In this special episode of the Prachtical Law Podcast, host Christopher Pracht sits down with Shaun Kent, the Manning, South Carolina trial lawyer known as "Superman," fresh off his headline-making not guilty verdict in the Rick Chow murder trial, which marked his 200th jury trial. Shaun traces his path from a childhood dream of practicing law, through his years as a public defender and prosecutor, to building a statewide reputation from a small town he never planned to call home. He revisits the federal Pinson trial, where his client was acquitted on all 28 counts, and explains how talking to strangers, trying everything, and refusing to fear losing shaped his courtroom presence. Shaun takes listeners inside the Chow defense: how the team came together, the 50 to 100 hours spent preparing a client who never testified, and the unscripted closing argument that law schools now ask to teach. He speaks candidly about the death threats his office received, the racial firestorm surrounding the case, and why he believes every person deserves representation. He and Christopher also dig into settlement culture, why lawyers leave money on the table when they will not try cases, and what authenticity means for a lawyer's brand.
• A Trial Lawyer Is Born: From Public Defender to Manning, SC (00:00 – 05:30)
• The Pinson Federal Trial: 28 Counts, 28 Not Guilty (05:31 – 07:47)
• 200 Jury Trials: Storytelling, Fear of Failure & Getting Comfortable With the Uncomfortable (07:48 – 10:15)
• Fight for the Client: Settlements, Trial Threats & Maximum Value (10:16 – 14:53)
• Authenticity & Building the Superman Brand (14:54 – 18:40)
• Assembling the Rick Chow Defense Team (18:41 – 23:45)
• Inside the Trial: Preparation, Strategy & a Closing Argument Built in 30 Minutes (23:46 – 32:10)
• Death Threats, Public Backlash & Why Everyone Deserves a Defense (32:11 – 39:43)
• Race, Representation & Restoring Faith in Lawyers (39:44 – 45:36)
• Christopher Reeve, Clark Kent & Fighting for the Little Guy (45:37 – 47:43)
