Lawyers of Distinction Remembers Gerry Spence: “A Voice of Courage in American Law”

Lawyers of Distinction joins the legal community in mourning the passing of Gerry Spence, the legendary trial lawyer whose career spanned more than six decades. Few attorneys so profoundly shaped both the courtroom and the public imagination. Fewer still practiced with such fearlessness, compassion, and devotion to justice.

Spence was never a lawyer for the powerful. He was a lawyer for the people whose voices might otherwise be drowned out. From defending the indigent to taking on massive corporations, from civil rights battles to criminal defense, he approached every case with the same conviction: that truth, fairness, and dignity mattered more than status or influence.

Born and raised in Wyoming, Spence carried his roots with him into every courtroom. He argued with plainspoken clarity, weaving stories that juries could feel in their bones. His signature style, part cowboy and part philosopher, reminded America that advocacy is not about theatrics but about humanity. His closing arguments were not mere recitations of fact, but testaments to belief: belief in his client, belief in the Constitution, belief in the enduring power of the law to protect the powerless.

Spence never lost a criminal case before a jury. That record, extraordinary on its own, is only part of his legacy. He was also a teacher, founding the Trial Lawyers College, where generations of attorneys learned to approach advocacy not as performance but as an act of service. For Spence, preparation meant not only mastering the law but also mastering one’s own fears and ego. The goal was always to uncover the kind of honesty jurors can sense without a shred of doubt.

Beyond the courtroom, Spence wrote prolifically, speaking directly to lawyers and laypeople alike. His books, filled with stories of trials and reflections on justice, inspired countless readers to believe in the transformative potential of the law. His words carried the same candor as his arguments: unpolished at times, unvarnished always, and unmistakably real.

At Lawyers of Distinction, we recognize excellence in the legal profession not by perfection but by impact. Gerry Spence’s impact cannot be overstated. He reminded us that the practice of law is not simply a career but a calling, a responsibility to stand, sometimes alone, against immense odds for the sake of what is right.