“How do you know that words matter? You know because they make you feel something.”
In this continuation of our podcast series titled Words Matter, Los Angeles Public Defender Kim Savo shares her insight into the connection between poetry and the presentation of a compelling opening statement.
A wordsmith by nature and a passionate advocate for the accused, Kim stresses the importance of emphasizing the emotion behind a story, rather than leaning on the facts, to move jurors to justice. Staying true to the TLC methods, her moving discussion with host Rafe Foreman offers a refreshing look at the artistry behind a trial lawyer’s words.
“As advocates in the courtroom, the truth carries the day, and we have the obligation to seek the truth, to speak the truth, and to correct lies and misstatements when they’re in violation of the truth.”
In this first installment of our four-part series titled ‘Words Matter’, host Rafe Foreman takes the mic to introduce the why behind this pressing topic. Why do words matter? What do words, particularly falsehoods, have the power to do? This timely episode, inspired by the recent events at our nation’s Capitol, explores each of those questions and more.
While Rafe doesn’t have a straightforward solution to America’s rising issue of weaponized misinformation, his words serve to encourage further thought, discussion, and personal accountability among those who hold the highest obligation to promote the truth.
“Our great-grandfather stood to fulfill a sacred duty...to do more than he ever thought he may have been capable of doing...at a particular time in the existence of the world for the survival of generations of all of us to come. The warriors that stand in courtrooms today—with their hand on a vulnerable, suffering person or their families—are doing that extremely honorable and important and courageous task of a warrior assigned the same type of commitment to help to make it a better world.”
This episode of the TLC podcast features brothers Harley and Robin Zephier, co-authors of the book Warrior Is and members of the Mnincoju Lakota people. In a captivating discussion with host Rafe Foreman, the brothers share their profound insight into what it means to be a warrior through the story of their great-grandfather, Mato Niyanpi “Saved by Bear”, a proud Lakota warrior who performed an act of commitment and courage during the Battle of the Greasy Grass in 1876, interweaving his legacy with the story of humankind as a whole.
By establishing a parallel between the values of the Lakota culture and the core mission of the Trial Lawyers College, Harley and Robin offer a refreshing perspective that transcends the boundaries of time and background. Tying it all together with the current turbulent political atmosphere of both our nation and our world, this episode offers a timely reminder of the importance of coexistence, unity, and interconnectedness and the role of the trial lawyer in upholding them.
“It’s not going to be a straight line from here to a better world, but what other choice do we have?”
This unconventional episode of the TLC podcast features Bernie Cantorna, a Centre County, Pennsylvania District Attorney who served on the TLC faculty from 1997 to 2016. As he catches up with host Rafe Foreman, Bernie explains why he chose to become a DA and offers his unique insight into the inner world of a prosecutor from someone who’s been in both shoes.
As a former general practitioner representing both civil plaintiffs and criminal defendants in a range of emotionally moving cases, Bernie saw a problem that needed to be fixed. Like a true TLC warrior, Bernie cleaned up a corrupt DA’s office by taking on the role himself, proving that it’s never too late to do the right thing. His testimony serves as a powerful reminder of the ability of the TLC methods to transcend occupation and make a lasting impact from all angles of the criminal justice system.