Did you know that Gerald Leonard Spence, an American trial lawyer, author, member of the Trial Lawyer Hall of Fame and founder of the Trial Lawyers College, never lost a criminal trial before a jury, either as a prosecutor or a defense attorney, and did not lose a civil trial after 1969, although several verdicts were overturned on appeal?

Gerald Leonard Spence is considered one of the greatest lawyers of the 20th century, and among the best trial lawyers ever. He was born in Laramie in Wyoming, United States on January 8, 1929, graduated from the University of Wyoming in 1949 and from the University of Wyoming College of Law in 1952, graduating first in his class. He was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree in May 1990, and started his career in Riverton, Wyoming, where later became a successful defense attorney for the insurance industry, winning many cases.

Years later, Spence said he "saw the light" and became committed to representing individuals instead of corporations, insurance companies, banks, or "big business." From 1954–1962, he served as prosecuting attorney of Fremont County, Wyoming.

Spence was recognized for winning nearly every case he ever handled, including a number of high-profile cases, such as Randy Weaver at Ruby Ridge, the Ed Cantrell murder case, the Karen Silkwood case, and the defense of Geoffrey Fieger. He also defended Brandon Mayfield, and successfully prosecuted Mark Hopkinson as a special prosecutor. One of his most significant cases was the defense of Imelda Marcos, former First Lady of the Philippines and first governor of Metro Manila, in a racketeering/fraud case considered one of the trials of the century, which he won.

Spence won multi-million-dollar lawsuits against corporations, such as $26.5 million in libel damages for 1978 Miss Wyoming Kim Pring against Penthouse in 1981. He also won a $52 million lawsuit against McDonald's in 1984. Spence won more multi-million dollar verdicts without an intervening loss than any lawyer in the United States. 

Spence acted as a legal consultant for NBC during its coverage of the O. J. Simpson trial and appeared on Larry King Live. He was the author of over a dozen books about politics and law, including The New York Times bestseller How to Argue and Win Every Time (1995), Win Your Case (2005), From Freedom to Slavery (1993), and Police State: How America's Cops Get Away with Murder (2015).

After winning the Fieger acquittal in 2008, Spence told jurors, "This is my last case. I will be 80 in January, and it's time for me to quit, to put down the sword." In 2010, however, Spence was still listed as an active partner in the Spence Law Firm, located in Jackson, Wyoming, and continued to make public appearances. Despite his claim of retirement, Spence took on a civil suit for wrongful incarceration, which ended with a mistrial in December 2012 when the jury could not come to a unanimous decision.

Spence was selected as a top lawyer by Super Lawyers between 2008 and 2022. He received the first Lifetime Achievement Award from Consumer Attorneys of California in 2008. He also received the American Association for Justice's Lifetime Achievement Award in 2013.

Spence later oversaw The Gerry Spence Method program, which trains trial lawyers who represent injured people and people accused of crimes; no corporate or government lawyers are allowed to attend. Gerry Spence was one of the longest-serving lawyers, having worked for over 70 years.

Spence and his second wife divided their time between their homes in Dubois, Wyoming, and Santa Barbara, California. Despite having residences in two different states, Spence stated that he would "die in Wyoming"; however, he died at his home in Montecito, California, on August 13, 2025, at the age of 96.

Source: Wikipedia 

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