Joane Garcia-Colson

Joane Garcia-Colson graduated with honors from the University of Denver College of Law in 1990 and is the former executive director of Gerry Spence's Trial Lawyers College. Joane is a trial lawyer in Palm Springs, California, and has represented numerous plaintiffs in both state and federal courts in wrongful termination, sexual harassment, and other employment-related matters. She has also represented plaintiffs in personal injury cases, fraud claims, real estate disputes, and construction defect matters. She also has some experience with criminal cases.

In 1998, along with partner David Baron, she obtained a $62 million verdict in Federal Court in the Central District of California, one of the largest verdicts in the history of the state of California, in a wrongful termination/breach of oral employment contract case on behalf of a former vice-president of a large hearing aid manufacturer.

In December 2003, Joane, along with Matthew C. Bishop, obtained one of the first verdicts for financial elder abuse in Napa, California, on behalf on an eighty-one-year-old woman arising out of a real estate transaction. Joane served on the faculty of Gerry Spence's Trial Lawyers College from 1998 through June 2009 and was the college’s executive director from May 2000 to July 2009.

Before becoming an attorney, Joane was an actress and has years of experience in the art of communication. She is a certified psychodramatist (CP) and is in the process of obtaining advanced certification as a trainer, educator, and practitioner (TEP). She uses these skills when working with lawyers and helps them discover their client’s story and to become more effective at communicating that story to a jury. She also assists lawyers in preparation for trial.

In addition to being a trial lawyer, Joane is a trial consultant and has worked with numerous lawyers across the country on a variety of cases including medical malpractice, wrongful death, personal injury, employment, consumer law, construction defect, and criminal including capital cases. For information about her services, please visit www.joanegarciacolson.com/services.html.

Over the years, Joane has spoken to and given numerous presentations and workshops for a variety of trial lawyer associations such as: Consumer Attorneys of San Diego, Consumer Attorneys of California, National Employment Lawyers Association, North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers, Washington State Trial Lawyers Association, Washington Employment Lawyers Association, American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, American Society of Group Psychotherapy and Psychodrama, Lancaster Bar Association, Midwest Conference of Clinical Law Professors, Colorado Trial Lawyers Association, and Criminal Defense Attorneys of Michigan. In addition, she has authored numerous articles related to the training of trial lawyers and has been published in The Warrior, the journal of the Trial Lawyers College, Plaintiff Magazine, OCTLA Gavel, and in Human Rights.

Joane is an avid reader, runner, and cyclist and enjoys spending time with her partner, son and daughter-in-law, and close friends. She is continually looking to grow as a person and to find ways to help others recognize their full potential.

The 3 Sisters, LLP

The three authors of Trial in Action have formed The 3 Sisters, LLP, an organization dedicated to helping people recognize and use their full potential employing various modalities such as psychodrama, sociometry, improvisation, storytelling, Playback Theater, and other cutting-edge communication methods. They are committed to high ideals, particularly truth, justice, and integrity and pride themselves in being innovators. For information about The 3 Sisters, LLP, and the workshops they offer, please visit http://www.the3sisters.org.