Trial Lawyer's College

What Trial Lawyer's College does

Trial Lawyers College (TLC) is a private nonprofit professional membership organization founded in 1994-1995 and headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, that delivers psychodrama-based trial advocacy training to practicing trial lawyers and judges across the United States. Its core methodology, the TLC Method, integrates psychodrama — a therapeutic dramatic-action technique — with trial skills instruction across six phases: Discovering the Story, Voir Dire, Opening Statement, Direct Examination, Cross Examination, and Closing Argument. Faculty consists of licensed and insured mental health practitioners certified by the American Board of Examiners in Psychodrama, Sociometry and Group Psychotherapy, alongside veteran trial lawyers serving as course instructors.

The product portfolio centers on immersive in-person programs including the 3-Week College at Camp Dawson, West Virginia ($5,700 tuition) and the Graduate II Course at Lied Lodge, Nebraska ($3,250), supplemented by the modular 7-Step Program for lawyers unable to attend a full three weeks, topic-specific low-cost Zoom webinars ($75 each), and the F-Warriors alumni network with Local Working Groups, Warrior Magazine, and the TLC Podcast. A storytelling partnership with The Moth extends the curriculum into professional narrative craft. TLC also operates the Rodney King Civil Rights Scholarship to broaden participation.

Revenue is generated through three streams: course tuition at varied price points depending on program length, membership dues for the alumni association, and voluntary donations via the $upport TLC program. The go-to-market model is community-led, relying on alumni referrals, peer testimonials, content marketing across social media, and a calendar of scheduled courses and webinars to attract new participants and retain graduates through ongoing CLE and engagement.

Name

Trial Lawyer's College

Legal name

Trial Lawyers College

Website

https://triallawyerscollege.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Trial Lawyers College is a nonprofit professional education organization that delivers psychodrama-based trial advocacy training to practicing plaintiff and criminal defense lawyers across the United States through immersive courses, webinars, and an alumni community.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Continuing Legal Education

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (61143), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty Law Schools (e.g., Tax, IP, International, Trial Advocacy) (EDAHAIAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Criminal Defense (BPAHAAAN), Online / Hybrid Law Schools & Programs (EDAHAIAE)

Keywords

• Trial advocacy training
• Legal education programs
• Continuing legal education
• Trial skills training
• Psychodrama methodology

Headquarters

HQ city

Charlotte

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Course Tuition: Primary revenue from tuition fees for various courses including the 3-Week College ($5,700), Graduate II Course ($3,250), and webinars ($75). Tuition varies by course format and duration.
2. Membership Dues: Revenue from membership fees for the Trial Lawyers College alumni association. Members receive access to the network, events, and ongoing training opportunities.
3. Donations: Voluntary donations from alumni and supporters through the $upport TLC program to help shape the next generation of trial lawyers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Trial Lawyers College provides immersive, psychodrama-based trial advocacy training for practicing trial lawyers and judges. Its core offering is the 3-Week College, an intensive in-person program covering all phases of trial (Discovering the Story, Voir Dire, Opening Statement, Direct Examination, Cross Examination, and Closing Argument), supplemented by advanced graduate courses, webinars, and an alumni membership network.

Product overview

Trial Lawyers College offers a portfolio of trial skills training programs for plaintiff and criminal defense lawyers. The core offerings are the 3-Week College (intensive three-week in-person program covering all trial phases using psychodrama) and the 7-Step Program (alternative modular pathway for those who cannot attend the 3-week format). Advanced alumni programs include the Graduate II Course focusing on storytelling mastery. Short-format webinars on specialized topics (civil rights litigation, Daubert strategy) provide targeted skill development. The college also supports its community through Warrior Magazine, the TLC Podcast, local working groups, and financial assistance scholarships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 3-Week College

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• The MothcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Moth, a renowned storytelling organization, partners with TLC to provide instruction in storytelling and story-editing at the Graduate II Course. This collaboration enhances TLC's focus on narrative mastery by bringing professional storytelling expertise to trial lawyers, helping them craft and present emotionally resonant client stories.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• BarBri: BarBri is a dominant legal education provider primarily known for bar prep but increasingly expanding into ongoing lawyer education. It represents the scalable, technology-enabled alternative to TLC's in-person methodology.
• Practising Law Institute (PLI): PLI is a large, established provider of continuing legal education across many practice areas, including trial advocacy. While not as experiential as TLC, it is a major competitor for lawyers' CLE dollars and learning time.
• American Association for Justice (AAJ): AAJ is the leading plaintiff-bar trade association and runs extensive trial skills education, including its own college programs. It directly overlaps with TLC's plaintiff trial lawyer customer segment and offers both CLE and advocacy training.
• LexisNexis CLE / West LegalEdcenter: LexisNexis (and its West LegalEdcenter) operates one of the largest online CLE libraries and competes for lawyers' continuing education time, including trial skills content, though its model is digital and on-demand rather than immersive.

Others

• The Moth: The Moth is TLC's storytelling partner and a renowned live storytelling organization. It is comparable as an adjacent player in narrative/communication training that overlaps with TLC's storytelling curriculum in the Graduate II Course.

Direct peers

• National Institute for Trial Advocacy (NITA): NITA is the most direct competitor to TLC in trial advocacy skills training, offering regional and national programs for both plaintiff and defense lawyers across all phases of trial. Like TLC, it emphasizes hands-on, performance-based learning rather than passive CLE.
• SEAK (National Expert Witness & Litigation Seminars): SEAK provides litigation-focused CLE and expert witness training for attorneys, including trial-related seminars. It overlaps with TLC in serving practicing litigators seeking advanced, applied skills development.

Emerging players

• National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL): NACDL offers criminal defense-specific training programs and resources that overlap with TLC's criminal defense lawyer segment. It is a member-driven organization with its own educational programming that competes for the same audience.
• Courtroom Sciences Inc (CSI): CSI provides litigation consulting, jury research, and trial strategy services to plaintiff firms. It overlaps with TLC in supporting plaintiff trial lawyers with trial preparation, though through consulting services rather than training.
• Keiter Trial Consulting: Keiter Trial Consulting offers jury research and trial strategy services for plaintiff and defense attorneys. It is comparable as an adjacent professional services provider targeting the same trial-lawyer customer base TLC serves.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@TrialLawyersCollege-Official
• Facebookfacebook.com/triallawyerscollege
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/trial-lawyers-college
• Instagraminstagram.com/triallawyerscollege

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Trial Lawyer's College