3-Week College: More than a Skill Course - a Turning Point
For over 30 years, TLC has helped trial lawyers uncover their most powerful tool: the truth, told through story. At the 3-Week College, you'll step away from routine and dive deep into the TLC Method—through psychodrama, connection, and on-your-feet practice.
This immersive experience isn’t just about becoming a better trial lawyer. It’s about becoming more you—real, present, and ready to fight for justice.
Oct 4-27, 2025 - Camp Dawson
Kingwood, WV
Transformation
The 3-Week College is where lawyers come to reconnect with their purpose, their voice, and the story beneath the case. You’ll learn to build trust with jurors, find the emotional heart of every case, and speak with authenticity from voir dire to closing.
Total Immersion
Trial mastery is not a solo sport. It demands time, repetition, honest feedback, and a group committed to authentic growth. Through intensive in-person training and the power of psychodrama, you’ll learn to strip away habits and uncover what moves jurors most: truth told with courage.
Elite Peer Community
Over three weeks, you’ll live, work, and grow alongside a community of like-minded advocates, guided by seasoned TLC faculty. You’ll practice every phase of trial—from story to closing—in real time. And you’ll leave not only a stronger trial lawyer, but a more grounded, connected version of yourself.
Meet Your Faculty Leads
At the heart of the 3-Week College is a team of accomplished trial lawyers who’ve walked the walk — and now teach what they’ve lived. Colby Vokey, Ron Estefan, Render Freeman, Leigh Johnson, Kim Savo, Heather Barbieri, and Paula Estefan bring decades of courtroom experience and a deep commitment to the TLC Method.
Through large and small group psychodramatic training, this faculty team guides you through every stage of trial: Discovering the Story, Voir Dire, Opening, Direct, Cross, and Closing — all building toward a full mock trial. You’ll be on your feet, sharpening your instincts, and breaking through to the emotional truth of your cases.
What You'll Do and Learn
The 3-Week College isn’t for everyone. It’s for the trial lawyer who’s ready to hang up the day-to-day distractions, immerse fully, and emerge with trial voice refocused and unstoppable.
Core Skills You'll Learn
Discovering the Story: Traditional trial skills using the TLC Method are only part of being a persuasive force in the courtroom. To understand the power of a case the lawyer must not only identify the facts of the case but the emotional content. This starts with knowledge of oneself which in turn will give the lawyer the capability to know others and connect with each person in the courtroom including the client, witnesses, the judge and the jurors. The trained TLC faculty lead lawyers to this discovery. The power of TLC’s methods come alive through creative, spontaneous, outside-the-box innovations that capture juries and move them to justice. Voir Dire: The TLC Method for Voir Dire trains trial lawyers to identify jurors who are favorable to the themes and objectives of the lawyer’s case, to develop powerful questioning techniques to uncover juror biases and attitudes and to build rapport with potential jurors to establish trust and credibility using the power of psychodramatic tools. Opening Statement: The TLC Method for Opening Statement trains trial lawyers to forge an honest relationship with the jury by giving a genuine voice to the client’s story and avoid damaging pitfalls to deliver a winning Opening Statement using the power of psychodramatic tools. Direct Examination: The TLC Method for Direct Examination trains trial lawyers to learn their client’s story and then bring their client’s story to life in a powerful way through their own witnesses. The lawyers will learn to recognize and avoid pitfalls of Direct Examination to deliver a powerful message to win justice for the client. Cross Examination: The TLC Method for Cross Examination trains trial lawyers to apply the psychodramatic methods that improve listening skills and therefore the ability to understand and empathize with everyone in the courtroom, including opposing witnesses. The TLC Method provides trial attorneys the rare and important opportunity to not only build credibility but also transform an opposing witness into a witness for their client. Closing Argument: The TLC Method for Closing Argument combined with the psychodramatic method teaches attorneys how to win justice for their clients by connecting their client's story, their loss and pain to those in a jury and courtroom.
ALL TIMES are in Eastern Standard Time
Week 3 Sunday, October 19, 2025 Students Day Off Monday, October 20, 2025 Student Day Off / October 21-25, 2025 7:30 AM to 8:30 AM Breakfast 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM Training Session 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM Lunch 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM Training Session 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM Dinner 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM Training Session Sunday, October 26, 2025 7:30 AM to 8:30 AM Breakfast 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM Training Session 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM Lunch 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM Training Session 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM Dinner 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM Training Session Monday, October 27, 2025 7:30 AM to 8:30 AM Breakfast 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM Alumni Meeting/Election of Class Rep 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM Graduation Ceremony and Good-byes
Camp Dawson, Kingwood, WV
Camp Dawson has a state-of-the-art conference center with modern facilities surrounded by the beautiful Appalachian Mountains. Enjoy on-site restaurant and convenience store, relaxing swimming pool and sauna areas, an outdoor firepit area for winding down at the end of the night, and their very own pavilion and dock for fishing or paddle boats!
Cancellation Policy
Given the high cost of providing courses at easily accessible venues nationwide and those venues’ strict cancellation policies, TLC has had to make changes to its cancellation policy. To lessen the impact of this change in policy on our tribe, we offer the following options: 1. In the case where a student needs to cancel, they have 31 days prior to the course to cancel and receive a full refund. If it is after the 31-day deadline, to receive a full refund they may contact TLCfinance@triallawyerscollege.org with the name of a replacement student who is prepared to take their place. This is especially important to cover the cost of the committed lodging. After the replacement student completes registration including full payment, a full refund will be processed. 2. If no replacement is found for their reserved spot prior to the program, we will apply 50% of the paid tuition as a credit towards a future program, to be used within one year, and use the other 50% towards the unused lodging expense of the course cancelled. If you have any questions, please contact TLCfinance@triallawyerscollege.org.
Tuition & Costs
ee: $5,500 All training, meals (as indicated on the agenda), single guest room lodging with private bath and parking. Attendees have free access to an almost Olympic size indoor swimming pool and large modern exercise facility. Laundry is available onsite. Attendees must secure their own transportation to and from the course and during days off (as indicated on the agenda). TLC offers partial financial assistance and structured interest-free payments. The Trial Lawyers College offers partial financial assistance to those who apply and qualify as well as structured interest-free payments. Attendees can pay the fixed price in full or opt for a payment plan that allows them to pay in 2 or 3 installments, with full payment made on or before August 16, 2025. This course is based on a rigorous application process and class size is limited. The 3-week College is a must-attend for both Civil Plaintiff and Criminal Defense Trial Lawyers looking to develop their trial skills and build a successful legal career.
Flexible Payment Plans and Financial Assistance
TLC offers partial financial assistance and structured interest-free payments. The Trial Lawyers College offers partial financial assistance to those who apply and qualify as well as structured interest-free payments. Attendees can pay the fixed price in full or opt for a payment plan that allows them to pay in 2 or 3 installments, with full payment made on or before August 16, 2025. This course is based on a rigorous application process and class size is limited. The 3-week College is a must-attend for both Civil Plaintiff and Criminal Defense Trial Lawyers looking to develop their trial skills and build a successful legal career.
Accreditation will be applied for through the West Virginia State Bar
Accreditation will be applied for through the West Virginia State Bar. Attendees will be responsible for submitting CLE credit approval to their state licensing department upon completion. TLC will provide all pertinent documentation needed for you to submit to your state for accreditation. Course Attendance will be monitored by faculty.
Claim Your Spot
Ready to go all-in? Space is limited—your transformation starts with your commitment.
Oct 4-27, 2025 - Camp Dawson Kingwood, WV
Trial mastery is not a solo sport. It demands time, repetition, honest feedback, and a group committed to authentic growth. Over three weeks, you’ll:
- Break down your trial persona
- Rebuild it with clarity and purpose
- Practice with peers until it becomes second nature
- When you leave, you don’t just know it—you are it.
Testimonials
“As a student TLC changed my perspective on WHY we do the work. I was doing the work for ME, and my ego. Once I left the 3-week College, I became more client-centered and shed most of my ego. As a faculty member the family of our faculty has really given me the strength to take on new challenges in my work."
“TLC has taught me if you want to be a good attorney, just be a better person. If you want to be a good faculty member, just be a better person. I do that by being the best listener I can be and by role reversing with everyone in my life. I still have tons to learn but I think I am on the right track."
- TLC Alum & Faculty
“My time at the 3-week College as a student was the most restorative time of my personal and professional life. It’s kind of like living the 'if you knew then what you know now.' The methods of TLC allowed me to get those glimpses of most important moments in life and in doing so made me a stronger lawyer, drastically more connected with my client and jurors—which has resulted in more wins.”
- TLC Alum