Trial Lawyers University

On a recent Saturday in October, Frank Fratello of Farah & Farah took the red-eye from TLU Vegas back to Jacksonville, Florida. On Monday, jury selection began in his pain management trial. On Thursday, the jury returned a $2.12 million verdict for his client. Tune in as Frank tells Dan Ambrose, TLU Vegas founder and show host, how lessons from instructors such as jury consultant Sari de la Motte, trial consultant Jesse Wilson, and leading PI trial lawyer Ben Rabinowitz helped drive his victory.

Check out these upcoming opportunities in the TLU portfolio: November 28, case analysis of Frank Fratello’s $2.12 million jury verdict; December 4-7, Dave Clark’s “Dark Arts Trial Craft” bootcamp; March 5-8, 2025, Joe Fried’s four-day bootcamp on trucking cases; April 1-5, 2025, Sach Oliver’s depositions bootcamp; October 29-November 1, 2025, TLU Vegas.

Train and Connect with the Titans

☑️ Frank Fratello I Instagram 

☑️ Farah & Farah I LinkedIn I Facebook I Instagram I X I YouTube

☑️ Trial Lawyers University

☑️ Missed the October 2024 TLU Vegas? Check out TLU On Demand for access to the nine lecture tracks as well as more than 385 webinars with pleadings, transcripts, and PowerPoints from analyzed cases.

☑️ TLU on X | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn

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Episode Snapshot

• Out of the Gate: As a second year, Frank attended a trial and wrote the response to the defendant's new trial motion after the verdict; the judge agreed with his arguments.
• First Five: After law school, Frank’s first job was searching a database for plaintiffs who would have cases in the Engle class action tobacco litigation.  
• “Invaluable” Experience: For 16 months, Frank worked for an insurance defense firm, where he learned how “the other side saw cases.”
• TLU Bootcamp: Frank took two key takeaways from attending the TLU Bootcamp in 2022: “Practice makes perfect” and “Trial was a lot more about connecting than anything I had thought about before.”
• “Crazy Decision”: Why attend TLU Vegas immediately before a jury trial? Frank told his boss: “I’m going to use this stuff. Nothing risked, nothing gained.”
• Conveying Constant Pain: The big issue in Franks’ rear-end collision case was conveying that his client, while appearing “100 percent,” was actually living in constant pain.
• Lessons in Jury Selection: Just days after TLU Vegas, Frank used strategies from Sari de la Motte’s workshop to help pick his jury..
• Victim-to-Victor: Frank leveraged Jesse Wilson’s “Victim-to-Victor” approach to frame his case, and it resonated with the jury.

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Host Dan Ambrose invites David Sugden of Call & Jensen for a discussion about the importance of constant practice and learning for trial lawyers. David highlights his video series, which provides training on skills like evidence and depositions. His mission with the series is to help lawyers become competent with the rules “so that when they go into court, they have that comfortability, which then the byproduct can be confidence.”

David and Dan share thoughts on the value of programs like Trial Lawyers University in refining trial skills. They also preview this month’s TLU Vegas, where experienced trial lawyers including David will share knowledge, collaborate, and guide participants in enhancing their courtroom performance.

Train and Connect with the Titans

☑️ David Sugden I LinkedIn

☑️ Call & Jensen I LinkedIn I Facebook I X

☑️ TLU Vegas

☑️ Trial Lawyers University

☑️ TLU On Demand Instant access to live lectures, case analysis, and skills training videos

☑️ TLU on X | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn

☑️ Subscribe Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube

Episode Snapshot

• What trial lawyers can learn from David’s series of training videos
• A preview of David’s workshops at TLU Vegas: navigating hearsay and laying a foundation
• Lawyers and athletes: A college baseball player, David reflects on the similarities between both pursuits
• Why David suggests that mock trials should be set in a real courtroom environment
• The important lessons offered by the TLU educational program
• David’s $6 million verdict on behalf of a real estate auction company against a defendant who fraudulently manipulated bids

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Darryl Isaacs of Isaacs & Isaacs Personal Injury Lawyers joins host Dan Ambrose for a conversation about building a legal practice, emphasizing the importance of hiring and branding. He traces his ventures into marketing, from buying phone book covers and billboards to appearing on television and TikTok. At his month’s TLU Vegas, Darryl will teach the basics of building business and strategies for effective marketing and branding.

Want a complimentary access code to TLU on Demand? Email Dan.

Train and Connect with the Titans

☑️ Darryl Isaacs I LinkedIn I Instagram I Facebook I X

☑️ Isaacs & Isaacs Personal Injury Lawyers I LinkedIn I Instagram I Facebook I X I YouTube

☑️ TLU Vegas

☑️ Trial Lawyers University

☑️ TLU On Demand Instant access to live lectures, case analysis, and skills training videos

☑️ TLU on X | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn

☑️ Subscribe Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube

Episode Snapshot

• Didn’t love criminal law, loved being in the courtroom: Darryl’s entré into law
• How Darryl applied a Supreme Court ruling that allowed lawyers to write to accident victims
• Why Darryl embraced marketing efforts – billboards, television, the back covers of phone books
• How Darryl formed his “mastermind” group 
• The $2 million replica of a courtroom that Darryl built and uses for focus groups
• What participants at Darryl’s TLU Vegas masterclasses can expect

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PI trial attorney and consultant Phillip Miller joins host Dan Ambrose to cover a wide range of topics about trial strategy. From learning microexpressions to metaphor interviews to connecting with jurors, Phillip encourages lawyers in all stages of their careers to continue their education. One place to do just that is at the upcoming TLU Vegas, which Dan founded. There, Phillip and trial attorney Sach Oliver will break down their recent success. In their wrongful death case, a Kroger tractor trailer driver fatally struck a fireman who was assisting at the scene of a wreck. Tune in to learn how Phillip and the team dismantled Kroger’s defenses, including that the crash was unavoidable. The jury awarded $140 million.

Train and Connect with the Titans

☑️ Phillip Miller I LinkedIn

☑️ Miller Law Offices I Facebook

☑️ TLU Vegas

☑️ Trial Lawyers University

☑️ TLU On Demand Instant access to live lectures, case analysis, and skills training videos

☑️ TLU on X | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn

☑️ Subscribe Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube

Episode Snapshot

• Phillip’s career path started with enrolling in law school after dealing with his father’s estate
• His first PI case: Not a good one … but he made the most of it and got a $25,000 verdict
• At TLU Vegas, Phillip will teach a masterclass on depositions, including his “Miller Mousetrap” strategy.
• Phillip’s methodology as a trial consultant starts with asking “dumb questions that will make your case better”
• Phillip and Dan role play a cross-examination, focusing on strategies like asking one new fact per question and defining terms
• At TLU Vegas, Phillip will also join trial attorney Sach Oliver to present about their recent wrongful death case that ended in a $140 million verdict against Kroger
• How the team established that the Kroger driver who struck and killed a fireman who was assisting at an accident scene should have avoided the crash
• What happened after Kroger’s insurance representatives reneged on a $20 million settlement offer
• How Phillip and Sach used focus groups for trial
• A preview of all the learning opportunities at TLU Vegas

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In a wide-ranging interview, host Dan Ambrose talks about TLU Vegas  with one of the conference’s featured speakers, guest Nick Rowley of The Rowley Law Firm. Nick touches on the importance of rising early — particularly on trial days — exercising, learning from mentors, and getting to know clients well to humanize them for juries. He also talks about Justice Watch, an organization that he is developing. Still in its inception, Justice Watch will open chapters in each state to lobby for laws important to lawyers, lodge complaints about bad judges, and promote good judges. Dan and Nick also discuss presentations at TLU Vegas and their importance to both new and seasoned lawyers. Dan encourages law students who can’t afford the conference to visit TLU Vegas and submit a scholarship application.

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☑️ Nick Rowley I LinkedIn I Instagram I Facebook

☑️ Trial Lawyers for Justice I Rowley Law Firm I Jordan Law I Trial By Human

☑️ TLU Vegas

☑️ Trial Lawyers University

☑️ TLU On Demand Instant access to live lectures, case analysis, and skills training videos

☑️ TLU on X | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn

☑️ Subscribe Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube

Episode Snapshot

• Nick’s morning routine: wake early, cold shower, exercise, read, eat protein breakfast.
• Seek out many mentors to learn different styles and philosophies.
• Nick’s key task when helping other lawyers: Get to know the clients and their families.
• Nick’s Justice Watch will work to keep a bad judge off the Montana Supreme Court and serve to counterbalance an insurance industry group called Judicial Watch.
• Words matter: Don’t demand settlements; offer an opportunity to settle a case.
• There will be a booth at TLU Vegas where attendees can learn about Innoceana, Nick’s charity that promotes global marine conservation.
• Nick is co-authoring a book “debunking nuclear verdicts” and will present on it at TLU Vegas.

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Alicia Campbell, co-author of JuryBall, joins host Dan Ambrose to discuss the genesis of that landmark publication and her work helping lawyers leverage big data. She also shares another important project: the nonprofit that she and her husband, John, established to fund academic research on legal issues and provide data-driven insights for plaintiffs’ lawyers. Called the Justice Through Empirical Data Institute (or JEDI), the organization aims to provide answers to questions like whether tort reform caps work and whether it’s a problem for plaintiffs if their lawyer can’t make a non-specific, non-economic damage request. Alicia also previews her presentation at the upcoming TLU Vegas, where she’ll provide a high-level overview of JuryBall and data.

Law school students who are interested in a scholarship to attend TLU Vegas should email Dan for information.

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☑️ Alicia Campbell | LinkedIn | Email

☑️ Campbell Law 

☑️ JuryBall

☑️ TLU Vegas

☑️ Trial Lawyers University

☑️ TLU On Demand Instant access to live lectures, case analysis, and skills training videos

☑️ TLU on X | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn

☑️ Subscribe Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube

Episode Snapshot

• Alicia’s career, starting as a teacher in the inner-city of San Antonio
• Ten years and more than 850 case studies
• How Alicia’s frustration with the federal mediation system spurred her early foray into data
• How predicting a case’s value has evolved over the past 10 years
• Sean Claggett’s role in shaping JuryBall
• A preview of Alicia’s presentation at TLU Vegas
• The process of conducting a big data study
• Campbell Law’s experience with high-profile excessive force cases
• The nonprofit that Alicia started with her husband, John: The Justice Through Empirical Data Institute, or JEDI

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Spencer Lucas learned three important lessons from legendary personal injury lawyer Brian Panish: preparation, aggressiveness, and authenticity. A partner at the firm Brian co-founded, Panish Shea Ravipudi LLP, Spencer put those lessons to work, with Brian, to secure $135 million for two survivors of childhood sexual abuse. 

Listen in as Spencer breaks down the case against the Moreno Valley Unified School District for host Dan Ambrose. In addition to describing hurdles that the team overcame, Spencer discusses spearheading the firm’s efforts to find justice for sexual abuse survivors in the wake of California’s Assembly Bill 218, which gives survivors the right to file claims that were otherwise time-barred. As Spencer explains, it’s less about the monetary results and more about shining a light on institutions that covered up abuse. “It’s been incredibly satisfying for me as a lawyer to be a part of this awareness,” he says.

At TLU Vegas, Spencer will lead a workshop about navigating sexual abuse cases, sharing insight on strategic considerations for discovery, depositions, witnesses, and more.

Train and Connect with the Titans

☑️ Spencer Lucas | LinkedIn | Email

☑️ Panish Shea Ravipudi LLP | LinkedIn | Instagram | X | Facebook

☑️ TLU VEGAS

☑️ Trial Lawyers University

☑️ TLU On Demand Instant access to live lectures, case analysis, and skills training videos

☑️ TLU on X | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn

☑️ Subscribe Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube

Episode Snapshot

• Spencer’s hometown: Port Orchard, Washington. No port, no orchard, but a lovely place to grow up
• His pedigree: great-grandparents who were immigrants and practiced law to help their community
• Why he turned to accident law after meeting an injured accountant at H&R Block during law school
• The story of meeting legal giant Brian Panish began with talking football
• How he spearheaded his firm’s efforts to pursue justice for sexual abuse survivors after California’s Assembly Bill 218
• A preview of Spencer’s workshop at TLU Vegas: case-framing sex abuse cases
• Background of Spencer’s victory in Brady Blair and Justin McGregor versus the Moreno Valley Unified School District
• How a focus group helped Spencer frame the case
• The defense’s data dump that produced the smoking gun
• What the notebook that the retired principal tossed away on the stand revealed

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Verdict number 1: $7 million. Verdict number 2: $101 million. Verdict number 3: $13.2 million. That’s how a recent 30-day run went for Kimball Jones and his team at Bighorn Law.

While he’s proud of those accomplishments, and others, “It's the firm that we've put together – That’s gotta be the thing that I'm the most proud of.”

Tune in with host Dan Ambrose as Kimball describes why he’s proud of the team, especially how they bolstered the recent cases. He will share more for TLU: on October 1, he’ll break down the case with the $13.2 million verdict, a challenging one because his client didn't seek treatment for the first time until two weeks after the crash that injured her. On October 14 for TLU, he’ll analyze a wrongful death car accident case that will have gone to trial just the prior week. Then, the following week at TLU Vegas, Kimball will offer two one-hour lectures: one about lessons learned along his journey and the other about strategies to overcome “gaps-in-care” cases like the one where he secured $13.2 million.

Train and Connect with the Titans

☑️ Kimball Jones | LinkedIn | Email

☑️ Bighorn Law | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook

☑️ TLU VEGAS

☑️ Trial Lawyers University

☑️ TLU On Demand Instant access to live lectures, case analysis, and skills training videos

☑️ TLU on X | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn

☑️ Subscribe Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube

Episode Snapshot

• Kimball Jones’ path: studying law (boring), clerking (boring), serving in the US National Guard (counterintelligence: cool, but he can’t tell you about it), launching his law career on advice from a law school buddy (who was in court against insurance companies. “I thought, ‘I’d be good at that.’”)
• Why a gut-wrenching loss taught him to avoid bringing in his client’s medical records
• How focus groups shaped his case on behalf of a woman injured in a botched hernia repair surgery
• His run of three trials in 30 days (including two lawsuits that were part of one incident)
• How Progressive Insurance’s policy about letters requesting payment played with the jury
• A preview of Kimball’s upcoming presentations for TLU, including at TLU Vegas

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Robert S. Glassman’s client was driving a motorcycle over the posted speed limit when a city truck cut in front of him from a side street. In the ensuing crash, the cyclist was injured. 

On this episode of Trial Lawyers University, hear how Robert presented the facts about his client’s speeding during jury selection to weed out jurors who didn’t think they could be impartial when deciding who was to blame for the accident.

Robert also shares how he relied on the testimony of an expert witness to prove that – even if his client had been going the posted speed limit – the accident still would have occurred, and the injuries would have been the same. 

Ultimately, the jury found that Robert’s client was speeding, but that the city truck was to blame for the accident. The verdict: $11 million to Robert’s client.

Train and Connect with the Titans

☑️ Robert S. Glassman | LinkedIn | Email | Instagram

☑️ Panish Shea Ravipudi LLP | LinkedIn | Instagram | X | Facebook

☑️ TLU VEGAS

☑️ Trial Lawyers University

☑️ TLU On Demand Instant access to live lectures, case analysis, and skills training videos

☑️ TLU on X | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn

☑️ Subscribe Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube

Episode Snapshot

• When to tell prospective jurors the facts that could harm your client.
• How Robert’s concession that his client was speeding changed the mood during jury selection and resulted in striking 26 jurors.
• When speaking with jurors about how they feel about the client speeding, ask if they can be impartial while hearing the rest of the evidence.
• When potential jurors express their opinions, ask other jurors if they feel the same way.
• Why a plaintiff’s lawyer can’t go straight to the question of whether a juror can be impartial. 
• How to thank the jurors for every opinion they express without becoming combative.
• When suing the government, ask prospective jurors if they worry that making big-verdict awards will increase taxes for everyone.
• How to transition from questions about taxes to caps for awards against a government entity.
• How Robert proved his client would have suffered the same injuries if he had driven the speed limit.
• How the jury concluded that the motorcycle driver was negligent for speeding, but that speeding did not cause the accident.

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“I've always had a ‘presenter mode’… I’m ‘presenting’ to a jury,” says David Christensen. Then, he and his team at Christensen Law attended a TLU bootcamp about forming relationships instead.

They put the strategies – eye contact, slower speech, and other “micro-communication” techniques –  to work at a recent trial.  “It was palpable. I could feel the difference,” he tells host Dan Ambrose, founder of TLU. 

Next month, it will be David’s turn to teach. At TLU Vegas, he’ll break down an unusual case in which he sued a gas station for not calling 9-1-1 fast enough when a mentally ill man was killed at the site by a homeless man. In this episode, David and Dan put their teaching skills to work as they role-play the cross-examination of a doctor as a paid expert witness. Dan guides the lesson into techniques like asking leading questions, “looping” – establishing a fact and repeating that fact in the next question – and refocusing: “Doctor, here’s my question…”

Train and Connect with the Titans

☑️ David Christensen | LinkedIn | Email

☑️ Christensen Law | LinkedIn | Instagram | X | YouTube

☑️ TLU VEGAS

☑️ Trial Lawyers University

☑️ TLU On Demand Instant access to live lectures, case analysis, and skills training videos

☑️ TLU on X | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn

☑️ Subscribe Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube

Episode Snapshot

• “Everybody takes Chinese studies before coming to law school”: David’s unique path
• How a TLU bootcamp changed the way David connects with a jury
• Background of the case David is teaching at TLU Vegas
• What David is most proud of – not one case, but the firm he built
• The wrongful death case that David is taking to trial in October: a woman killed when a truck driver on methamphetamine struck her car head-on.
• How meth is becoming a character of its own in the trial
• How David is preparing to try his case in conservative Jackson, Michigan
• Exposing the lies told in deposition by the truck driver’s corporate bosses

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