“We are in a different mindset than our clients are. Even that is a barrier because, at that point, we don’t see the context where our client comes from.” This week’s TLC podcast features trial lawyer Pat Montes, who offers a thought-provoking look at how language and culture impact a lawyer’s relationships with their clients. Bringing to the table her unique perspective as a bilingual and bicultural attorney, Pat stresses the importance of working with clients in their native language rather th...
Sep 23, 2021•40 min•Ep 117•Transcript available on Metacast “There are people who do bad things, but I’ve never met anybody who I felt was just a bad person.” Continuing our series on ‘Reconstructing Success,’ California Public Defender Emily Fisher explores the ways that trial lawyers can intentionally improve injustices and inefficiencies in the justice system. As she guides listeners through her blueprint to resolving these systemic issues, Emily provides a thought-provoking starting point for the empathic trial lawyer to fine-tune their advocacy for ...
Sep 15, 2021•32 min•Ep 116•Transcript available on Metacast “When we tell good stories, the listeners engage.” This week, host Rafe Foreman meets with accomplished civil trial lawyer Scott Glovsky to explore his methods of successfully conveying the emotion behind his clients’ stories to the jury. A passionate advocate for individuals who’ve faced unjust denials by their health insurance companies, Scott delves into the intersection between the struggles of his clients and the motivations of their insurers. As the episode comes to a close, Rafe and Scott...
Sep 15, 2021•43 min•Ep 115•Transcript available on Metacast “There are so many people who have incredible talents that are going to waste because they’ve been excluded. It’s not hard to find if you just open your eyes….and when we see it, we need to use our position of power and privilege in the groups and organizations that we’re leading to elevate that talent and allow them to have the space to shine.” This week, trial lawyer and legal educator Keeley Blanchard joins Rafe Foreman in an integral discussion on the importance of inclusion, diversity, and ...
Aug 16, 2021•33 min•Ep 114•Transcript available on Metacast John Sloan hosts the TLC Podcast this week to interview Rafe Foreman and partner attorney Susan Hutchison on the incredible verdict the two trial lawyers won in a groundbreaking and unconventional gender discrimination case. Listen along as Rafe and Susan describe how they successfully conveyed their 72-year-old client’s story to the jury after a false sexual assault accusation led to him losing his 20-year job with an HVAC company. In a compelling episode led by a dynamic group of voices that T...
Aug 16, 2021•40 min•Ep 113•Transcript available on Metacast “Everything I need to know I learned in psychodrama. I remind myself to listen with my heart, tune into the emotions -- not just the words -- be open, be honest, and be kind because we have more in common than we’ll ever know...and to be fearless because no matter how alone we’re feeling, we are never alone and our TLC group -- every single one of them -- will be there to help you when you’re going through a problem.” This week, host Rafe Foreman is joined by Connie Taylor Henderson, who practic...
Jul 20, 2021•35 min•Ep 112•Transcript available on Metacast “Do something to make someone else’s day better. If we all do that, every day, we’ll change the world.” This week, Washington attorney Mark Wagner continues our ‘Restructuring Success’ series with a refreshing take on the true meaning of success. Channeling the core message of the Trial Lawyers College, Mark argues that success is all in how we treat others. Through engaging storytelling and a matter-of-fact method of expression, Mark reminds listeners of the humanity in all of us and that we ar...
Jul 13, 2021•37 min•Ep 111•Transcript available on Metacast “Success is really subjective, and I think that’s okay. The only thing that I need to do to live truthfully is to define the things that are important to me and let the rest burn. What’s scarier -- disappointing people or thinking, at the end of the day, what kind of life could I have had if I had just been a little bit braver?” This week, Ilinois criminal defense attorney Cambry McNabb joins host Rafe Foreman to explore the true meaning of success. As a young lawyer who attended the Trial Lawye...
Jul 07, 2021•36 min•Ep 110•Transcript available on Metacast “The storytelling potential in this case was off the charts because of the lengths the defense was going to go to to avoid the truth.” In this podcast, Eric Fong joins host Rafe Foreman to share, in captivating detail, the extraordinary story of how he and his client defied all odds to obtain a $91 million verdict in a recent personal injury trial. The case began when Eric’s client suffered a significant, life-altering brain injury during a late-night convenience store robbery that arose from in...
Jun 29, 2021•44 min•Ep 109•Transcript available on Metacast “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 ...
Jun 22, 2021•41 min•Ep 108•Transcript available on Metacast “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 ...
Jun 14, 2021•34 min•Ep 107•Transcript available on Metacast “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 ho...
Jun 07, 2021•39 min•Ep 106•Transcript available on Metacast “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 ...
Jun 02, 2021•36 min•Ep 105•Transcript available on Metacast “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 ...
May 18, 2021•33 min•Ep 104•Transcript available on Metacast “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, Kahli...
May 11, 2021•32 min•Ep 103•Transcript available on Metacast “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 ...
May 05, 2021•31 min•Ep 102•Transcript available on Metacast “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 person...
Apr 27, 2021•38 min•Ep 101•Transcript available on Metacast “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 ...
Apr 20, 2021•44 min•Ep 100•Transcript available on Metacast “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...
Apr 13, 2021•37 min•Ep 99•Transcript available on Metacast “I didn’t want anyone to see me as I really am. I thought they would reject me. That’s why, in the beginning, I worked so hard to walk perfectly -- I didn’t want anyone to see my weakness. But it was only when I was willing to let people inside and to see that is when I began to be comfortable with it as well.” Continuing our ‘Managing in Tough Times’ series is Bret Merkle, a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, personal injury attorney whose life was turned upside down at the age of 21 after he sustained...
Apr 06, 2021•36 min•Ep 98•Transcript available on Metacast “We need to see the things that are happening—the changes, the protocols, the restructuring of how this is all working—as opportunities and to find ways to embrace them and make them part of how you present your case.” This timely podcast features Texas trial lawyer Susan Hutchison, who discusses how the COVID-19 era has hindered the efficacy of the jury trial and what trial lawyers can expect in order to be better advocates for their clients as courtrooms begin to open up again throughout the n...
Mar 30, 2021•38 min•Ep 97•Transcript available on Metacast “It’s not just the words that I say, but do I honor the words that you say?” This continuation of our ‘Words Matter’ series features Dana Cole, an associate professor of law at the University of Akron School of Law, who shares his thoughts on the power and components of an impactful story and the art of mindful listening. This refreshing approach to why words matter explores not only on the side of the storyteller but also on the side of the listener. Drawing from both his personal insight inspi...
Mar 23, 2021•39 min•Ep 96•Transcript available on Metacast “I win because I’m the person who cares the most in the courtroom, not because I know the most.” This week’s podcast features Kiesha Cannon, a captivating voice for the vulnerable and the accused, who shares her insight into the simple secrets behind effective communication and connection both in and out of the courtroom. Drawing from her equally-inspiring personal and professional journeys, Kiesha provides a stark reminder of the importance of living authentically and listening with an open hea...
Mar 16, 2021•37 min•Ep 95•Transcript available on Metacast “The whole point of psychodrama is to tell the story, and the ways that lawyers have incorporated this method to tell their client’s story with such love and interest and time and attention is one of the greatest gifts I’ve ever seen another human being give another human being.” This week’s podcast continues our ‘Words Matter’ series with Jody Anderson, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and a Certified Psychodramatist, who shares her personal and professional insight into the impact of language...
Mar 09, 2021•29 min•Ep 94•Transcript available on Metacast “They always told us in Tennessee, ‘Great songs aren’t written — they’re re-written.’ I think that saying could apply for us in our work as trial lawyers.” In this multifaceted episode of the TLC podcast, host Rafe Foreman is joined by singer/songwriter and trial attorney Sam Wooden to continue our ‘Words Matter’ series. Offering his perspective on the connection between art and the performance of the trial lawyer, Sam shares the story behind his love for music and its parallels with his discove...
Mar 02, 2021•40 min•Ep 93•Transcript available on Metacast “How do you know that words matter? You know because they make you feel something.” In this continuation of our podcast series titled Words Matter , Los Angeles Public Defender Kim Savo shares her insight into the connection between poetry and the presentation of a compelling opening statement. A wordsmith by nature and a passionate advocate for the accused, Kim stresses the importance of emphasizing the emotion behind a story, rather than leaning on the facts, to move jurors to justice. Staying...
Feb 23, 2021•37 min•Ep 92•Transcript available on Metacast “As advocates in the courtroom, the truth carries the day, and we have the obligation to seek the truth, to speak the truth, and to correct lies and misstatements when they’re in violation of the truth.” In this first installment of our four-part series titled ‘Words Matter’, host Rafe Foreman takes the mic to introduce the why behind this pressing topic. Why do words matter? What do words, particularly falsehoods, have the power to do? This timely episode, inspired by the recent events at our n...
Feb 17, 2021•42 min•Ep 91•Transcript available on Metacast “Our great-grandfather stood to fulfill a sacred duty...to do more than he ever thought he may have been capable of doing ... at a particular time in the existence of the world for the survival of generations of all of us to come. The warriors that stand in courtrooms today — with their hand on a vulnerable, suffering person or their families — are doing that extremely honorable and important and courageous task of a warrior assigned the same type of commitment to help to make it a better world....
Feb 09, 2021•44 min•Ep 90•Transcript available on Metacast “It’s not going to be a straight line from here to a better world, but what other choice do we have?” This unconventional episode of the TLC podcast features Bernie Cantorna, a Centre County, Pennsylvania District Attorney who served on the TLC faculty from 1997 to 2016. As he catches up with host Rafe Foreman, Bernie explains why he chose to become a DA and offers his unique insight into the inner world of a prosecutor from someone who’s been in both shoes. As a former general practitioner repr...
Feb 02, 2021•43 min•Ep 89•Transcript available on Metacast “We have a real power right now to change the world we live in and leave it better for the generations to come, but we must come at it from a place of love. We have to be brave enough to be the light.” In the fourth and final installment of our podcast series titled “What Do Trial Lawyers Do?” TLC graduate and faculty member Jacqui Ford offers a striking reminder of what it truly means to be a trial lawyer. A passionate advocate for the accused in Oklahoma City, Jacqui discusses the meaningful d...
Jan 26, 2021•46 min•Ep 88•Transcript available on Metacast 
