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.”
