Unscripted Direct

(0:00:01) Introduction. Spencer goes trick-or-treating. Justin recruits some celebrity judges for Tournament of Champions. (0:07:58) The Break . Results from St. John's, Georgetown White Collar, and Tournament of Champions. Spencer asks Justin about the UCLA threepeat -- and whether they will be hosting for the next two years.  (0:13:51) National Civil Trial Competition with Loyola's Sus...

(0:00:01) Introduction . Spencer and Justin set the table. (0:02:30) The Break . Results from three tournaments and a controversy at one. (0:06:52) Preview: Tournament of Champions . Spencer offers a sharp critique. Justin explains why UCLA decided to enter a team while hosting. And we preview the Fall's most difficult competition. (0:36:01) Question of the Week. In our first semifinal, Cumbe...

We interrupt your regularly scheduled podcast listening routine with a special bonus episode!  My trial competition class out here in Berkeley is coming to a close soon, and flash trials are in the cool autumn air.  Seemed like a perfect time to broadcast the episode that tells the triumphs and almost-triumphs that made up the story of the first-ever National Flash Trial Competition.  This is also...

(0:00:01) Introduction . Spencer announces a bonus episode. Justin has a big date. We provide updates on a cheating scandal. And we introduce the "Scripties." (0:07:07) The Break .  Three sets of tournament results: Buffalo, MLF Davis, and California Association of Criminal Justice.  (0:09:03) El Presidente . NALAE's new president, A.J. Bellido de Luna, answers the tough questions a...

(00:01) Introduction . (02:50) The Break . Results from Stetson's National Pretrial Competition, All Star Bracket, and All Star National. We also announce the winner of Mock Madness! (07:48) Tournament Spotlight . We chat with Buffalo's Jennifer Scharf about surfing, wine, and whether the wings in Buffalo really are better (we also ask her a few questions about the Buffalo Niagara tourna...

(0:00:01) Introduction . Spencer gets to a reunion. Justin gets COVID.  (0:06:40) The Break . Results from Denver's Summit Cup.  (0:08:07) Tournament Spotlight. A preview of the country's largest invitational competitions.  (0:11:46) Question of the Week . Campbell's Tatiania Terry v. Wake Forest's Ashley DiMuzio. These two have history! Their schools are in-state rivals, and t...

On this week's episode: (0:00:01) Introduction . Spencer has a powerful class session, Justin misses a tournament, and TYLA announces that 2023 regional hosts have a choice: in person or online. (0:12:45) The Break. Results from Battle of the Experts! And some interesting phrasing from Spencer... (0:15:49) Tournament Spotlight: Denver's Kevin Keyes previews Summit Cup '22 -- and dis...

On this week's episode: (0:00:01) Introduction. The new list of "Top 45 Law School Podcasts" is out. Plus, good suggestions from listener Ashley Menage of South Texas.  (00:09:37)  Tournament Spotlight. Drexel's Phil Pasquarello tells us about all the changes to this year's Battle of the Experts, shares a new wrinkle to the Drexel-Temple rivalry, and explains what it'...

Flash Trial results. Clash between Campbell faculty.  Backlash from the now-infamous Draper Memo. On this week's episode:  (0:00:01) Introduction . Spencer recaps a successful weekend hosting the National Flash Trial Competition, as teams show what they can do with just 60 minutes to prepare a case. Justin recaps a whirlwind weekend where he got to say "May it Please the Court" -- a...

The trial competition season begins this week! And so does our Question of the Week  competition. In this episode: (00:36) Season Storylines: Spencer and Justin preview six big storylines for the new competition season. (13:24) Question of the Week : It's teammate v. teammate. Cumberland's Matt Woodham v. Spenser Templeton. We interrogate Matt about his celebrity doppelganger and Spenser...

Welcome to Season 3! (0:00:38) Wins, Weddings, and What's Next. Spencer and Justin catch up on their summer exploits -- and preview their plans for this season of the podcast. Spoiler: Question of the Week is back, but with a twist. (0:14:24) New Faces, New Places . We publicize some directors and coaches in new roles and chat with three of them: McGeorge's Annie Deets, Texas's Mike...

Ending the season with some fun! (0:00:49) Introduction . A bet is a bet, EATS awards, Fall Zoom predictions, and “Mr. Pahlke, you’re unprepared, son.”  (0:12:07) TOC invitations .  Judge Roberts announces the 16 schools invited to Tournament of Champions 2022.  (0:21:50) EATS Preview . Liz Boals shares what’s in store at Stetson's summer conference.  (0:27:08) Fingers crossed! We ask Rich Sc...

They say imitation is the most sincere form of flattery. This week's motion in limine puts that to the test ... (0:00:37) Spencer performs manual labor, and Justin recommends a TV show. (0:04:12) Mailbag . We answer two good questions and one mean one from TYLA's Brandon Draper.  (0:08:30)  Breaking News! Baylor's Rob Little announces the 16 schools that will compete in Top Gun 2022...

It's a monster episode! (0:01:35) We start with our "greatest achievement" and then discuss a competition oddity. (0:10:35) The Break. We talk about the intense format of South Carolina's Trials and Tribulations, announce results, and share some wisdom from a final round judge. (0:17:12) Motion in Limine. Kellie Casey talks about her two decades at Georgia and her beloved Bulld...

Five competitions, a four-word mantra, three guests, two underrated schools, and one question from the mailbag. (0:00:44) Spencer and Justin chat about the new US News Trial Advocacy rankings -- and each pick one school that's under-ranked. (0:07:34) Tournament Spotlight: Carlos Concepcion shares the results of Interamerican's Puerto Rico Trial Advocacy Competition. (0:11:39) Tournament...

A special episode -- our first time recording on location! (0:00:33) Spencer recaps his time in Fort Worth. Justin talks about his debut as a wedding officiant.  (0:05:45) Motion in Limine. Mercer's Katie Powers tells us about her career as a prosecutor and judge, as well as her experience coaching a high school powerhouse and her law school alma mater. Then, she takes the bench -- and makes...

For the first time since 2019, NTC Finals is back in person ... and it starts today! (0:00:33) Spencer and Justin each share some exciting news, as well as their plans for the trip to Texas. (0:11:04) Motion in Limine with Texas Southern's Tim Adams . Tim talks about his career as a prosecutor, his work as a coach, his future with NTC/TYLA, and his experience coaching a historically black law...

(0:00:38) Every episode has a Pahlke. For the first time, we welcome a Top Ten Pahlke ! (0:13:26) Motion in Limine with Catholic's Lindsey Cloud Mervis and John Sharifi. A week before the first in-person NTC Nationals since 2019, we check in with the coaches who won that tournament. They talk about their successful careers and what it was like to win it all. Lindsey puts Justin in his place....

Major news from one of the two largest competitions. And an inside story from the other. (0:00:33) Report Card: STAC Regionals . We celebrate the huge improvement in AAJ's tournament! Justin checks in with South Carolina's Brett Bayne. Spencer tries to explain why he was the only host  to need a ghost ballot (and explains how he avoids confrontation in everyday life). And we discuss whet...

Three great guests, each joining us for the first time!  (0:00:43) AAJ's Student Trial Advocacy Competition. With 300 trials in the next four days, we talk about our expectations for the weekend of regionals. (0:10:54) Vania Smith talks about winning the last in-person NTC, as well as the ideas that won her Stetson's Writing Competition. (0:45:58) Motion in Limine with Erika Storms (prev...

Our toughest Motion in Limine judge -- and the funniest interview we've had yet. (0:00:34) Introduction . Spencer gets his hands dirty. Justin visits his college co-counsel. (0:02:54) Tournament Spotlights . UF's Aaron Kelley joins us to share results from the Florida National Trial Advocacy Tournament. American's Joe Lester tells us about the results from Capitol City Challenge and...

Controversial opinions, personal revelations, and the best competition news this community has had since  2020!  (0:00:36) We talk about a weekend full of NTC protests. Justin then borrows Spencer's soapbox and protests  how some protest committees approach invention of fact. (0:11:13) Breaking News! TYLA's Ashley Hymel and Brandon Draper join us to discuss the biggest  trial competition...

This week we've got some big names, a big announcement, and a big story.  (00:00:51) Introduction.  Some interrogation based on a question raised by a few listeners... (00:02:54) The Protest Committee. Loyola's Susan Poehls and Baylor's Rob Little  discuss the issue raised last episode by Jared Rosenblatt: Is reading on Zoom a rules violation?   (00:22:47)  The Break. We announce th...

This episode gets spicy! (0:00:44) Justin survived a weekend of co-hosting NTC regionals. (0:02:20) The Break . We congratulate the 24 finalists and the 12 teams that earned bids to Nationals during NTC's opening weekend. We dig into the numbers -- 700 ballots -- to talk about the case imbalance. And Justin discovers he's been mispronouncing a word his whole life. (0:08:04) 12 Angry Minu...

With the National Trial Competition kicking off today -- six regionals this weekend! -- we are devoting this week's episode to the Texas Young Lawyers Association.  (0:00:47) Spencer and Justin discuss the launch of NTC 2022.  (0:03:33) We spotlight the National Trial League, with guest Todd Berger from Syracuse, who describes the most intense trial competition in the country -- and announces...