LEGENDARY TRIAL LAWYER GERRY L. SPENCE DIES AT 96

August 14, 2025                                                          Contact:          Sharon Wilkinson

                                                                                                            Executive Director

                                                                                                            (307) 432-2102

 

LEGENDARY TRIAL LAWYER GERRY L. SPENCE DIES AT 96

 

MONTECITO, Calif. – Gerry L. Spence, the celebrated Wyoming trial lawyer whose buckskin jacket, folksy delivery, and unbroken string of courtroom victories made him one of America’s most renowned advocates, died yesterday at his home in Montecito, California. He was 96.

 

Over more than six decades, Spence built a record unmatched in American legal history, never losing a criminal jury trial and, after the late 1960s, never losing a civil case. Known for his fierce dedication to the underdog, he pledged never again to represent a corporation against an individual, vowing to stand with “the people who had no one else.”

 

Spence rose to national prominence through a series of landmark cases, including the $10.5 million verdict for the family of nuclear whistleblower Karen Silkwood, the successful defense of former Philippine First Lady Imelda Marcos, and the acquittal of Idaho survivalist Randy Weaver on the most serious charges stemming from the Ruby Ridge standoff. His high-profile victories also included a $52 million judgment against McDonald’s and a $26.5 million libel award for Miss Wyoming against Penthouse magazine.

 

Born January 8, 1929, in Laramie, Wyoming, Spence earned his law degree magna cum laude from the University of Wyoming College of Law in 1952. After early years as a prosecutor and insurance defense lawyer, he shifted his career toward representing individuals in cases others deemed unwinnable.

 

Beyond the courtroom, Spence founded the Trial Lawyers College in 1994 at his Thunderhead Ranch in Wyoming, training generations of attorneys in the “Spence Method” — an approach centered on authenticity, emotional connection, and moral courage. He was also a prolific author of more than a dozen books, a familiar voice on national television during major trials, and a recipient of lifetime achievement honors from the American Association for Justice and the American Trial Lawyers Hall of Fame.

 

Spence is survived by his wife of 57 years, LaNelle P. Spence; his children Kip Spence, Kerry Spence, Kent Spence, Katy Spence, Brents Hawks, and Christopher Hawks; thirteen grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.

 

As he once told a jury, summing up the creed that defined his career:

 

            “I would rather speak for the weak than be the strongest man in the room.”