Adrian Baca
Criminal Defense Trial Lawyer
"The Ranch is a spiritual home for me. I feel compelled to return like the many great trial attorneys before me. Now, I try to carry on the tradition that Gerry Spence started in sharing and giving back to others. I am one, among others, that keep the spirit of the Ranch alive. Each graduating class from the Ranch takes a part of Gerry Spence’s invaluable lessons with them, which regenerates Gerry’s Ranch. I take great pride in being a small catalyst for improving a student’s trial skills. These lawyers return home and help their clients."
Adrian Baca is an extraordinary trial attorney. He finds trial success in complex cases where the punishment is usually life in prison. Beyond that, he is a dedicated trial instructor and mentor to other trial lawyers. He credits his own mentor with putting him on the path to Gerry Spence’s Ranch. This experience opened a new world with new possibilities. After graduating from the Ranch, he immediately went to work, practicing and practicing the Spence Method, taking in critical feedback, and then implementing what he learned in trial.
This began a string of not guilty verdicts in impossible cases, which included not guilty verdicts for murder, attempted murder, kidnapping, sex abuse, drug sales, domestic violence, and assault, assault with a deadly weapon and terrorist threats. The key to his success is meticulous preparation and utilizing the Spence Method teachings in storytelling, story structure, and universal truths.
His approach to difficult cases is to simplify things, digging deep into the behavior and motivations of the people involved and finding a universal story. The Spence Method continues to teach him how best to approach a hostile witness, how to frame the case so jurors are invested in the outcome, and calculating the risk of sharing part of himself with jurors so they identify with him as a leader in the courtroom.
A student wrote to Adrian: “Despite investing our hearts and minds, sometimes we lose. Adrian’s teaching has inspired gratitude and respect to all of the lawyers who give all they have in an often-thankless system that never misses an opportunity to disparage or subtly ignore us. Win or lose, we are not merely martyred heroes for the client - we are often the wind beneath each other’s wings through the toughest of times. Thanks, Adrian, for being a great teacher, a true friend, and a kick-ass colleague.”
Adrian is one of the founders of the Southern California Warriors. This is a local work group of dedicated trial lawyers that graduated from the Ranch. The trial attorneys he has taught, including recent graduates of the Spence Method, have obtained unparalleled trial results.
Adrian tells students, “I can teach everything but desire. Caring, fully investing yourself in your case, and being open to critical feedback and creativity are the bedrock traits needed to succeed as a trial attorney. Add the lessons from the Gerry Spence Method, and you no longer have to be an underdog in the courtroom. The possibilities are endless.”
When not in the courtroom or teaching trial skills, Adrian is on the board for a non-profit that helps to educate under-privileged children.