The 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.
In this episode of the Trial Lawyers College podcast, host Ron Estefan sits down with Misty Nehring to explore what happens when trial lawyers stop performing and start connecting. Drawing from her journey from overwhelmed public defender to empowered advocate, Misty shares how TLC reshaped her approach to clients, juries, and herself—transforming fear, disconnection, and burnout into authenticity, compassion, and confidence. This conversation goes beyond technique, diving into vulnerability, emotional intelligence, and the power of human connection in the courtroom. It's a powerful reflection on growth, courage, and what it truly means to show up as a lawyer—and as a person.
In this episode of the Trial Lawyers College podcast, host Ron Estefan talks with defense attorney Zander Carrie about taking an apparently "unwinnable" case—meth in the defendant's system, a 10-year-old dead, and a skeptical rural courthouse—and how TLC training, brutal honesty in voir dire, and disciplined storytelling turned the case into an acquittal.
Host Ron Estefan talks with Trial Lawyers College grads Andy Delaney and Jack De La Piedra about their March 2026 Florida trial: an 87-year-old nursing-home resident's preventable decline, the family's loss, and a $6M jury verdict. They break down the case-building choices that made jurors care — immersive openings, surgical cross-examination, and a short, human closing — and share practical TLC-inspired lessons for trying cases where dignity at the end of life is on the line.
On this episode of the Trial Lawyers College podcast, Andy Delaney and Amanda Harber sit down with sentencing advocacy expert Cyndy Short to explore mitigation as storytelling. Cyndy explains how to build persuasive sentencing narratives, shares concrete courtroom techniques (role-reversal, setting the scene, humanizing clients), and offers practical tips for advocates handling high-stakes capital and non-capital matters. A must-listen for trial lawyers who want to make sentencing advocacy more humane, strategic, and effective.
Francisco Duarte sits down with Rick Sterger and Melissa Sandoval to unpack a powerful immigration win: how a young migrant who crossed the Darien Gap was detained, and how careful advocacy, TLC methods, and strategic litigation secured his freedom. A clear, humane look at immigration practice, professional courage, and why lawyers matter.
Ron Estefan sits down with Matt Lathrop to explore Trial Lawyers College's The Courage to Ask—how curiosity, vulnerability, and better questions transform trial lawyering. Hear why asking (not performing) helps lawyers connect with juries, shape verdicts, and regain confidence.
Ron Estefan hosts Rafe Foreman for a candid conversation about what actually matters in the courtroom: presence, authenticity, and story. Board & faculty leaders unpack the Trial Skills Foundation week — what happens in the classroom, why it changes how lawyers try cases, and what attendees take home that actually moves juries.
Rafe Foreman talks with TLC Board & Faculty Leader Ron Estefan about the Trial Skills Foundation (March 1–6, Moe Ranch, Hunt, TX): a six-day, multi-skill, lab-style TLC program for civil and criminal defense lawyers — openings, directs, cross, psychodrama, case consult energy, and real-world skill building.
Rafe Foreman chats with TLC faculty leaders Paula Elliott Estefan and Render C. Freeman about Do No Harm — a focused, limited-enrollment Trial Lawyers College program (Jan 19–22) at the Peery Hotel in Salt Lake City. This is a laboratory-style CLE for lawyers who want real practice on real cases: depositions, cross-examination, role-play, psychodrama, and tactical troubleshooting with faculty and peers.
Cyndy Short and Laura O'Sullivan—longtime TLC faculty and alumnae—walk through the Women Who Win program (Feb 18–22, Vanderbilt), psychodrama for openings, motherhood + practice, and how women can use authenticity and storytelling as courtroom strengths.
Former public defender turned employment litigator Babak Semnar explains how Trial Lawyers College methods—psychodrama, role reversal, and emotional connection—made him a better, more authentic trial lawyer. From sexual-harassment and age-discrimination trials to long depositions and jury work, Babak shows how "being real" wins jurors' hearts and verdicts.