Introducing TLC TX/OK Regional Seminar Faculty Member, Colby Vokey

Colby Vokey is a July 2010 graduate of the Trial Lawyers College. He is a retired Lieutenant Colonel from the U.S. Marine Corps, having served over 20 years on active duty, to include a combat tour as an artillery officer during Operation Desert Storm in the Persian Gulf War. During his time in service, Colby was also selected to play for the All Marine Rugby Team.

Colby’s practice is primarily criminal law, with a focus on military law cases; however, he has also jumped into the civil law arena and has handled personal injury, contract disputes and other torts. Colby has worked on many of the most high profile military cases this century. He has defended numerous service members charged with war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan, to include the squad leader from the so-called Haditha massacre. Last year, he obtained an acquittal for a Marine lieutenant charged with multiple murders for shootings during combat actions in Helmund Province, Afghanistan. Additionally, Colby was the lead counsel defending a Canadian teenager being held in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba who was facing the military commissions on charges of murder, terrorism and spying. He currently practices in Dallas, Texas with Fitzpatrick Hagood Smith & Uhl LLP.

Colby first became involved with Trial Lawyers College in 2005, while serving as a Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel in charge of all the Marine (and some Navy) defense counsel in the West half of the US and in Iraq. His friend, Joey Low, previously helped him with teaching military defense counsel, convinced Colby that he needed something more (for himself and his defense attorneys) and suggested attending a TLC seminar. Without knowing anything about TLC or Gerry Spence, Colby attended a regional seminar at Estes Park, Colorado as the first active duty military lawyer to attend a TLC event. A fire was lit. Colby then attended more seminars, arranged to have many of his junior attorneys attend TLC events, and even sponsored and organized a special TLC event for military defense attorneys at Camp Pendleton, California.  

After retiring from the Marine Corps at the end of 2008, Colby continued to stay active in TLC, attending seminars and working with other TLC attorneys in groups. In July 2010, Colby went to the Thunderhead Ranch in Wyoming to attend the three-week College. Since that time, Colby has fully embraced what he learned at Trial Lawyers College, traveled to more seminars, attended the Graduate Course, and has actively participated in several local TLC groups. In 2012, Colby was invited to join the staff at Trial Lawyers College as an instructor. Besides finding his best friends at TLC, Colby uses his TLC skills every day, both in and out of the courtroom.

Colby has been married to the same wonderful woman, Cindy, for 25 years. He has 3 children, Christina (24), Connor (19) and Camden (13). 

Sign up for the TX/OK Regional Seminar here.