Real Over Perfect with Rafe Foreman
The Trial Lawyers College Podcast
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.
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Trial Skills Foundation 2026 Preview with Ron Estefan
The Trial Lawyers College Podcast
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.
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Do No Harm — Paula Elliott Estefan & Render C. Freeman
The Trial Lawyers College Podcast
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.
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Women Who Win with Cyndy Short & Laura O’Sullivan
The Trial Lawyers College Podcast
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.
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More Real Than Your Opponent with Babak Semnar
The Trial Lawyers College Podcast
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.
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Client's Bad Acts with Eric Davis
The Trial Lawyers College Podcast
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.
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Above & Below the Line with Mike Smith
The Trial Lawyers College Podcast
Rafe Foreman sits down with faculty member Mike Smith to unpack why Trial Lawyers College programs — from the three-week flagship to weekend workshops — are game changers for trial lawyers. They talk psychodrama’s power to unlock the emotional core of a case, the collaborative moment that produced the “above/below the line” framework for med-mal trials, and practical voir-dire tactics borrowed from criminal practice. If you want to deepen juror connection, vet your ideas with fellow lawyers, and leave with trial tools you’ll actually use, this episode explains why you should join...
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Medical School 101 for Lawyers with Francisco "Paco" Duarte
The Trial Lawyers College Podcast
Francisco "Paco" Duarte joins Rafe to unpack the practical side of medical-misdiagnosis in cases — including why stroke tops the list and running through the ten most commonly incorrect diagnoses. They explain how emergency departments are organized (and why that structure — plus billing and workflow practices — often shows up as distortion in litigation), who typically gets named in these suits, and what to look for in exams, diagnostic plans, and medical records. If you try medical cases, listen for concrete takeaways on chart mining, spotting absent documentation, and using hospital...
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F-Warrior Retreat, Psychodrama, and Real-World Wins with Robert Klingler
The Trial Lawyers College Podcast
TLC grad Robert Klingler (Class of 2015) joins Rafe Foreman to explain how psychodrama and TLC methods — role reversal, doubling, listening and courtroom reenactments — have reshaped his practice from federal employment work to public-defense and civil trials. Hear how a respectful, strategic approach unraveled a suppression hearing, how a roller-rink reenactment convinced jurors, and why the upcoming F-Warrior retreat is a can’t-miss chance to sharpen skills and reconnect with the psychodrama community. Practical, human, and full of trial stories you can use on your next case.
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Courtroom to Classroom with Stanley Schneider
The Trial Lawyers College Podcast
Rafe Foreman sits down with TLC graduate Stanley Schneider to unpack a career spent fighting for justice — from recent jury battles and wins at the Court of Criminal Appeals to life-changing Innocence Project work. Stanley explains how psychodrama and TLC methods sharpen storytelling, jury engagement, and appellate strategy, and he reflects on coerced confessions, forensic failures, and the hard work of trying “bad” cases. Tune in for practical trial lessons, courtroom lore, and why teaching the next generation of lawyers matters.
info_outlineRafe Foreman interviews Darryl Exum about a brutal, nine-month criminal trial in Riverside—a four-defendant gang double-murder case involving identical twins—that tested every trial skill in the book. Darryl recounts two trials (after a mistrial tied to a covert informant dispute), how TLC methods—rigorous voir dire, careful cross-examination, storytelling and putting jurors in the room—helped peel back unreliable police testimony and shaky forensic claims. He also talks honestly about the personal toll of long trials, the importance of “letting the village in” (trusted colleagues and community support), using AI as a drafting tool, and prioritizing health. The jury ultimately refused to convict on the principal counts, showing how relentless preparation, human connection, and ethical advocacy can prevail.