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November 2025
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Gerry Spence and the Power of Truth LESSONS FROM A LEGENDARY TRIAL LAWYER
November is National Inspirational Role Models Month, which makes me think about one of the people who has influenced me the most – at least professionally. Legendary trial lawyer Gerry Spence passed away recently, and his career left a mark on me even though I never met him in person. His work shaped how I think about being a lawyer and how I present myself in court. Spence was one of the most recognized trial lawyers in the country. Some would say the best ever. He built a reputation on persuading juries and winning cases that seemed unwinnable. He started out in insurance defense but eventually became known for representing individuals in both civil and criminal cases. By the end of his career, he had tried hundreds of cases, maybe more, and his almost perfect record speaks for itself. What set him apart wasn’t just his wins, though. It was how he stood in front of a jury. He was himself and didn’t try to look tougher or smarter than everyone else in the room. He admitted to having nerves and leaned into vulnerabilities instead of hiding them. He also told stories in plain language and gave people something to really hold onto. That honesty made people listen. Spence was also born in and went to law school in Laramie, Wyoming. I was born in Laramie as well and felt that neat connection with him given it is not the largest town in the country. I first heard about him before I went to law school.
Once I got into law school, his name was everywhere. Professors talked about him, classmates read his books, and I found myself digging into his speeches and recordings. What I discovered was someone who didn’t just practice law but also connected with people on a personal level. That’s what made him a role model to me. One of his stories that stood out came from Spence himself. Early in his career, when he was still working for insurance companies, Spence defended a case against an older rancher who had been badly hurt due to someone else’s negligence. He cross- examined the man so sharply that it made him look bad in front of the jury. The case went in Spence’s favor, but he later found himself in an elevator with the rancher. Spence apologized for how things had gone, and the rancher simply told him, “Don’t worry, Mr. Spence, you were just doing your job.” That moment haunted him. It forced him to ask if that really was the kind of job he wanted. Soon after, he walked away from insurance defense and committed his career to representing people instead of corporations. When I first heard that story, I was just starting out on my own. I remember driving, listening to one of Spence’s old CDs in my car, and wondering if I had chosen the right path. His words made me feel like I had. They reminded me that representing individuals mattered, and I was right to keep moving in that direction.
Spence’s lessons go beyond any single trial. He proved that honesty matters more than legal jargon, that stories speak louder than any technical arguments, and that juries value authenticity and truth above all else. He even founded the Trial Lawyers College in Wyoming to pass on those ideas to others. So, this November, as I think about the people who have inspired me professionally and personally, I want to honor Gerry Spence. He may have been larger than life, but his influence reached lawyers like me who never got to shake his hand. His passing reminds us that role models can influence us from a distance, and their lessons stay long after they’re gone.
– Patrick R. Kelly
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Before Smartphones, There Was Water
GETTING OUT OF BED LONG BEFORE THE SNOOZE BUTTON
Members of Generation Z may find it difficult to believe that people used plug-in alarm clocks to help them get up on time in the morning. However, that seemingly archaic means of timekeeping has nothing on how people managed wake-up time before cellphones and even electricity, as we use it today, became staples of daily life. In the 4th century BCE, the Greek philosopher Plato created a method to ensure students at his academy, which once counted Aristotle among its pupils, woke up at the correct time each day. To perfect a foolproof system, he turned to a surprising tool: water. He constructed a set of clocks that operated using two basins. One basin would slowly empty into the other throughout the night; when the second basin was full, rattling pebbles or whistling air awakened students from their slumber. Known as klepsydra (or “water thief”) clocks, these timekeepers were astonishingly accurate. About a century later, Greek inventor Ctesibius of Alexandria expanded on Plato’s design by incorporating mechanics that produced sounds not unlike those of the more modern cuckoo clock. Ctesibius’s version remained popular until the pendulum clock emerged in the 1650s.
Although Plato often gets credit for creating aquatic-
based alarms, some variation of the klepsydra concept allegedly dates back to at least the 16th century BCE. Archaeologists uncovered a tomb inscription detailing how an Egyptian
court official of the era devised a similar system. Regardless of its definitive inventor, the water clock roused people long before phone apps, proving that nature often provides solutions to problems centuries before human technology catches up.
While the water clock was undoubtedly an imaginative masterstroke, it is still reasonable to argue that the “snooze” button remains the most critical time-related creation known to man.
Ice Cream in Your Pocket?
YOU CAN’T EVEN MAKE UP THESE STRANGE FOOD RULES
Finger-Licking Fun … or Else!
When it comes to state laws about food, specific provisions on the books from past years may leave a funny taste in your mouth, and potentially get you in a heap of trouble if you break them. This fact is especially true in parts of the South, where your lunch order may need to come with a side of legal advice. Cones and Captured Horses If you want to stay on the good side of law enforcement in Alabama, always remember that ice cream cones are for licking, not sticking in your back pocket. While it’s pretty safe to assume the thought of engaging in the latter activity hasn’t crossed a single mind in 2025, there was a time when horse thieves would stick ice cream in their pockets to attract equine abductees. Considering that we rarely share the highway with horses these days and most people would prefer not to turn the seat of their pants into a sundae, it’s a safe bet this charge won’t fill up courtrooms for the foreseeable future.
On the subject of making a mess with food items, eating chicken with your hands can be a sticky thrill — and is the only way to partake in poultry eating
without running a-fowl of the law in Gainesville, Georgia. If you want to enjoy tasty chicken in that city, stock up on wet wipes and skip the knife and fork, as eating it with utensils is a crime. Although the ordinance banning knives and forks when consuming chicken was meant as a joke by the local police department, chucking the rule may draw some disapproving clucks when dining in the place
affectionately known by locals and city officials as “the Poultry Capital of the World,” especially during its renowned Spring Chicken Festival. Perhaps only a good lawyer can help determine whether the law also
applies to vegan “chik’n” options.
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Dividing Homes, Not Hearts
TAKE A BREAK
Co-Parent Like a Pro After Separation
Divorce or separation is often stressful, but it should never be used to draw battle lines for your children. Dissolving a marriage or partnership can be as logistically challenging as it is emotionally draining, especially when developing a positive and effective co-parenting situation. Here are a few suggestions for creating and sustaining clear communication and responsibilities when you and your former spouse/partner no longer live or parent under the same roof. The Key Steps Toward Stability First and foremost, all co-parenting arrangements need a consistent plan for success. A written co-parenting plan should include the custody agreement, travel and/or relocation considerations, financial responsibilities for both parties, schedules (e.g., school pick-up/drop-off times and who is responsible for fulfilling these commitments), and details regarding the child’s education and health care needs. A document of this nature helps solidify both parties’ involvement and holds each accountable for what they’ve agreed to do on the child’s behalf. Additionally, it helps prevent disagreements or misunderstandings that could lead to arguing in front of the child/children, a scenario to avoid as much as possible. While a divorce may present logistical obstacles for one or both parents, it is critical to work toward maintaining the child’s existing friendships and activities, even if they require spending more time with one spouse over the other. For example, if your child’s best friend lives closer to your ex-spouse, accommodating the continuation of this close relationship will help your child maintain a sense of normalcy. The Risks of Reticent Relationships When the end of a marriage or relationship results in a breakdown in communication or cooperation, these fractured ties can have a potentially devastating impact on your child. Common effects of unhealthy co-parenting on children include reduced performance at school, lowered self-esteem, and difficulties in maintaining healthy relationships with others. If communication has devolved into acrimony or has resulted in either side failing to fulfill their parental duties, seeking counseling from a trained professional is one way to help steer the ship in the best possible direction for your child’s health and peace of mind.
SLOW COOKER BRISKET
Ingredients
• 1 (1-oz) envelope onion soup mix • 1 tbsp brown sugar • 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper • 1 3-lb piece of beef brisket (flat cut)
• 1 lb carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces • 1 lb baby golden potatoes • 3 celery stalks, cut into 1-inch pieces • 1 large sweet onion, cut into 8 wedges • 2 1/2 cups beef stock • 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce • 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 8 fresh thyme sprigs • 8 whole garlic cloves • 2 bay leaves
Directions 1. In a small bowl, combine soup mix, sugar, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle over brisket. 2. Place meat, fat cap side down, into an 8-qt slow cooker. 3. Top brisket with thyme, garlic, bay leaves, carrots, potatoes, celery, and onion. 4. Whisk stock, Worcestershire sauce, and cornstarch until fully dissolved. Add to slow cooker. 5. Cover and cook on high for 5–6 hours until tender. 6. Remove to a cutting board, fat side up. Remove thyme and bay leaves. 7. Thinly slice brisket against the grain. 8. Serve with vegetables, drizzled with gravy from the slow cooker.
Inspired by ThePioneerWoman.com
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214-682-7132 Prk-Law.com
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Honoring a Legal Legend
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What Snooze Button? The Ingenious Ways People Used to Wake Up
Who Knew Eating Could Get You in Legal Trouble?
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Slow Cooker Brisket
Divorce Isn’t Easy, but Co-Parenting Can Be
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The Chocolate Event That Had Kids Crying, Not Smiling
When AI Marketing Goes Horribly Wrong Willy’s Ruined Chocolate Experience
Never fail to deliver on a promise of chocolate to children.
(in some instances) a single jellybean served in what appeared to be an abandoned warehouse. The scenery was cheap, while the actors struggled to perform through hastily provided scripts. One character, The Unknown, was a masked and frighteningly attired figure that prompted youngsters to recoil and cry in fear. Perhaps most disturbingly, there was no chocolate to be found. Naturally, people called the police amid demands for refunds, and the lackluster affair was shut down. Subsequent revelations that creators used AI to generate the online marketing images and that the $44 event was not an officially sanctioned “Wonka” undertaking also brought into question House of Illuminati owner Billy Coull’s background, including his history of publishing AI-generated books on conspiracy theories and taboo subjects. Although Coull’s fraudulent and exploitative marketing scheme was reprehensible, it’s far from his worst transgression. Around the time House of Illuminati was shuttered in late 2024, he was forced to register as a sex offender after it was revealed he had followed up his “Willy’s Chocolate Experience” fiasco by sending unwanted explicit messages and images to an unidentified woman.
House of Illuminati, a London-based event company, learned this lesson the hard way when it hosted what angry parents and disappointed kids in Glasgow considered one of the biggest scams in children’s entertainment history. The disastrous day went from offering scant amounts of lemonade and jellybeans to prompting cries of terror and calls to Scottish police, and artificial intelligence was at least partially to blame. In early 2024, social media feeds in the U.K. were abuzz with vibrant images promoting “Willy’s Chocolate Experience,” an immersive event boasting chocolate fountains, costumed characters, and “a day of pure imagination and wonder.” Naturally, people assumed the event was a tie-in with the then-recently released film “Wonka” and a nod to the imaginary world created by the classic 1971 movie “Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory.” Unfortunately, what attendees experienced when “Willy’s Chocolate Experience” arrived that February was far from a fairy tale. Instead of rivers of sweets, they were treated to half-filled cups of lemonade and
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