Persuasion Skills for Trial Success 2026

Mr. Shollenberger’s training in trial persuasion includes attending the David Ball Seminar, a PaTLA seminar on sources of information for persuasive closing arguments, and ATLA seminars focused on trial persuasion. He also attended a seminar with Joseph Quinn, who discussed the techniques he employed in one of his significant verdict cases. In addition to formal training, he has engaged in extensive self-study, including Moe Levine’s books and tapes on trial persuasion, the books cited in this presentation and several others, and all three volumes of David Ball’s books on trial advocacy and persuasion. His experience as a persuader in the courtroom includes serving as lead counsel in civil jury trials through verdict in Berks, Cumberland, Dauphin, Delaware, Lebanon, Montour, Northumberland, Perry, and York Counties, as well as the Middle District of Pennsylvania. The cases have involved a broad range of matters, including products liability, medical negligence, motor vehicle and motorcycle accidents, and premises liability. In one products liability case, the matter settled after closing arguments. He has also served as lead counsel for insureds in uninsured and underinsured motorist arbitrations and compulsory arbitrations. Mr. Shollenberger has also gained substantial experience as a trier of fact and neutral, observing attorneys from the perspective of the person they are seeking to persuade. He served two three-year terms as a compulsory arbitrator in Dauphin County and served two terms as a member and then Chair of a Hearing Committee for the Pennsylvania Disciplinary Board. In addition, he has served as a court-appointed neutral arbitrator in a major underinsured motorist case in Dauphin County and as an arbitrator selected by plaintiffs in numerous underinsured motorist cases.

Over the past two decades, Adam has handled catastrophic injury cases throughout the Commonwealth. He has developed a statewide reputation for his work in motorcycle and commercial vehicle involved crashes, most notably in highway mass pileup cases. In 2022, after no objections from any Defense or Plaintiff’s counsel involved in the litigation, he was appointed by the Union County Court of Common Pleas to oversee and coordinate litigation of a 60 plus vehicle crash case. Since 2025, Adam has resolved five separate cases for over $2 million, including settlements of $3 million and $7.4 million. Adam was named Managing Partner of Shollenberger Januzzi & Wolfe, LLP in 2012, at the age of 32. He is an executive committee member for the Pennsylvania Association for Justice (formerly the Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers) and a board member (and former chairman) of the Penn State Health Children’s Miracle Network. He’s gained membership to the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum and the National Trial Lawyers Top 100 Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers. Other recognition includes consecutive selections as a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer by Philadelphia Magazine and being named to the Central Pennsylvania Business Journal 300 (recognizing the 300 most influential leaders), as well as to their “Power List” of personal injury lawyers.

Virginia King is the founder and managing member of ViKing Law, a personal injury civil litigation firm located in Newtown, Pennsylvania. Prior to opening her own law firm, Virginia was a civil insurance defense attorney for national defense firms in and around Philadelphia for almost 20 years. Virginia maintains an undefeated jury trial record, and has settled a number of complex, multi-million-dollar lawsuits. She was recently accepted into the Million Dollar Advocates Forum and named in the Top 100 of the National Trial Lawyers Association. Recent wins include a multi-million-dollar jury verdict in a sexual abuse case in Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas, and multi-million dollar settlement in a tractor trailer pile-up on Route 81. She regularly presents for PBI for the Philadelphia Compulsory Arbitration Program and is involved with the Bucks County Bar Association. Virginia graduated from Temple University Beasley School of Law, in Philadelphia and obtained her business degree from University of Miami, in Miami, Florida. She was previously an executive committee member of the Leukemia Lymphoma Society (now known as “Blood Cancer United”), Eastern PA “Light the Night” and “Big Climb” events. She is married to James Walsh, Esquire, a civil defense attorney, and together they have two young boys, Connor and Mason. You can reach Virginia at [email protected], 610-299-8022, or on the web at www.viking-law.com.

An accomplished trial lawyer, Kevin Rauch has served as Managing Partner of the Harrisburg office of Summers, McDonnell, Hudock, Guthrie & Rauch, PC since its opening in 2003. Kevin handles a wide range of cases, having tried over 100 of them to verdict in both federal and state courts throughout the Commonwealth. Additionally, he has argued before the Pennsylvania Superior and Supreme Courts, as well as the federal appellate courts. Mr. Rauch serves as outside counsel for a number of area businesses in matters ranging from business planning, contract negotiation, employee relations, licensing and conflict resolution. He is also a member of the Capital Region Advisory Board of S&T Bank. He is a graduate of Washington and Lee University School of Law, J.D., and Allegheny County, B.A. He is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania and before the U.S. District Courts of the Western, Middle, and Eastern Districts.