186 – Natalie Arledge – Strategic Choices & Jury Trust: The $1.7 Million Verdict Story

Helping attorneys create great company culture is what motivates Jessica Mogill to give her best every day. As Head of Coaching Strategy at Crisp, the nation’s leading law firm growth company, Jessica helps attorneys define and improve their culture. 

“Culture is really what drives the experience. And it drives the emotions that you feel,” Jessica says. “And I think that when you have team members who are part of a culture and part of a mission and a vision, your clients do feel that, your referral partners feel that, and they know that there’s something special about this place.” 

Jessica offers advice on how to start defining your core values, creating KPIs that are measurable, and onboarding new team members to make them part of your team culture. 

She also reflects on some lackluster onboarding experiences that she experienced early on in her career and how those initial interactions soured her perception of those companies from the very beginning. 

For professionals working on trucking or company vehicle cases, host Michael Cowen closes the episode with a reminder that he is hosting the upcoming Big Rig Boot Camp on June 16th in San Antonio, Texas.

Featured Guest

Name: Jessica Mogill

About: Jessica Mogill is Head of Coaching Strategy at Crisp, the nation’s premiere law firm growth company. On paper, Jessica is an industrial engineer and got started in her career as an engineer in steel-toed boots and a hard hat. 

When the time came for a career shift, she entered Crisp on the ground floor back in 2014. While she originally only planned to advise Crisp for 30 days, almost 10 years later, she’s helped Crisp grow to unimaginable heights. Through her experience growing Crisp, Jessica has developed a unique set of leadership and strategic skills, which she now translates into guidance not only for the internal team but also for Crisp Coach clients. 

As the mastermind behind the content and experience of the industry-leading Crisp Coach program, Jessica keeps a pulse on the challenges, opportunities, and knowledge gaps facing the leaders of the nation’s top law firms — and delivers solutions that transform.

Company: Crisp

Connect: LinkedIn 

Key Points 

Top takeaways from this episode

• Culture starts with core values. Defining your core values is the basis to defining your company culture. It’s also normal for core values to change over time as a company grows or needs different things. Ideally, review your core values annually to confirm they still work for the business.
• Invest in your team. Take a 360 degree view of investing in your team. This can include lunch and learns, training, and social events. At Crisp, there is a culture committee who is responsible for regularly planning events for the team in support of core values. 
• Assessments can improve the hiring process. Hiring assessments can be used to enhance your hiring process and align candidates with the work that is best suited for their strengths. Examples of assessments used at Crisp are Kolbe, PRINT, and Wonderlic assessments.
• Setting KPIs helps build high performing firms. KPIs let attorneys objectively review performance. A good KPI measures the root issue that needs to be addressed. Using software for tracking and reporting can keep you accountable but you can start with a simple spreadsheet if you don’t currently have software in place.

Episode Highlights 

[05:53] Culture is how stuff gets done: Jessica distills down the definition of culture to be how work gets done — what the standards are, what you’ll tolerate, and what is and is not acceptable at your firm. 

[08:19] Deciding on your culture: Jessica believes that every company will have a different culture based on its unique values.

[11:05] Start with core values: Jessica recommends starting with core values when defining your culture. She explains that core values are what you endorse versus what you tolerate.

[14:27] Go back and revisit core values regularly: At Crisp, Jessica reviews the company’s core values on a quarterly basis to ensure they’re still true. At a minimum, she recommends reviewing core values on an annual basis.

[19:33] Finding the right people is the hardest thing: Jessica speaks to how the recruitment process works at Crisp.

[29:42] Data creates high-performing firms: Jessica explains that key performance indicators (KPIs) will make you more objective in evaluating performance — you either hit the target or you don’t.

[36:57] Onboarding is overlooked and undervalued: Jessica walks us through how she approaches approving new positions and onboarding new team members at Crisp to give them the best possible experience.

[40:53] Volunteers, not hostages: Jessica shares the different questions she asks to determine if a person is the right player to have on her team. If your company has outgrown a team member, you need to start with a candid conversation.

[46:00] Communicate with context: Jessica describes how a new team member is essentially jumping on a moving train and lacks the institutional knowledge that other team members have built over time. It’s important to slow down and add context to get the best results.

[57:26] Big Rig Boot Camp: Michael reminds listeners that the Big Rig Boot Camp is coming up on June 16th in San Antonio, Texas.

Connect with Trial Lawyer Nation

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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.

These cases are “righteous,” explains host Michael Cowen, “because when a tractor trailer is backing across the roadway, it is very difficult for oncoming traffic to see the trailer in time to stop.” He and trial partner Laura Pazin Porter recently resolved just such a case, in which their clients’ father died after striking an 18-wheeler that was backing across a highway at night. Laura describes how she established trust with the grieving family members, and Michael reveals how he channeled his “Just Keep Swimming” mantra during adverse rulings. Together, they achieved a confidential settlement right before closing arguments.

Michael and Malorie welcome listener questions for a new “Ask Michael and Malorie Anything” feature. To submit a question, email Michael.

Featured Guest

Name: Laura Pazin Porter

About: Laura has over 20 years of experience in civil litigation, complex litigation, civil trial, and appellate law. She has participated in cases across multiple states and has been recognized as a “Texas Rising Star” by Thomson Reuters.

Company: Cowen Rodriguez Peacock

Connect: LinkedIn

Episode Highlights 

[02:52] Fatal Trucking Crash – Laura describes the wrongful death case in which their clients’ father died after striking an 18-wheeler that backed across a highway at night, blocking all lanes.

[05:08] Placing Blame – The investigating officer blamed their client without conducting a proper reconstruction or considering visibility issues, creating an uphill battle from the start.

[08:22] On-Scene Witnesses – They provided crucial evidence about the facts of the crash, what could be seen, and what could not be seen..

[12:07] Seeing Is Believing – Michael explains their goal in meticulously recreating the exact crash conditions, although the judge ultimately excluded the compelling visual evidence.

[17:15] Challenging Jury Selection – Laura describes how they handled a “rough crowd” who initially called the case a “money grab” before ultimately securing a favorable jury.

[21:04] Psychological Perspective – A psychologist offered important insight on grief and loss, which bolstered the team’s mental anguish claim.

[29:58] “Magical” Examination – Michael describes Laura’s direct examination of the grieving sons as “the most magical experience I’ve ever had in the courtroom.”

[39:43] Emotional Rollercoaster – “As much as you never know for sure, I did really feel like we were winning that case,” Michael says of settlement discussions. 

[40:38] Not Just Money: Ultimately, their clients agreed to a settlement in which the trucking company agreed to make a change that could save future lives. “We did something that I’m super proud of that wasn’t just money in this case,” Michael says.

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