The Trial Lawyers College Podcast

Trial Skills Foundation 2026 Preview with Ron Estefan

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.

Do No Harm — Paula Elliott Estefan & Render C. Freeman

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.

Women Who Win with Cyndy Short & Laura O'Sullivan

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.

More Real Than Your Opponent with Babak Semnar

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.

Client's Bad Acts with Eric Davis

Eric Davis (Houston criminal lawyer, TLC Board member) joins Rafe to tackle a brutal—but common—trial problem: what to do when your case includes facts that will make jurors shut down. Drawing on years of bad-case experience and Trial Lawyers College methods, Eric walks through practical strategies for voir dire and trial planning when you must confront extraneous offenses, on-video conduct, DNA, or other explosive evidence.