Just weeks after this blog reflected on the passing of Miami’s own Roy Black, the criminal defense bar has lost another giant: Gerry L. Spence, the Wyoming-born trial lawyer whose folksy charm, moral conviction, and unbroken string of jury wins made him one of the most celebrated advocates in American history. Spence died peacefully at his Montecito, California, home on August 13, 2025. He was 96.
I always like watching him talk for a few minutes about the burden of proof.
Born January 8, 1929, in Laramie, Wyoming, Spence rose from modest roots to become a national figure in both civil and criminal trials. His résumé reads like a highlight reel: the $10.5 million verdict for nuclear whistleblower Karen Silkwood’s estate; the acquittal of Imelda Marcos; the defense of Randy Weaver after the Ruby Ridge standoff; and multimillion-dollar civil verdicts against corporate titans like McDonald’s.
In the early 1990s, Spence founded the Trial Lawyers College on his Thunderhead Ranch, where he trained a generation of lawyers in his signature approach — authentic storytelling, emotional connection, and unshakable courage. Known for his trademark fringed buckskin jacket, he was also a prolific author, penning titles like How to Argue and Win Every Time and The Making of a Country Lawyer.
Spence is survived by his wife of 57 years, LaNelle “Imaging” Spence, his children, and the countless clients and lawyers whose lives he touched. Like Roy Black, he believed the courtroom was a place not just to win, but to stand for something larger — and in doing so, he left a legacy that will endure well beyond the cases he tried.
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