Category: EPISODES

12. THE FINAL CASE DECEMBER 15th, 2022 In the next session of Trial School’s Top Shelf Book Club, we will be joined by award-winning and best-selling author David Guterson to discuss his book, The Final Case. WATCH THE SESSION

1. And the sea will tell JUNE 4th, 2020 And the Sea will Tell is a true crime book by Vincent Bugliosi and Bruce Henderson. The nonfiction book recounts a double murder on Palmyra Atoll; the subsequent arrest, trial and conviction of Duane (“Buck”) Walker; and the acquittal of his girlfriend, Stephanie Stearns, whom Bugliosi… Continue reading AND THE SEA WILL TELL PT. 1

2. And the sea will tell Pt. 2 JULY 2nd, 2020 And the Sea Will Tell is a true crime book by Vincent Bugliosi and Bruce Henderson. The nonfiction book recounts a double murder on Palmyra Atoll; the subsequent arrest, trial and conviction of Duane (“Buck”) Walker; and the acquittal of his girlfriend, Stephanie Stearns,… Continue reading AND THE SEA WILL TELL PT. 2

3. THE LAST TRIAL AUGUST 6, 2020 During this Top Shelf session, John Uustal interviewed author Scott Turow, a #1 New York Times best-selling author. Turow’s books have been translated into more than 40 languages and sold more than 30 million copies, and have also inspired several films. At eighty-five years old, Alejandro “Sandy” Stern,… Continue reading THE LAST TRIAL

5. Presumed Innocent OCTOBER 1ST, 2020 This session focused on cross-examination from Presumed Innocent. Hailed as the most suspenseful and compelling novel in decades. Presumed Innocent brings to life our worst nightmare: that of an ordinary citizen facing conviction for the most terrible of all crimes. It’s the stunning portrayal of one man’s all-too-human, all-consuming… Continue reading PRESUMED INNOCENT

6. Ladies and Gentlemen of the Jury DECEMBER 3RD, 2020 Ladies and Gentlemen of the Jury is a collection of closing arguments from ten noteworthy cases. In this session of Top Shelf, the discussion focused on: Chapter 2: Clarence Darrow’s own bribery trials of 1912-1913Chapter 4: Gerry Spence’s Silkwood trial of 1979 Each closing argument is put into context… Continue reading LADIES AND GENTLEMENT OF THE JURY

7. A Civil Action FEBRUARY 4TH, 2021 A true story of an epic courtroom showdown, where two of the nation’s largest corporations were accused of causing the deaths of children from water contamination. Described as “a page-turner filled with greed, duplicity, heartache, and bare-knuckle legal brinksmanship” by The New York Times, A Civil Action is the searing,… Continue reading A CIVIL ACTION

8. THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF ZEUS April 1, 2021 In this session, John Uustal interviews author Curtis Wilkie on his book, The Fall of the House of Zeus tells the story of Dickie Scruggs, arguably the most successful plaintiff’s lawyer in America. A brother-in-law of Trent Lott, the former U.S. Senate Majority Leader, Scruggs… Continue reading THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF ZEUS

9. Devil in the Grove: JUNE 3RD, 2021 In this session, John Uustal interviews Pulitzer Prize-winning author Gilbert King on his book, Devil in the Grove. Arguably the most important American lawyer of the twentieth century, Thurgood Marshall was on the verge of bringing the landmark suit Brown v. Board of Education before the U.S. Supreme Court… Continue reading DEVIL IN THE GROVE: THURGOOD MARSHALL, THE GROVELAND BOYS, AND THE DAWN OF A NEW AMERICA