“Statistics suck. Stories stick.”
For Bruce Inosencio, this motto proved a north star guiding his case against a Michigan nursing home. With host Michael Cowen, Bruce acknowledges the challenge he faced: How to prove that the facility owed damages when the patient was an elderly, sick woman?
To do so, he and his legal team connected with the jurors so they’d be invested in the story of the 87-year-old woman’s life. He combatted the defense argument that an elderly woman’s life was somehow less valuable. The statistics of her experience at the facility mattered, but the stories that Bruce told drove the verdict. They awarded $6 million to her surviving daughters, a record in Michigan. Tune in to hear Bruce explain why the story, not statistics, won the day.
Featured Guest
Name: Bruce A. Inosencio, Jr.
About: Bruce Inosencio represents clients in truck crash cases, nursing home abuse and neglect, business disputes, and construction claims. A lifelong resident of Jackson, Michigan, he established his own law firm in 2000 after having worked as an associate attorney for four years at another local firm.
In 2009, he and Kristina Fisk formed Inosencio & Fisk, PLLC. They have offices in Cheboygan, Michigan; Austin, Texas; and Naples, Florida.
Company: Inosencio & Fisk, PLLC
Connect: LinkedIn
Episode Highlights
[13:24] Invest in Lifelong Learning: Educational opportunities may cost money and time, but they also make you a better lawyer. A member of Bruce’s team took a program about advanced depositions, and it “meant everything” in their case against a nursing home.
[16:43] Independent at 87: After a stroke, a vibrant 87-year-old woman went to a facility for speech and other therapy. Her daughters expected that she would return home.
[18:41] The Challenge: How to convince a jury to award economic loss for the death of an 87-year old? The answer started with focus groups.
[23:01] The Nursing Home’s Failure: Relying on outdated policies, nursing home staff missed important signs that their patient was suffering.
[23:38] Rules of the Road: It wasn’t a case where a trucker failed to follow federal safety regulations. But Bruce applied a similar approach – in this case, showing that the nursing home failed to follow established standards of care.
[27:36] Flipping the Defense on Its Head: The nursing home knew she was old and sick. So why, then, take her in?
[36:02] Two Heads Are Better than One: At Bruce’s table, he strategically involved several members of his team so that the jury understood it “wasn’t just me” trying the case.
[39:23] Connecting with Jurors: From faith to the workplace, jurors have their own life stories. Plaintiffs’ lawyers should connect with them.
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In this popular and award-winning podcast for trial lawyers, noteworthy author, sought-after speaker, and renowned trial lawyer, Michael Cowen explores critical topics distinctive to the legal profession with some of the biggest names in the industry – specifically focused on developing extremely efficient law practices, securing a competitive edge in the industry, and wildly excelling in the courtroom.
Produced and Sponsored by LawPods.
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180 – Delisi Friday – Are You Making LinkedIn Work for You?
In 2023, an American Bar Association report revealed that 81% of lawyers who use social media use LinkedIn. “That sounds like a huge number, but I guarantee you they don’t maximize their use of the platform,” Delisi Friday says to host Michael Cowen. The founder of First Call Friday, Delisi trains lawyers how to get the most out of LinkedIn and other marketing strategies. Tune in for her pro tips, including her coaching Michael, in real time, on how to improve his LinkedIn headline.
Michael and Malorie welcome listener questions for a new “Ask Michael and Malorie Anything” feature. To submit a question, email Michael.
Featured Guest
Name: Delisi Friday
About: Delisi has 20 years of marketing experience in the legal industry, including B2B marketing, CLE event planning, brand recognition, client engagement, podcast management and analytics, and direct mail marketing. She founded First Call Friday in 2025 to help law firm owners create legal marketing and business development strategies for attorney case referrals.
Company: First Call Friday | Facebook | Instagram
Episode Highlights
[03:42] Lessons Learned: Delisi reflects on strategies she’s learned from her years building businesses, including the importance of processes, procedures, and leadership within a law firm.
[09:40] “I Love Lawyers”: That’s why it was hard for Delisi to leave her role in an organization with 700 lawyers.
[12:34] 800-Pound Gorilla Law Firms: Delisi focuses on helping small firms grow their referral business because, she says, that’s how they can compete with the “Morgan & Morgans of the world.”
[14:56] First Rule of Marketing: “Find a group of lawyers that they can connect with on a regular basis,” Delisi says.
[22:03] 30 Minutes: After a networking event, schedule 30 minutes to write down who you met and whether and how to follow up. If you don’t, you’ll lose that momentum, Delisi explains.
[25:36] Low-Cost, No-Cost Marketing: LinkedIn is a huge platform, but Delisi believes that, used properly, it can enhance your marketing efforts.
[27:22] You Want to Be Found: When building your LinkedIn bio, leverage strategies to appear higher in a search. Delisi provides key tips.
[34:11] AI Is Here: Setting your LinkedIn profile to “public” makes it available to AI platforms like ChatGPT – which, in turn, can lead to referrals because, as Delisi explains, “AI thinks, ‘That’s a thought leader. That person knows what they’re talking about.’”
[36:03] Pro Tip: Make sure that any file you put on LinkedIn, like your headshot or a video, has your name because “now, you’re increasing your search results.”
[39:34] Crack Open the Door: Every Monday, Delisi sets aside 15 minutes to see who has viewed her LinkedIn profile. Then, she messages them. “There’s real gold in looking at who looked at your profile and deciding if you feel comfortable enough to send a message,” she explains, “because sometimes those messages can bring you business.”
[42:02] LinkedIn for Lawyers: Delisi describes her work training lawyers on how to get results through LinkedIn.
Connect with Trial Lawyer Nation
☑️ Follow us on X, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
☑️ Subscribe to Trial Lawyer Nation on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube.
In this popular and award-winning podcast for trial lawyers, noteworthy author, sought-after speaker, and renowned trial lawyer, Michael Cowen explores critical topics distinctive to the legal profession with some of the biggest names in the industry – specifically focused on developing extremely efficient law practices, securing a competitive edge in the industry, and wildly excelling in the courtroom.
Produced and Powered by LawPods
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200 – Michael James on Trial Strategy, Adaptability, and Overcoming Challenges
In this episode, trial lawyer Michael James recounts how he transformed a challenging case with a hung jury and missing evidence into a courtroom success. With only 20 days to prepare, Michael navigated legal hurdles, leveraged storytelling, and adapted his strategy to secure a favorable outcome. This episode offers valuable insights into resilience, strategic thinking, and the power of a beginner’s mind in the courtroom, making it a must-listen for attorneys facing tough cases.
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121 – Ben Newman – How to Turn 45K in Medical Expenses Into a Million Dollar Verdict
A Trial Lawyer Nation listener since his Defense days, Ben Newman joins the podcast today to discuss his recent $1,076,000 verdict in Collin County, Texas.
At first blush, the facts of this case are problematic. Stemming from a spine injury the plaintiff suffered in a collision at an intersection, the case faced hurdles including, a traditionally conservative venue, a dispute over which party had a green light, an “invisible” injury, minimal therapy and injections, medical expenses of only $45,000, and a defendant that was an individual, not a faceless insurance company or corporate defendant.
Ben credits much of his success in this case to standing on the shoulders of legendary trial lawyers such as Joe Fried, Keith Mitnik, David Ball, and other Trial Lawyer Nation guests. “[The Trial Lawyer Nation] podcast is really what started me down this road of tracking down all of these resources to help me develop my trial technique.”
Ben says he consumed every podcast, video, book, and resource he could find on trial skills and trying cases. “Everything that I do in the courtroom can be traced back to something that I’ve read or something that I’ve seen.”
Join Michael Cowen and Ben Newman as they explore Ben’s incredible verdict and uncover the tools, tactics, and trial skills Ben employed to turn a $50,000 pre-trial offer into more than one million dollars for his client.
Featured Guest
Name: Ben Newman
About: Ben is a civil trial lawyer. He handles a wide range of cases in state and federal courts throughout Texas. For Ben, trial work is not just his profession, it’s an all-consuming passion. He spends countless hours learning the latest trial techniques. And other attorneys frequently hire Ben late in their cases to assist in taking them to trial.
Ben was recognized in Texas Monthly and Thomson Reuters as a Super Lawyer Rising Star. And he’s a lifetime member of the Million Dollar Advocate Forum – a group limited to trial attorneys who have won million-dollar verdicts, awards, and settlements.
Firm: Ben Newman Attorney at Law, PLLC
Connect: LinkedIn | 361-438-1073 | Email
Episode Highlights
[02:46] A passion for trial: Ben Newman discusses his background, his passion for trying cases, and why he made the jump from defense to plaintiff’s work.
[05:39] Cultivating referral sources (and support): Ben shares how he got support from other firms and attorneys after hanging his shingle and was able to begin generating referrals quickly.
[09:54]: Learning the craft of a trial lawyer: Searching for valuable information to listen to during his commute, Ben discovered the Trial Lawyer Nation podcast. He listened to every episode and began digging into the resources Michael and his guest provided.
[14:53] The $1,076,000 verdict: Ben discusses the details of this case, addresses the unique challenges he faced, and share how one specific fact sold the jury.
[24:23] Calling the first witness: How he learned from David Ball to call the witness that can confirm the most facts from your opening statement. This way, you’re keeping the jury on track, sticking to your promises, and doing it quickly.
[29:50] Framing damages in the opening statement: How Ben focused on the invisible injuries, used an analogy from David Ball, and the per diem damage model.
[36:17] The nuances of the trial: The important role lay witnesses played, trusting the jury to make an unbiased decision, detailing harms and losses, and sending the case to the jury.
[43:42] Cutting against the stereotypes of injury attorneys: People expect injury attorneys to come to trial aggressive and ready to fight. Flipping the narrative, Ben made a point to be polite and positive to everyone in the courtroom — including the defense lawyers.
[46:25] What’s next for Ben: From trial settings to parachuting in on cases, Ben has a list of things on his agenda. Overall, he’s continuing to learn, improve, and try as many cases as he can.
Connect with Trial Lawyer Nation
☑️ Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram & LinkedIn.
☑️ Subscribe to Trial Lawyer Nation on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and YouTube.
In this popular and award-winning podcast for trial lawyers, noteworthy author, sought-after speaker, and renowned trial lawyer, Michael Cowen explores critical topics distinctive to the legal profession with some of the biggest names in the industry – specifically focused on developing extremely efficient law practices, securing a competitive edge in the industry, and wildly excelling in the courtroom.
Produced and Sponsored by LawPods.
