Tirelessly Fighting for the Rights of Ordinary People

Born and raised in the small towns of Wyoming, personal injury attorney Gerry Spence has been practicing law for nearly 60 years. A country lawyer, Mr. Spence has built his legacy on defending ordinary people against big corporations and the government. He has been nationally recognized for trying and winning well-known cases, including the defense of Randy Weaver at Ruby Ridge, the Karen Silkwood case, and the defense of Geoffrey Fieger. Mr. Spence did not lose a civil case from 1969 - 2010, and he has never lost a criminal case.

Mr. Spence earned his law degree from the University of Wyoming Law School, graduating cum laude in 1952. In the spring of 1990, the University awarded Mr. Spence an honorary Doctor of Laws degree and he has been recognized by the American Academy of Achievement for law and letters.

Early in his practice, Mr. Spence worked as a prosecutor, gradually building an insurance clientele and making a name for himself as one of the top defense attorneys in the region. After many years of representing large insurance companies, Mr. Spence had a pivotal moment in his career. He "saw the light" and decided to switch his practice in order to defend the people he once took on. To this day, Mr. Spence remains steadfastly committed to the defense of ordinary people and their families.

Mr. Spence first earned acknowledgment when he successfully obtained a $10,500,000 verdict in the Karen Silkwood case, fighting on behalf of her children against Kerr-McGee. He went on to obtain other notable verdicts, including $26,535,000 for Miss Wyoming against Penthouse, $52,000,000 for a small, family-owned ice cream company against McDonald's Corporation for breach of oral contract, and defended Ed Cantrell in the well-known Rock Springs murder case. Mr. Spence's successful pursuit of a more than $4,000,000 verdict in a medical malpractice suit in Utah was instrumental in creating new nursing care standards throughout the state. His representation of Imelda Marcos in 1990 resulted in an acquittal for multiple charges after a three and a half month trial and he successfully defended Randy Weaver on numerous charges—including murder, conspiracy, assault, and firearms charges—in the famous 1993 federal standoff case. One of his most successful cases, Mr. Spence represented a quadriplegic client against a major insurance company in 1992, winning a record-breaking $15,000,000 verdict for emotional damages to which he added another $18,500,000 in punitive damages two weeks later.

Mr. Spence is the author of 18 books, including his revealing look at the criminal justice system in America, Police State: How America’s Cops Get Away with Murder, and his visual autobiography, The Lost Frontier. He is also the founder and director of the nonprofit Trial Lawyers College, an organization that offers extensive training for lawyers on how to defend individuals. In addition to four weekly seminars conducted throughout the country, the Trial Lawyers College also hosts an annual seminar for public defenders and others on the death penalty.

Between June 1995 and September 1996, Mr. Spence hosted The Gerry Spence Show on CNBC, a live, once-weekly show that covered a range of social and legal issues. He has spent years lecturing at various law schools and hosting seminars at legal organizations across the nation. He acted as a legal consultant for NBC in its coverage of the O.J. Simpson trial, has been a guest on Larry King Live, and has appeared on the Rivera Show.