Shows / Unscripted Direct
Unscripted Direct
Conversations with the law school trial advocacy community. Hosted by Spencer Pahlke (shareholder at Walkup Melodia and trial advocacy director at UC Berkeley School of Law) and Justin Bernstein (director of trial advocacy at UCLA School of Law).
Episodes
- Unscripted Direct
Episode 47 - Guess Who's Invited to Dinner? (Jury Selection with Judge Weems)
(0:00:00) Spencer travels the country. Justin searches for a missing judge. (0:05:02) The Break: Results from the first six regionals -- and the case balance…
- Unscripted Direct
Episode 46 - NTC Predictions
The NTC season begins this week, and so does the fourth season of Unscripted Direct. (0:00:00) We catch up on our winter break achievements. Spencer won a jury…
- Unscripted Direct
Episode 45 - US News (with Erwin Chemerinsky)
In our final episode of the semester, we focus on US News rankings -- with the help of two very special guests. (0:00:01) Intro. Spencer celebrates…
- Unscripted Direct
Episode 44 - The Scriptie Awards
(0:00:01) Introduction. Spencer recalls a momentous experience, and Justin acknowledges a personal defeat. (0:10:15) The Break. Results from Case Classic…
- Unscripted Direct
Episode 43 - Decision 2022: Adam v. Jared
It's Election Week in America -- the perfect time for our first no-holds-barred debate... (0:00:01) Introduction. Spencer goes door to door in Reno. Justin…
- Unscripted Direct
Episode 42 - Protest Committee of One
(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…
- Unscripted Direct
Episode 41 - Man Bites Dog, Dog Hires Wilton
(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…
- Unscripted Direct
Episode 40 - Flash Back!
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…
- Unscripted Direct
Episode 39 - "$@%& Around Funhouse is Over"
(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."…
- Unscripted Direct
Episode 38 - Mega Millions
(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…
- Unscripted Direct
Episode 37 - Gavel Rankings!
(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…
- Unscripted Direct
Episode 36 - Squid Game
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…
- Unscripted Direct
Episode 35 - TYLA Spills The Tea
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…
- Unscripted Direct
Episode 34 - Flash, Clash, and Backlash
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…
- Unscripted Direct
Episode 33 - Let the Games Begin
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…
- Unscripted Direct
Episode 32 - New Faces, New Places
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…
- Unscripted Direct
Episode 31 - Mother's Day
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.”…
- Unscripted Direct
Episode 30 - Jerry Powell
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…
- Unscripted Direct
Episode 29 - The Deans (U.S. News Rankings)
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…
- Unscripted Direct
Episode 28 - Joanne Van Dyke
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…
- Unscripted Direct
Episode 27 - Live from Texas! (NTC Nationals)
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…
- Unscripted Direct
Episode 26 - Rafe Foreman
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…
- Unscripted Direct
Episode 25 - Jules Epstein
(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…
- Unscripted Direct
Episode 24 - The Two Bigs
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…
- Unscripted Direct
Episode 23 - Lou Fasulo
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…
- Unscripted Direct
Episode 22 - Ryan O'Neill & Sean McGuinness
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…
- Unscripted Direct
Episode 21 - Michaelle Tobin
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…
- Unscripted Direct
Episode 20 - AAJ and STAC
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…
- Unscripted Direct
Episode 19 - Hon. Christine Weems
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…
- Unscripted Direct
Episode 18 - TYLA and NTC
With the National Trial Competition kicking off today -- six regionals this weekend! -- we are devoting this week's episode to the Texas Young Lawyers…
- Unscripted Direct
Episode 17 - Sara Jacobson
(00:56) Spencer names a tournament after himself, and Justin has some questions. (07:47) Frankie DiGiacco from University of San Diego takes the bench as our…
- Unscripted Direct
Episode 16 - Judge David Erickson
We kick off Season 2! (00:51) We make some predictions for the new year. (10:43) We introduce a new segment, Motions in Limine, with judge-of-the-week…
- Unscripted Direct
Episode 15 - Little Holiday Special
To help you get through exam-grading, endless gift shopping, and general trial ad withdrawal, we've got a special episode of Unscripted Direct to bridge the…
- Unscripted Direct
Episode 14 - Gwen Stern
Our last episode of Season 1! (0:00:33) Introduction: Spencer and Justin talk about how making a podcast differed from their expectations. (0:05:32) Interview…
- Unscripted Direct
Episode 13 - Joe Lester
In our penultimate episode of the season: We spotlight three competitions: Tournament of Champions (Gina Gerardi, Loyola), the 64-school All Star Bracket…
- Unscripted Direct
Episode 12 - A.J. Bellido de Luna
This week on Unscripted Direct: We spotlight three competitions: Golden Gate's In Vino Veritas, Quinnipiac's ABA criminal competition, and Davis's MLK Civil…
- Unscripted Direct
Episode 11 - Brett Bayne
This week's episode is loaded: Spencer interviews Brett Bayne, the director South Carolina's program. Brett talks about why he often keeps teams together for…
- Unscripted Direct
Episode 10 - Sara Williams
This week on Unscripted Direct: Our main interview: I spoke to Sara Williams, a trial attorney and adjunct professor at Cumberland. She's funny, poignant, and…
- Unscripted Direct
Episode 9 - Zelda Harris
This week on Unscripted Direct: Spencer interviews Dean Zelda Harris of Loyola-Chicago. Dean Harris talks about her career as an advocate for domestic violence…
- Unscripted Direct
Episode 8 - Charlie Rose
The first busy weekend of the competition season means our most action-packed episode yet!: Justin and I admit a big oops Recaps from Stetson’s National…
- Unscripted Direct
Episode 7 - Cary Bricker and Jay Leach
In these week's episode: Justin interviews Cary Bricker and Jay Leach from Pacific McGeorge. They talk about how they built such a stellar program. Jay gets a…
- Unscripted Direct
Episode 6 - Judge David Mason
(0:00:33) Introduction: Spencer and Justin each pick three major storylines for the new competition season. (0:11:25) Question of the Week! (0:17:28) Our guest…
- Unscripted Direct
Episode 5 - Adam Shlahet
Our guest this week is Adam Shlahet, director of Fordham's trial advocacy center. Adam gives us a sneak peek(!) of the 2020-21 trial competition performance…
- Unscripted Direct
Episode 4 - Dan Tilly
This week, Justin and Spencer talk to Dan Tilly, professor and assistant dean at Campbell. Dan opens up about his fight against cancer. He talks about being…
- Unscripted Direct
Episode 3 - Liz Lippy
Coach, professor, director, trial lawyer, trial consultant, and mother of 4. Any one of these roles would exhaust the normal human being, but Liz Lippy is no…
- Unscripted Direct
Episode 2 - Susan Poehls
Shark instinct? Baby stepping out the direct examination? Susan Poehls, the director of the renowned trial advocacy program at Loyola Law School, shares a few…
- Unscripted Direct
Episode 1 - Liz Boals
It may seem like Liz was pre-ordained to build a first-class program at American, then take over the renowned Stetson program. But the reality is more…