Trial Lawyers University

Little island. Big cases. Bigger verdicts. Russ Pate is a solo plaintiff lawyer in St. Croix whose career has included a combined $113 million verdict in two consolidated tobacco cases and $6.3 million verdict in a premises liability trial. He also worked with the Virgin Islands’ attorney general to pursue civil claims against the Jeffrey Epstein estate using the Virgin Islands' unique tax credit program. Taking a break from the TLU ski bootcamp in Big Sky, Montana, Russ sits down with host Dan Ambrose to reflect on his journey from that first roach-infested, $500-a-month office in St. Croix.

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They offered $100,000. She demanded $450,000. They wouldn't budge — so she went to trial. The jury came back with $10 million. To this day, it remains the highest pain-and-suffering verdict in Luzerne County history. Meet Melissa Scartelli, the author of that verdict and many others. A 35-year trial veteran and founder of Scartelli Olszewski, Melissa has built her practice around medical malpractice, earning rare punitive damage verdicts against physicians and going to verdict in cases where she could not name a specific dollar amount to the jury. Host Dan Ambrose draws out stories behind Melissa's wins, including the way she anchors damages an...

Przemek Lubecki embodies the American dream. He and his family emigrated from Poland, living in Germany before gaining asylum in the United States in 1989 and settling in St. Louis. After trying over 100 cases during seven and a half years at a Chicago defense firm, Przemek transitioned to the plaintiffs’ side. TLU 2021 proved transformational, exposing him to plaintiff lawyers operating at the highest level. The following year, with help from the TLU network, Przemek secured his first eight-figure verdict of $12.5 million. Przemek discusses trial preparation, skill development, and mentorship with host Dan Ambrose.

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A former prosecutor who now runs his own firm, Andrew Pickett visits host Dan Ambrose to reveal his strategies for success in the courtroom and in business. From his origin story as a college swimmer to his 42 jury trials as a prosecutor to his recent $9 million wrongful death verdict, Andrew shares lessons learned. Tune in for his insights about how hiring a psychodramatist transformed his witness preparation and why being an entrepreneur mirrors personal development.

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☑️ Andrew Pickett Law, PLLC | LinkedIn

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Jeremy Babener helps plaintiffs and trial lawyers keep more of their settlements and verdicts through tax-saving agreements. In this conversation with host Dan Ambrose, Jeremy reflects on how he landed in this specialized field during law school – his evidence course was canceled, so he switched to a tax policy class. Before graduating from law school, he was already advising on $20-30 million settlements. He earned his tax LL.M. at NYU, served in the US Treasury's Office of Tax Policy, started his own law firm, and eventually founded Structured Legal, which helps lawyers and plaintiffs make the most of th...

Broadcasting from Cabo San Lucas, host Dan Ambrose gathers five participants in the recent TLU bootcamp to reflect on their experience and role-play techniques. The guests include Johnnie Bond from D.C., Matt Nakajima from Cincinnati, Mohamad Ahmad from Los Angeles, Alejandro Gonzalez from Miami, and Jared Smith from Kentucky. Tune in for their insights about discipline, self-coaching techniques, and the benefits of TLU bootcamps.

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☑️ Matt Nakajima | LinkedIn

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☑️ Johnnie Bond | LinkedIn

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☑️ Alejandro Gonzalez | LinkedIn

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Over the past year, Kimball Jones has taken six cases to trial, securing more than $700 million in verdicts and settlements. In this conversation with host Dan Ambrose, Kimball breaks down the cases that led to a $550 million verdict, $114 million verdict, and $31 million verdict. Kimball explains that a huge part of his success is knowing what cases to take to trial and understanding how to frame cases to get maximum value. Nick Rowley opens the episode by discussing his million-dollar battle against Uber’s ballot measure that would kill the contingency fee system. Dan closes the episode by demonstrating his wi...

Picture learning trial methodology while fishing in the afternoon, shooting archery, and riding horses across 1,750 acres of Missouri ranch land. Celebrated trial lawyer Sach Oliver tells host Dan Ambrose how this "magical place" will host his intensive “Depositions Our Trial” workshops starting in November 2027. Before that, at TLU Beach in June 2026, Sach will share lessons about managing money that he learned from his grandparents. Tune in as he unveils his vision for the revolutionary legal education destination and his insights about how money works.

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Clashes with the judge. Nineteen expert depositions. Ten hours of court hearings leading to trial. Outcome: $51.3 million for a construction worker who was electrocuted on a job site. Mohamad Ahmad discusses the remarkable journey of the Maggio case and his career in this conversation with host Dan Ambrose. After getting no job offers after his UCLA Law summer clerkship and starting his own firm, Mohamad endured a decade-long drought between seven-figure verdicts and spent about $1 million of his own money on Maggio. Tune in for his insights about assembling a trial team, mastering cross-examination, and videotaping yourself – an uncomfortable bu...

Alex Ivanov’s journey to Angel Reyes & Associates in Texas started when he fled his native Belarus after refusing KGB recruitment, arriving in America at age 21 with $380. Just three years into trying cases, he secured his first seven-figure verdict on a non-surgical pain management case where the defense offered only $90K on a $250K policy. How? Leveraging strategies developed by host Dan Ambrose for his TLU platform to prepare the witness and transport the jury back to the crash scene, The jury awarded $1.075 million. Since 2022, Alex has tried about 15 jury trials and recently earned recognition as a Texas Rising St...

Two North Carolina attorneys who served their country and are now serving their clients discuss what they gained from the Trial Lawyer University’s Joe Fried Trucking Bootcamp. Will Meekins, with two years of experience handling catastrophic injury cases in western North Carolina, and Ryan McCollum with three civil trials under his belt in Raleigh, both graduated from West Point. They met years later at a North Carolina Plaintiffs' Lawyers Convention. In this wide-ranging discussion with host Dan Ambrose, they share insights from their military service, transition to trial law, and intensive training at the bootcamp. Tune in for th...

In 1984, Eric Oliver was teaching persuasion skills to marketeers in computer firms. When he transitioned to trial consulting that year, he found a new audience. In two years, “lawyers took all my time…because nobody had ever taught persuasion, influence, and communication to attorneys at that time. They still don't.” In this wide-ranging discussion with host Dan Ambrose, Eric reveals how he accidentally discovered his calling. Now, he teaches lawyers how to manage juror perceptions, combat post-truth decision-making, and overcome impaired attention in modern courtrooms. Tune in for his insights about anchoring techniques, mirroring for rapport, and opening statements that c...

It was a longshot case. After all, the jury knew that John Martin’s client, suing for employment discrimination, already had retirement benefits. But this fight was about whether she was entitled to a different category of benefits. Confident they’d win, the defense rejected an offer to mediate. A jury awarded $1.75 million. “I just got the email this morning that they just mailed the checks,” John tells host Dan Ambrose in this wide-ranging discussion about his career. With 35-40 civil jury trials under his belt since graduating from Suffolk University Law School in 2009, John reflects on his journey from deb...

“Every employment case is a story about betrayal,” says George Moschopoulos, who recently convinced jurors that the Los Angeles Unified School District failed to work in good faith to find his disabled client another role in the organization. Host Dan Ambrose unpacks the case, from the six-figure pretrial offer to the juror who compelled the team to pivot their strategy to the $3 million verdict. Tune in for George’s insights about presenting clients as resilient survivors and mastering trial skills through deliberate practice.

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☑️ George Moschopoulos | LinkedIn

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Looking back on this month’s TLU Beach, Joe Fried says attendees and even vendors declared it the best program yet. The renowned trucking attorney from Fried Goldberg joins host Dan Ambrose to reflect on the event’s success and preview their five-day Trucking Bootcamp in August. That event will combine Joe's 20-plus years of trucking expertise with Dan's performance skills training, guiding trial lawyers through intensive hands-on practice.

The Trucking Bootcamp will be held Aug. 12-16 in Huntington Beach, CA. Learn more here.

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☑️ Joe Fried | LinkedIn

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Working on the Golden State Killer Task Force, which prosecuted a notorious California serial killer, was a career highlight for Bobby Taghavi. But, after serving in a prosecutor’s office, “the next step is to be a manager until you run for a judge” – and Bobby was “way too young to run for judge.” He made the leap into personal injury law. Now managing partner at Sweet James Accident Attorneys, Bobby has secured three consecutive multi-million dollar verdicts. With host Dan Ambrose, he recaps his victories and previews his session at TLU Beach (June 4-7), where he’ll teach trial lawyers...

Born without his right leg, Conal Doyle is an accomplished athlete who refuses to let challenges get in his way. “And I've carried that through my legal career, taking really tough cases to trial.” With host Dan Ambrose, Conal shares his journey from defense attorney to a leading plaintiff’s attorney in California. The founder of Doyle Law, Conal handles only 5 to 10 high-value amputation and TBI cases at a time, and his results include a record-setting $26.8 million medical malpractice verdict and a recent $100 million shareholders' rights victory. At TLU Beach (June 4-7), he’ll teach a TBI masterclass, covering everythi...

To effectively talk with a jury about non-economic damages, you need a star witness – usually not your client – who can communicate how an injury affected your client. In this conversation with host Dan Ambrose,  Ashkahn Mohamadi discusses how he leveraged his technique in recent trials to secure multi-million-dollar verdicts. He’ll teach the formula at TLU Beach (June 4-7).

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About 25 years ago – years after stints as a professional pilot, steel worker, and certified public accountant – Randy Calvert discovered focus groups. “I just saw the value, and then, the more you do it, the more value you see in it,” he explains to host Dan Ambrose. Tune in to learn how Randy’s methodical approach—such as using statistically representative participants rather than recruits from Craigslist—has transformed his practice. At TLU Beach (June 4-7), he will guide attorneys in designing, implementing, and analyzing focus group results that unlock maximum case value.

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After suffering two trial losses, Tim Felice wondered if he wanted to put himself out there again. But as he read about a new case, and spoke with the client, “I just started getting fired up more and more and more.” In this case break-down with host Dan Ambrose, Tim discusses how he represented a musician who was catastrophically injured by a drunk truck driver. The verdict—$77.3 million in compensatory and $15 million in punitive damages—resulted from masterful legal maneuvering that allowed jurors to hear evidence about the client's psychological trauma from being falsely accused of killing her passenger. Tim will...

"When you get a verdict, you have till midnight to either celebrate or to sulk," observes John Romano. With 51 years of trial experience, John reflects on his journey from military JAG prosecutor with 125 trials under his belt to becoming one of America's most prolific trial advocacy teachers. Tune in to this conversation with host Dan Ambrose for John’s breakdown of a spine injury case where he secured a $5 million verdict on a $50,000 offer. At TLU Beach (June 4-7), he will teach his OSPA (Opposition Strategy Prediction Assessment) technique, showing lawyers how to anticipate defense tactics and communicate damages ef...

"I lost a huge trial and it was a very sobering and depressing, challenging verdict to receive," recalls Kurt Zaner in a candid conversation with host Dan Ambrose. After 20 consecutive civil trial victories, Kurt shares the hard lessons from his first defense verdict in a six-week ethylene oxide exposure case. Tune in for his insights about how even elite trial lawyers must continually refine their approach to cross-examination, witness sequencing, and jury selection. He will teach these refined techniques at TLU Beach (June 4-7), leading a premises liability masterclass and interactive workshops on creating courtroom drama.

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Kenny Berger is fighting tort reform in South Carolina, so he has advice for lawyers who are joining similar fights: “Have themes and principles that transcend party.” The founder of The Law Offices of Kenneth Berger, Kenny visits with host Dan Ambrose for a conversation about his political work and his legal practice. He also previews his session at TLU Beach (June 4-7), where he will teach how to visually connect defendant misconduct directly to plaintiff damages and secure record verdicts.

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"By getting the first impression on a topic—whether good or bad—you create something that sticks, making it much harder for the defense to change it later," explains Stephen Burg in conversation with host Dan Ambrose. From surviving the Columbine tragedy to overcoming a rugby injury that left him with a traumatic brain injury, Stephen shares the moments of personal adversity that shaped his advocacy for clients. He discusses his strategic "First to Frame" approach for defusing problematic facts in jury selection, resulting in multiple seven-figure verdicts including an $18.1 million award for a client with addiction issues. Stephen and...

Moses Kim shares his unique journey from growing up as a missionary's son in Argentina and rural Alabama to becoming a successful medical malpractice attorney in Atlanta. After spending nine years on the defense side, Moses took the leap to start his own plaintiff's firm, overcoming fears to build a thriving practice. In this conversation with host Dan Ambrose, he discusses his philosophy of using technology to uncover hidden truths in medical cases, the challenges of expert testimony, and his approach to winning complex trials. He also previews TLU Beach in June, where he will teach advanced deposition tactics.<...

Monte Tynes shares his remarkable 20-year journey from aspiring fighter pilot to accomplished trial lawyer handling everything from DUIs to wrongful convictions and product liability suits. In conversation with host Dan Ambrose, Monte recounts how after Hurricane Katrina wiped out everything he owned, he began his career with a baptism by fire, trying more than 100 DUI cases in his first six months of practice. His most significant case involved securing freedom and compensation for Tevin Benjamin, wrongfully convicted of murder at age 14 and imprisoned for six years. At TLU Beach (June 4-7), Monte will teach lawyers how to find...

Your client didn’t lose consciousness? Then your client doesn’t have a traumatic brain injury. At least, that’s what the defense will say. Don’t let them brainwash you. As Sagi Shaked explains to host Dan Ambrose, a TBI can express itself in other ways, such as dizziness or confusion. He has focused on “proving up” these invisible-type of injuries for years, securing seven- and eight-figure verdicts along the way. At TLU Beach (June 4-7), Sagi will teach his methodical approach to TBI cases, from identifying subtle symptoms that others miss to building compelling evidence that resonates with jurors...

"The true journey to becoming a great lawyer is making the unconscious conscious," observes Greg Prosmushkin in conversation with host Dan Ambrose. From obtaining an LLM to studying psychodrama at Trial Lawyers College and becoming certified in neuro-linguistic programming, Greg shares his relentless pursuit of trial excellence. Now co-author of "The Difference That Makes the Difference," Greg explains how understanding jurors' unique perspectives transforms results. He will share insights from his journey at TLU Beach (June 4-7), alongside titans like Ben Rubinowitz, Sach Oliver, and Joe Fried.

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“One of the things I think you really need to try a case is that certainty – that forward tilt, the idea that your client is correct – and everything flows backwards from there,” observes Eric Wilson in this conversation with host Dan Ambrose. At Russell & Lazarus, Eric has transformed $55,000 offers into million-dollar verdicts for spine injury victims. Discussing his transition from aspiring doctor to trial lawyer, Eric reveals how he evaluates potential spine cases, overcomes gaps in care, and preps plaintiffs for trial with focus groups. At TLU Beach (June 4-7), he will teach the cross-examination techniques that help him dismantl...

When you frame a case around negligence, you'll likely get a modest verdict or none at all. But when you reframe it as a story of betrayal, the jury's desire for retribution can dramatically increase your award—a strategy that helped Daniel Rodriguez secure a $35 million Iowa verdict, the state's largest motor vehicle crash verdict in history. In conversation with host Dan Ambrose, Daniel shares his approach to long-form opening statements using chapter-based storytelling, his techniques for building rapport with witnesses, and his powerful case-framing methods learned from David Clark. Countering conventional wisdom that openings should be brief, Daniel re...

"It's easy to convince yourself to settle a case," says Chicago trial lawyer Patrick A. Salvi Jr. Despite growing up with the Salvi name, he had to confront self-doubt after an early devastating loss. For seven years, fear kept him from taking good cases to trial. Everything changed when he began studying jury psychology and decision-making. Now with multiple eight and nine-figure verdicts, Patrick reveals his approach to maximizing damages and conducting meticulous cross-examinations in this conversation with host Dan Ambrose. Patrick will teach a one-hour lecture on maximizing damages and a one-day med-mal masterclass at TLU Beach (June 4...

When Deena Buchanan walked down the hallway at the New Mexico State Court after representing the defense, grieving families from the other side would glare daggers at her. “It made me wish that I could be on the plaintiff's side.”

Today, she is. She made the switch six years ago after 20 years of defending corporations. In sharing her journey with host Dan Ambrose, Deena discusses how far she’s come, highlighted by two recent wrongful death cases where she secured a total settlement of “multiple eight figures.” At TLU Beach (June 4-7), Deena will teach a workshop on "How to...

"We're walking them out on a tightrope. We keep walking them out, and finally, when we push, they fall into the canyon of doom. There is no escape." Ben Rubinowitz shares his masterful approach to cross-examination with host Dan Ambrose. Drawing from over three decades of trial experience, Ben reveals the strategies that make him one of New York's most formidable trial lawyers. Learn how proper witness setup creates powerful impeachment opportunities, why "voice of reason" questions establish credibility with jurors, and how to handle conditional answers from evasive witnesses. Ben will teach these techniques at TLU Beach (June 4...

Scott Frost, a veteran mesothelioma trial lawyer with over 100 trials under his belt, joins host Dan Ambrose to share insights from his distinguished career. From his early days in the Army JAG Corps to founding his own firm, Scott discusses his evolution as a trial lawyer and his specialized approach to toxic exposure cases. He’ll teach this “speed trial” method – which he leverages to try complex causation cases in as little as four days – at TLU Beach (June 4-7). "The reality is jurors don't know as much about the case, and if you can make it concise and quick, the...

Andrew Robb joins host Dan Ambrose to share his remarkable journey from aspiring opera singer to aviation litigation specialist at his family's firm. After clerking for federal judges and working in Big Law, Andrew returned to Kansas City to join Robb & Robb, a firm renowned for handling catastrophic aircraft cases. He discusses his $100 million settlement in a helicopter crash case and a recent $116 million verdict following a three-month trial in New York. On April 8, Andrew will break down the $100 million settlement case for a TLU webinar. At TLU Huntington Beach (June 4-7), he will present a workshop on aviation...

Al Foeckler, a prominent Wisconsin trial lawyer, joins Dan Ambrose to discuss his remarkable journey from the Wisconsin Supreme Court to becoming one of the state's top plaintiff attorneys. With over 27 years of experience, Al shares insights from his career-defining $39 million O'Donnell Park case and his philosophy on "Black Hat Justice." "It's easy to convince yourself to settle a case," Al says. "But if you're not taking cases to trial, you're doing a disservice to your clients." 

Listen as Al discusses the importance of continuous learning, networking with fellow trial lawyers, and having the courage to take c...

Mike Karp was always inspired by the winning trial lawyers he met at Trial Lawyers University. It didn’t take him long to join their ranks. He’s tried four cases to verdict and was named “Outstanding Young Trial Lawyer” by the plaintiff’s bar in Wisconsin in 2024.

“It’s nice to win awards, and it's nice to get big verdicts, but I'm proud of just making progress every day and being a better trial lawyer,” Mike tells host Dan Ambrose. Tune in for a look back at Mike’s fast-tracked career and ahead at his April trial on behalf of...

Patrick Kang lost a toxic mold case back in 2023. “It was the best thing to ever happen to me,” he says.

As Patrick explains to host Dan Ambrose, he leveraged the lessons learned in that defeat to secure victories in the cases that followed. Recently, he tried another toxic mold case. This time, he won $6.6 million for his client. Patrick and the team at Ace Law Group will break down that case on February 12. Click here to register.

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Dan Ambrose invites a Michigan colleague to discuss lessons learned from the TLU suite of programs and his upcoming TLU case analysis. Jason Waechter, known as the “Motorcycle Lawyer,” won $27 million on behalf of a motorcyclist whose leg was amputated below the knee after being hit by a distracted driver. Jason outlines the challenges he faced, including that his client had smoked pot while riding the cycle, as well as strategies that he leveraged from TLU during the case. On March 19, he’ll break it all down for a TLU webinar. Register here.

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From sunny Cabo San Lucas, host Dan Ambrose and Ryan Skiver of Skiver Bradley Law Firm encourage trial lawyers to take advantage of learning opportunities available in 2025. “It's the greatest time in the world to be a trial lawyer. Everything is here for you. All the skills. You can learn it,” Dan says.

A frequent participant in the TLU suite of educational courses, Ryan encourages lawyers to take advantage of programs like TLU On Demand. “One of the things that I've kind of always done is set aside time for learning,” Ryan says. One place for lawyers to learn...