for his powerful courtroom victories. He graduated cum laude from the University of Wyoming Law School in 1952. He has spent his lifetime representing the poor, the injured, the forgotten and the damned against what he calls "the new slave master" -- a combination of mammoth corporations and gargantuan government. He has tried and won many nationally known cases including the Karen Silkwood case, (a movie was made of the case with Meryl Streep and Cher,) the defense of Randy Weaver at Ruby Ridge, the defense of Imelda Marcos, the case against "Penthouse Magazine" for Miss Wyoming, and the murder defenses of Ed Cantrell and Sandy Jones.

Spence has never lost a criminal case either as a prosecutor or a defense attorney. He has not lost a civil case since 1969. He has had more multi-million dollar verdicts without an intervening loss than any lawyer in America. As a man who has really never retired, in his late 70s Spence represented Brandon Mayfield, a modest Oregon attorney, against the United States federal government in which Spence was instrumental in obtaining a federal court decision to hold the Patriot Act unconstitutional. In 2008, in a politically charged case brought by the U.S. Justice Department against attorney Geoffrey Fieger, Spence won complete acquittals for his client on a ten-count indictment alleging federal campaign contribution violations, conspiracy and obstruction of justice.

Spence is the founder of the nationally acclaimed Trial Lawyers College which has established a revolutionary method for training lawyers for the people. He believes that what he has learned in a career should be shared with those who will continue to strive for justice on behalf of ordinary citizens. At the College, he and his pro bono staff teach important skills and methods to trial lawyers for the people as well as to lawyers who have dedicated their professional lives to defeat the death penalty. He is the founder of Lawyers and Advocates for Wyoming, also a pro bono law firm representing the indigent.

Spence has received numerous awards in his lifetime including an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the University of Wyoming, the first Lifetime Achievement Award from the Consumer Attorneys of California (formerly California Trial Lawyers Association), and many honors by the American Academy of Achievement. In 2009, he was inducted into the American Trial Lawyers Hall of Fame, which includes John Adams and Clarence Darrow.

Spence is the author of sixteen nationally published books, including the massive best-seller How to Argue and Win Every Time. His books include From Freedom to Slavery; O.J: the Last Word; The Making of a Country Lawyer; Murder and Madness; A Boy's Summer; With Justice for None; Give Me Liberty!; Gunning for Justice; Trial by Fire; Win Your Case; Bloodthirsty Bitches and the Pious Pimps of Power; Gerry Spence's Wyoming; Smoking Gun; and his widely acclaimed novel, Half-Moon and Empty Stars.

Throughout his career, Spence was a frequent commentator on television. He served as legal consultant for NBC television covering the O.J. Simpson trial, and he has frequently appeared on Larry King Live and the Rivera Show, as well as numerous other national television shows.

He lives in Jackson Hole, Wyoming with his wife of forty years, Imaging. They have six children and thirteen grandchildren.

Ben Bunn, Faculty Leader

Ben is a Partner at Hulburt & Bunn specializing in plaintiffs' serious injury and wrongful death cases. The firm handles only a limited number of important cases, often helping families through devastating crises with life-changing verdicts and settlements. He served as President of Consumer Attorneys of San Diego in 2002 and was the San Diego Barristers Club President in 1992. He is a past Chairman of the Board of the San Diego chapter of Make-A-Wish & YWCA. He was CASD Consumer Advocate of the Year in 2000. He is a graduate and on the faculty of Gerry Spence's Trial Lawyers College. He took a leadership role after 9/11, putting together a San Diego team of trial lawyers who represented New York area families pro bono, recovering nearly $100 million in compensation. Named in the Best Lawyers of America.

Anne Valentine, Faculty Leader

Anne graduated from the Trial Lawyer's College in 1998 and has served on its board since 2010.  Shehas devoted her professional career to the representation of injured people and has successfully litigated many cases involving complex tort issues. She practices in the areas of personal injury, insurance and medical malpractice. Ms. Valentine is a past President of the Ohio Association for Justice (formerly Ohio Academy of Trial Lawyers). She is the first woman to hold this office. Ms. Valentine's goal as the OAJ President was to assure citizens of Ohio that their families will continue to be protected both in the workplace and in their personal lives. Ms. Valentine is frequently asked to lecture throughout the state on insurance law, evidence, trial practice and medical negligence topics. She was appointed to the board of the Ohio Legal Assistance Foundation and serves her community as a volunteer with the Homeless Project and the Columbus Aids Task Force.

Ken Turek, Faculty Leader

Trial lawyer and trial consultant from San Diego, California.  Attended TLC in 1998 and has been on Faculty since 1999.  Ken's specialty is trying civil jury trials for plaintiffs and by using TLC methods, he has won cases in diverse areas such as personal injury, fraud, breach of contract, professional malpractice, and construction defect.  He also has a trial consulting practice where he assists trial lawyers with story development and trial presentation. His hobby is performing stand-up comedy and his written comedy has been published in The New York Times.

Jude Basile

I am Jude Basile. I have practiced law since 1982. In this time, I have earned numerous accolades from my peers. I am the Volunteer President of the Trial Lawyers College. No other college or trial association comes close to the Trial Lawyers Colleges' cutting-edge approach to helping lawyers improve their courtroom skills. I have also been selected as one of the nation's Top Trial Lawyers by the American Trial Lawyers Association. I was also named Trial Lawyer of the Year by the Central Coast Trial Lawyers Association in 2010, 2008 and 2004. I have been recognized in seven individual cases by the Consumer Attorneys of San Diego for obtaining significant results. One case is recognized as the largest verdict against law enforcement in San Diego County history. I have been invited to present to trial lawyers associations across the country, from New York and Connecticut to Montana and California.Although I take pride in these honors, I take greater pride in helping people across California receive the financial compensation they need to move forward with their lives. By holding companies responsible, we make our communities a safer place to live.

Jerry Bosch

Jerry Bosch represents and counsels his friends, family and neighbors who have been charged with a crime or suffered injury. He has litigated and obtained seven figure settlements for his clients. He have handled felony and misdeameanor cases ranging from DUI to kidnapping. Currently, Jerry is the managing member and owner at Law Offices of Jerry Bosch, LLC. From 1998-2001, Jerry worked as an associate at The Spence Law Firm, a national law firm that represented individuals in mainly personal injury matters including wrongful death, toxic torts and medical negligence. From 1992-1998, as an associate at Stevens & Lee, PC he represented financial institutions in the negotiation and documentation of commercial financing including front-end documentation, restructurings and workouts.  He represented numerous companies in the negotiation and documentation of various types of mergers and acquisitions.  He represented borrowers in the negotiation and documentations of various types of structured financing. From 1990-1992, at the Thrift Drug, Co., Corporate Real Estate Group. Jerry was responsible for negotiating and documenting various ancillary parts of commercial real estate transactions involving the "Thrift Drug" and "JC Penney" chain stores in various states.  Jerry graduated from the Trial Lawyer's College in 2000 and has served on it's faculty for the past several years. 

Finlay Boag

Finlay is a trial lawyer and trial consultant from the San Francisco Bay Area. Finlay ran his own solo law practice representing injured people after graduating from law school. In 2004 Finlay attended the Trial Lawyers College and later he was asked to be on staff. More recently, Finlay works with other lawyers as part of a trial teams that have had several significant verdicts, including a couple of record breaking verdicts in California. Finlay enjoys being on the TLC staff and loves meeting and working with attorneys from all over the country.

Jim Brown

James Matthew Brown is one of the premier personal injury attorneys in Southern California, with numerous successful trials and multi-million dollar judgments to his credit. As one of the few lawyers in San Diego with a proven ability to represent those who have been affected by negligence and wrongful acts during a court trial, he isn't just a voice for victims, but also a resource for several other law firms who refer cases to his practice.

Mr. Brown's legal background is extensive, beginning with his graduation with a JD from the Thomas Jefferson School of Law at Western State University in 1981. In 2002, he completed further education at the Gerry Spence Trial Lawyers College in Wyoming, and has been selected as a lecturer by the Consumer Attorneys of San Diego and the San Diego Inn of Courts. 

Michael Callahan

Michael Callahan is a Trial Lawyer based in Houston, Texas.  He has practiced in the area of personal injury law his entire legal career, with a focus on representing people in catastrophic injury cases and in first-party claims against insurance companies.  He attended his first TLC Regional in November of 2004, graduated from the Trial Lawyers' College in 2005 and has been actively involved with TLC ever since.  Michael unequivocally believes his successes both in and out of the courtroom come in large part from his ability to listen to the people he represents, discover the story of the client and the case, and then tell it to the jury in a compelling, passionate and meaningful way, all of which he has learned through his TLC experience.  Michael combines his background, training and experience with a passion for representing people who are all too often the underdog in the fight for justice against corporations and insurance companies.  He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1989 and his Doctorate of Jurisprudence in 1994.  He is licensed to practice law in the State of Texas and is Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Michael is a member of the American Association for Justice, the Texas Trial Lawyers Association, the Houston Trial Lawyers Association, and the State Bar of Texas.

Dax Cowart

Dax Cowart (born Donald Cowart) is an attorney noted for the ethical issues raised by efforts to sustain his life against his wishes, following an accident in which Cowart suffered severe and disabling burns over most of his body. Cowart's case has become highly famous in the realm of medical ethics.

Brooks Cutter

With a long-established, respected reputation as a skilled trial attorney and a record of proven success, including one of Sacramento County's highest jury verdicts on record for medical malpractice, Mr. Cutter has received numerous honors for his advocacy on behalf of clients injured by carelessness, negligence, fraud, or willful intent. "My mission is to win for the people I represent. I have the privilege of representing individuals who are often badly hurt and need a lawyer that will not back down from a fight with a big insurance company or corporation. Obtaining justice for my clients is humbling, gratifying and the most purposeful work I could imagine." Also recognized nationally for his experience and skillful prosecution of complex consumer class action litigation and multi-district mass tort cases, Mr. Cutter has been appointed by courts throughout the country as Lead or Co-Lead Counsel, Plaintiff's Liaison, or member of the Plaintiff's Steering Committee for numerous high-profile cases of insurance bad faith, product liability, dangerous drugs, and defective medical devices against manufacturers and corporate giants, such as the nations largest medical device manufacturer, Medtronic Inc, Health Net, State Farm Insurance Company, and Johnson & Johnson. Fluent in Spanish and a firm believer in the application of all necessary resources, Mr. Cutter utilizes the strength and experience of a diverse legal team, including multiple attorneys, on each and every case, ensuring that the individual needs of a client are met with the attention and compassion necessary while leaving no investigative stone unturned. Some of Mr. Cutter's most notable cases include: $7.6 Million jury verdict on behalf of a client who suffered a spinal cord injury when her doctors failed to diagnose a tumor on her spine. $23.5 Million in whistleblower action against one of the world's largest medical device manufacturers, Medtronic Inc for defrauding the federal government. Co-Lead Counsel for more than 200 individuals who were injured by a defective medical device manufactured by Johnson & Johnson (settlement confidential). $240 Million nationwide settlement - Mr. Cutter was a member of the Plaintiff's Steering Committee against Boston Scientific and Guidant on behalf of 5000 clients injured by defective cardiac defibrillators. A long-time resident of northern California, Mr. Cutter is passionate about community outreach and is proud to be a member of the dedicated board of directors for Sacramento's Wind Youth Services, which helps homeless teens and young adults complete their education while obtaining computer training and other necessary job and life skills necessary to thrive independently. Mr. Cutter is an avid triathlon competitor and devoted father of three, including two daughters currently attending law school in California.

Stephen Demik

Stephen Demik is a Federal Public Defender in Rapid City, SD. In 2008, Stephen graduated from the Trial Lawyers College and in 2012 he joined the faculty. 
 

Francisco "Paco" Duarte

Francisco is formerly a partner of the firm of Fox Bowman Duarte, an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Washington, and as a Deputy King County Prosecutor. He is a director and former chair of Lawyers Helping Hungry Children, a non-profit corporation, and currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Seattle Shakespeare Company. He is also past chair of the WSBA Criminal Committee of the Washington Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. Francisco has taught trial practice at the Northwest College for DUI Defense, the WYLD Trial Advocacy Program and at the regional National Institute of Trial Advocacy. In 2006, Francisco was appointed to serve on the faculty of the Trial Lawyers College. Francisco is a frequent lecturer at legal education programs on criminal law topics and has appeared on Northwest Cable News and radio programs as a legal analyst. He has published articles on criminal law in Defense, Trial News and The Warrior magazines. At Fury Duarte, Francisco practices both criminal law, specifically defending DUIs, felonies and other serious traffic and criminal matters, as well as high-stakes personal injury law.

Rosa Eliades

As a board certified criminal defense attorney for trial and appeal cases in state and federal court, I have committed my career solely to the practice of criminal defense law in Houston. I am proud to say I have never prosecuted any individual for the government. On the contrary, I've represented and fought to protect those people accused of committing crimes against the government. I believe that every individual accused of a crime deserves the best defense available to him or her. Furthermore, I believe that without a passionate advocate protecting an accused, they will needlessly suffer at the mercy of an unfair and oppressive prosecution. There is no need for individuals who face criminal charges to give in hopelessly regardless of the size, power, and status of the accuser.

Paula Estefan

Paula Estefan practices medical malpractice at Elliott & Little in Conroe, Texas. She graduated from TLC in 2006 and has been on faculty since 2011. "TLC has given me a family of at least 1000 closely-connected friends that lend support and assistance to me on cases and just about any other matter at the drop of a hat. I love this group!"

Ron Estefan

"It changed my life" - this is the phrase you hear most frequently from those who have experienced a Trial Lawyers College seminar.  Ron went to his first Trial Lawyers College seminar in February, 2004 and then graduated from Trial Lawyers College in July, 2005.  His personal injury trial law practice in Houston, Texas centers around the people he gets to represent, their stories and how some event re-wrote the story of their lives in some way they did not plan or even see coming.

Haytham Faraj

Haytham is a 2009 graduate of the College.  He resides in Chicago and has offices in Chicago and metro Detroit.  His primary area of practice is federal criminal defense in the Eastern and Western Districts of Michigan and Northern District of Illinois.  He also represents military service members in court martial proceedings.  His primary death penalty experience is in representing service members accused of war crimes.  Haytham is the author of several published articles and a book entitled "No Time For Truth", which will go on sale this Spring.   

Milton Grimes

I have been a trial lawyer since 1974. I have tried over 300 jury trials in both civil and criminal cases in ten (10) states. One of my greatest sources of pride is my representation of Rodney King in his Civil Rights suit against the City of Los Angeles for a verdict of 3.8 million. Throughout my career I have received numerous awards, i.e. Lawyer of the Year, Loren Miller Award (2003) - presented by the John M. Langston Bar Association, Lawyer of the Year (1994) and (2001) - presented by the California Association of Black Lawyers, Dedicated and Distinguished Service in the Area of Civil Rights Award (1997) - presented by the Garden State Bar Association. I was invited by Gerry to be on staff in 1995. The TLC method has emboldened me as a person and lawyer. I lecture around the country, from New York to Hawaii, on the use of the TLC method in all aspects of the law, from client interview to closing argument. I am privileged to serve as Vice President of the Board of Directors of TLC.

Nancy Iler

Nancy C. Iler represents individuals and families who have been injured as a result of negligence or carelessness. Nancy began her career as a registered nurse, and in 1987 graduated from Cleveland- Marshall College of Law. Her medical background and exceptional litigation skills have resulted in courtroom verdicts and settlements involving medical malpractice, nursing home abuse cases and cases involving catastrophic personal injury and death. She is a 2003 graduate of the Trial Lawyers College and faculty member since 2010.

Leigh Johnson

Leigh E. Johnson is a practicing trial lawyer, and principal of "Trial Whisperer" Trial Consulting. Leigh is dedicated to assisting lawyers preparing for trial in both civil and criminal arenas. Her expertise is in developing an effective storyline that serves as the vortex for opposing counsel. She accurately identifies issues and reconstructs them to achieve positive outcomes within a variety of legal forums from arbitration to trial.

Leigh's philosophy is that in order to obtain the best results regardless of forum, you should always prepare your case as if it were going to trial. Leigh's passion and primary focus is in collaborating with other lawyers, where she is often asked to conduct focus groups, participate in jury selection, develop storylines, and craft case presentations for cases where there are difficult facts and complicated scenarios.

Jeff Larrimore

Jeff Larrimore is an experienced, aggressive trial lawyer who has dedicated his life to helping the injured and the accused.  Raised in rural Delaware, Jeff understands the difficulties people have in raising families, and keeping the bills paid - especially in times of crisis.  Prior to becoming an attorney he painted cars and motorcycles, installed carpet, did construction and general labor, and worked as a short order cook in his hometown diner.   Jeff has been a counselor and victim's advocate since 1986 and fights tirelessly to protect the rights of the poor, the injured, and those accused of crimes. Jeff received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Delaware and his J.D. cum laude from California Western School of Law in San Diego. In addition to his representation of clients, Jeff is a staff member at Gerry Spence's Trial Lawyers College, teaches the National Trial Competition teams at California Western School of Law, and is a sought after jury trial consultant. Jeff lives in southern California with his wife and their young child.

Joseph Low

Joseph H. Low has dedicated his life to fighting for our rights as citizens against the oppression of insurance companies, corporations, city, state and federal governments and public organizations such as the police, sheriff and city hall. His dedication to this mission began as an U.S. Marine where he fought for our rights all over the globe. Mr. Low went on to graduate with a Masters of Science degree in biochemistry from one of the nation's top universities where he conducted research in the fight against cancer. Mr. Low has received several national awards for his excellence in the courtroom including the American Board of Trial Attorneys and Order of the Barristers. In addition Mr. Low received the Lewis F. Powell, Jr. Medallion for Excellence in Trial Advocacy from the American College of Trial Lawyers. He is a member of the prestigious Association of Trial Lawyers of America, American Civil Liberties Union, and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. He was recently named one of the Strathmore's "Who's Who" as well as one of the National Registrar's "Who's Who". Mr. Low is a graduate of Gerry Spence's Trial Lawyers College, which is considered the most prestigious and selective trial advocacy college in America. To date, Gerry Spence has graduated just over 300 students. Since Mr. Low's graduation he has been asked to remain with the college as an instructor and can be found teaching Mr. Spence's techniques all over the country.

Mike Marrinan

Mike has been a civil rights and criminal defense attorney in San Diego since 1979. He is a 2004 graduate of the Trial Lawyers College and has been on the faculty since 2005. Mike started as a public defender and now specializes in 42 U.S.C. � 1983 civil rights cases, representing victims of police abuse. He has tried all types of police misconduct civil rights cases, including false arrest, excessive force, wrongful death, unlawful searches and seizures, jail medical care and First Amendment violations. Mike has received three Outstanding Trial Lawyer awards from Consumer Attorneys of San Diego and, in 2008, was named Trial Lawyer of the Year. He is also an avid student of psychodrama and how it can be used to assist trial lawyers.

John Naizby

Attorney John F. Naizby, is certified as a Civil Trial Advocate by the National Board of Trial Advocacy, and limits his practice area to civil litigation. Attorney Naizby is also a member of the Million Dollars Advocates Forum, which is limited to trial lawyers achieving a verdict or settlement in the amount of One Million dollars or more. John has dedicated himself to sharpening his skills as a trial attorney through advanced study at the National Institute for Trial Advocacy, numerous regional and national seminars, and in 2000, John was chosen to attend noted trial lawyer Gerry Spence's Trial Lawyer's College. After graduating from the college, John was invited to join the faculty. In addition to teaching lawyers at the Trial Lawyer's College, John has given a trial demonstration for members of the Connecticut Trial Lawyers association. Attorney Naizby holds licenses to practice law in the states of Connecticut and Florida.

Laura O'Sullivan

Laura O'Sullivan received her accounting and business administration degrees from the University of Kansas. She entered Billiken territory, earning her Juris Doctorate from St. Louis University School of Law. In August 2011, Professor O'Sullivan joined the University of Missouri as a clinical professor teaching the Wrongful Convictions course, a prerequisite to participation in the Midwest Innocence Project Clinic. Working under the legal direction of Professor O'Sullivan and the staff at the Midwest Innocence Project, students help identify, investigate, and fight for the freedom of innocent people wrongfully convicted.  

Prior to joining the faculty, Laura worked on criminal, family and civil cases for Fredman & Fredman, P.C., a boutique law firm in Saint Louis. As a partner in Hughes & O'Sullivan, PC, she continued to represent individuals fighting for justice in state and federal courts. While working with the Missouri State Public Defender, she gained extensive trial, appellate, post-conviction, and management experience culminating in her role as training director for the system.  

She attended Gerry Spence's Trial Lawyers College in 1998, as well as the TLC Death Penalty College in 2010. Professor O'Sullivan served on the faculty of training programs in Missouri, Kentucky and Louisiana, and now proudly serves on the faculty of the Trial Lawyers College training lawyers from all over the country.  

Eric Ratinoff

Eric Ratinoff represents plaintiffs in personal injury, product liability,insurance bad faith, consumer fraud, medical negligence and serious automobile accidents. He is an AV Rated Attorney by Martindale-Hubbell and has been recognized in both Federal and State Courts as an aggressive and experienced plaintiff's trial lawyer. Eric has been nominated by his peers as a Northern California "Super Lawyer" in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013. In 2013 Eric was awarded by the Capitol City Trial Lawyers Association for his outstanding work in the community, naming him Humanitarian of the Year, after the namesake of his mentor Mort Friedman. Eric is both an alumni and faculty member of the Gerry Spence Trial Lawyers Collegeand frequently lectures at seminars around the country on the subjects of personal injury litigation, automobile accident litigation, trial practice and evidence. In 2013 he was elected to the Board of Directors of the California Brain Injury Association (BIACAL) and Consumer Attorneys of California (CAOC), and was invited to become a member of Cien Amigos, a coalition of community leaders working toward the mutual prosperity of both California and Mexico.

Greg Reeves

Greg Reeves graduated from the TLC Class of '98 and lives in Decatur, Alabama with his wife and family.  He has been a trial lawyer for more than 20 years.  Among many of his success, Greg is most proud of securing an acquittal for a client charged with capital murder. He has shifted his focus primarily to injury cases and has successfully employed a less is more method, obtaining six figure verdicts.  Greg has been featured in Lawyer's Weekly USA, noting this approach.  In 2008, Greg felt called to serve his community and was elected to the Decatur City Council, a position he held for 4 years, serving 2 years as President of the Council.  He has served as adjunct faculty at the Alabama School of Law and has been on the faculty of the Trial Lawyers College for the past several years.

Marj Russell

Marj graduated in the first TLC class in 1994 and joined the faculty in 1996. She's been a criminal defense lawyer for over 30 years.  She specializes in case development, focus groups, witness preparation and jury consulting all over the US, and occasionally sits second chair as well. During her career, Marj has participated extensively in lawyer training programs and has been privileged to assist in five death penalty cases, and many LWOP felony trials including terrorism cases.

Eddie Schmidt

Eddie grew up in a Catholic middle class family in Harahan, Louisiana, a small town along the Mississippi River outside of New Orleans. He attended Vanderbilt University where he graduated with Honors and lettered four years as a member of the Varsity Swimming Team and served as team captain. Eddie put himself through LSU Law School working three different jobs. After law school, Eddie worked for a small Baton Rouge firm for a couple of years before starting his own practice in Jefferson, Louisiana. While maintaining primarily a private practice, Eddie also served at various times as a public defender, general counsel to the Louisiana Department of Agriculture, and a Better Business Bureau Arbitrator. Eddie served two terms as a member of the Louisiana Democratic State Central Committee. Concerned over increasing government intrusion into personal privacy and religious affairs, Eddie became a cooperating attorney for the ACLU.

In 1998 Eddie attended the Trial Lawyers College founded by legendary lawyer Gerry Spence and currently serves as a member of the teaching faculty. In addition to his involvement with the Trial Lawyers College, Eddie regularly writes and speaks about trial practice.

In 2001 at age 43 and disgusted with Louisiana's poverty, pollution, and politics and following his heart, Eddie closed his practice and moved to Nashville. He married second grade teacher Amy Rich of Nashville.

Vicki Slater

Vicki R. Slater, course advisor, American Association for Justice is a member of AAJ's NCA Board of Trustees, president elect for AAJ's Council of Presidents, second vice chair of the Women Trial Lawyers Caucus, and a member of the Public Affairs Committee and the Election Committee.  Ms. Slater is a past president of the Southern Trial Lawyers Association (STLA).  In 2010 she received theMississippi Business Journal's Leadership in Law Award.  Ms. Slater is the president and owner of Vicki R. Slater, Attorney at Law, P.A. in Jackson, Mississippi.

John Sloan

John Sloan was born in Kilgore, Texas in June of 1954, and was raised in Henderson, Texas. He received his undergraduate degree from Baylor University in 1977 and in 1980 he received a Juris Doctor degree from Baylor University School of Law. John sold his law books back to the Baylor book store to buy enough gasoline to get back to his hometown for his first job as a lawyer. He started working for a family friend with a general law practice a few days after law school graduation in his hometown of Henderson, Texas. John was admitted to the State Bar of Texas in May,1980, and his trial experience began early on in his career as he was lead counsel in a murder trial that began two weeks after getting his bar results. It was the first case John had ever seen tried from beginning to end. In his first three years of practice, he tried everything from criminal cases to boundary line disputes until going out on his own and moving to the big city of Longview, Texas (population 75,000). At that point, John decided to concentrate on personal injury cases. Today, in addition to the Courts of Texas, John is admitted to practice before the United States District Courts for the Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western Districts of Texas, United States Court of appeals for the Fifth Circuit, the United States Court of Federal Claims and the United States Supreme Court. John has been selected as a "Texas Super Lawyer" by Texas Monthly Magazine every year since 2003. John Sloan has tried over 100 cases to a jury verdict and has a national trial practice, having successfully handled cases in Arkansas, California, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, Texas, and West Virginia. John is board certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and is a certified Civil Trial Advocate by the National Board of Trial Advocacy. His professional affiliations include Advocate, American Board of Trial Advocates (TEX�ABOTA). Gregg County Bar Association; State Bar of Texas (District 2A Grievance Committee); State Bar of Texas Board of Directors; East Texas Trial Lawyers Association (Vice President, 1998; President, 1999�2000); Texas Trial Lawyers Association (Associate Director 1991�1995; Director 1996 to 2010); American Association for Justice; Justice for Children; Attorney Information Exchange Group; and Fellow, Texas Bar Foundation. John attended the Trial Lawyers College as a student in 1998. He had long been an admirer of Gerry Spence, having read every book that Gerry had written to that point. In addition, John's hometown friend, Dax Cowart, had attended the College in 1996 and was instrumental in encouraging John to apply and attend TLC. To date, four other members of John's law firm have attended the three�week College and all of the nine�member firm has attended several Regional seminars. John joined the TLC Board of Directors in 2009 and is currently serving as President. He also teaches lawyers how to better represent their clients as a member of the teaching staff of the Gerry Spence Trial Lawyers College. One of John's passions is volunteer service. He is on the Board of Directors of the Longview Habitat for Humanity, an organization with the philosophy that everyone should be entitled to safe, decent housing. He is also on the Board of Directors of Justice for Children which advocates for at-risk children in situations where there is a threat of abuse and/or neglect. John is married to Dee Anne and has two children: Trey, 29, and Nika, 10. He enjoys participating in triathlons, hunting, working on his ranch, and all outdoor activities.

Kent Spence

 Kent W. Spence has successfully taken on big corporations and local, state, and federal governments in civil rights, personal injury, wrongful death, industrial accident, oil field accident, trucking accident, and other cases, over the past two decades.  Kent is a past President of the Wyoming Trial Lawyers Association for the 2004-5 term and he is a permanent board member.  In that year Wyoming faced its biggest attack by the insurance industry against Wyoming citizens receiving full justice for injury and death.  Kent and his partners remain active in the leadership of Wyoming Trial Lawyers Association to preserve our rights to justice for Wyoming people. Kent recently obtained a $3 Million verdict in a civil rights wrongful death case against the police in Texas, on behalf of a mother who witnessed her schizophrenic son be assaulted and killed by the Harris County constables.  Earlier this year Kent settled a significant oilfield explosion accident case for several young oilfield workers and their families.  Our clients were seriously injured in an oilfield rig explosion and fire while working on an unsafe oil rig in Washington State.

Phil Stackhouse

Phil is a trial lawyer with the M�tier Law Firm in Fort Collins, Colorado. He focuses his practice on representing people who have been seriously injured  and those facing  serious felony allegations.  He is a July 2010 graduate of the 3-week Trial Lawyers College, has attended every regional, and has been on faculty since 2012. The Trial Lawyers College changed the way that Phil practices law - it has changed his  relationships with clients, jurors, and judges; it has changed the way he looks at his cases; and it has  allowed him to see possibilities that he would have before never considered. Trial Lawyers College also helped me personally to be a more effective listener, storyteller, and writer.

Debbie Taussig

Debbie graduated from the TLC class of 2003.  She is the current president of the F Warrior Alumni Board.  She has a law practice with offices in Boulder and Denver, Colorado with a focus on personal injury and insurance bad faith.

Sylvia Torres-Guillen

Ms. Torres-Guill�n was appointed August 23, 2011, by Governor Jerry Brown to serve as General Counsel of the California Agricultural Labor Relations Board. She earned the first college degree in her family, graduating from Harvard University in 1988 with an A.B. in Government. In 1992, she graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law (Boalt Hall). Prior to her appointment, Ms. Torres-Guill�n worked with the Office of the Federal Public Defender for the Central District of California in Los Angeles for nineteen years. She had almost forty federal criminal trials, including the first internet hate crime case prosecuted by the federal government in the country. She teaches at the Gerry Spence Trial Lawyers College. She taught trial advocacy at Loyola Law School, Cal Western Law School (Acceso) and in the Dominican Republic. She trained lawyers and judges in Venezuela during the country's transformation to an adversarial judicial system. She has served as a temporary judge for the Los Angeles Superior Court of California. She is a member of the State Bar of California's Council on Access and Fairness. She has served as President of the Latina Lawyers Bar Association, Vice-President of the Mexican American Bar Foundation and co-chair of the Hispanic National Bar Association's Commission on the Status of Latinas in the Legal Profession.

Nelson Tyrone

Nelson graduated from the Trial Lawyers College in 2000 and now devotes his practice to the area of Plaintiff's Personal Injury Trial work in Atlanta, Georgia.  Nelson practiced for a number of years with the pre-eminent criminal defense firm of Garland, Samuel & Loeb, P.C., in Atlanta, and defended clients in a wide variety of major felony and white collar cases in both state and federal court. He has also worked for Butler, Wooten P.C., in Atlanta and Columbus, Georgia where he worked primarily in the areas of auto products liability and medical malpractice. He is now a sole practitioner in Atlanta, where he lives with his wife and daughter.  

Zaki Zehawi

Leaving everything behind, our family escaped from Ghadafi's Libya in the early 1980s. Since then, I've dedicated my life to criminal defense. The United States holds the dubious title of world's greatest incarcerator.  I hope to provide some humanity to a lost soul in a crushing, punitive justice system which incarcerates more of its citizens per capita and houses the largest inmate population in the world. Eugene V. Debs said; "While there is a lower class I am in it; while there is a criminal element I am of it; while there is a soul in prison, I am not free." I began my legal career at the San Diego Office of the Public Defender as a misdemeanor attorney. After two years, I transferred to the San Diego Federal Defenders Office, defending federal felonies. After two years, I transferred back to the San Diego Office of the Public Defender to defend state felonies. I now work at the San Diego Alternate Public Defenders Office, defending only serious felonies.

John Zelbst

John P. Zelbst has been a trial lawyer since 1980. He graduated from the Trial Lawyer's College with the Class of 1999 and has served on it's board for over a decade.  Throughout the years his practice has grown nationwide. With the assistance of local counsel, Mr. Zelbst has handled and tried cases all over America. Mr. Zelbst' legal career has focused solely on representing people who have been injured, wronged, falsely accused and mistreated. John Zelbst has been referred to as a "gun slinger from the old west fighting in an alley that time has all but forgotten. Today's court rooms are sterile and dead. More like mausoleums and morgues. John brings life, thunder and justice back into these quiet cold rooms."Selected multiple times by the readers of the Lawton Constitution as the Best Lawyer of the Year. Oklahoma Bar Association, Young Lawyers Division for the years 1994 and 1995 for participation in the Student Training and Employment Program (STEP). Oklahoma Bar Association Courageous Advocacy Award 1989. Mr. Zelbst is also civic minded. He cares deeply about his community. In an effort to provide service to the community he serves on the Board of Trustees of the Comanche County Memorial Hospital, Lawton, Oklahoma. He is also a member of the Oklahoma Cattlemen's Association; a voluntary firefighter for the Meers Volunteer Fire Department, member of the National Alumni of The University of Tulsa, College of Law. In 2010 appointed by the Governor of the State of Oklahoma to the Wildlife Commission for a term of eight years. Mr. Zelbst and his associates have obtained many large settlements and verdicts on behalf of their injured clients. Including the largest known personal injury verdict in the state of Oklahoma-24 million dollars, Henderson v. Petro Energy Transport Co. et al., DC Jackson County CJ-95-64.