In this episode of Trial Lawyer Nation, host Michael Cowen speaks with Chris Earley, a successful personal injury lawyer from Boston. They discuss Chris’s journey from starting with nothing to building a thriving law practice, the importance of referral partners, and the power of saying no to cases that don’t fit. Chris shares insights on time management, marketing strategies, and the significance of establishing core values within a law firm. They also touch on the role of technology in enhancing efficiency and the value of networking through conferences and podcasts. The conversation emphasizes the importance of personal growth, communication with clients, and the need for lawyers to give themselves permission to design their practices according to their values and goals.
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185 – Todd Tracy – Crashworthiness & Collaboration: Lessons from Todd Tracy
In this episode of Trial Lawyer Nation, Michael Cowen sits down with Todd Tracy, a powerhouse attorney in automotive product liability. Todd shares his journey from defending car manufacturers to fighting for crash victims. They dive into what it takes to spot and win vehicle defect cases, and Todd stresses how important it is for lawyers to work together and share resources to get the best results. He breaks down the top five types of cases worth pursuing—like seat back failures and missing center airbags—and talks about the challenges, costs, and rewards of handling these complex cases. From deep investigations to strong teamwork, this conversation is packed with tips for getting justice in automotive defect cases.
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178 – David Christensen and Sarah Kime – Nine Minutes of Neglect: A $9.5 Million Lesson
Like a true crime thriller, the story of a gas station’s tragic indifference unfolds as Michigan attorneys David Christensen and Sarah Kime share with host Michael Cowen how they secured a $9.5 million verdict after a clerk refused to call 911 for a stabbing victim. Shocking surveillance footage revealed the underage employee’s callousness as the 30-year-old customer bled to death outside the store. Despite having only non-economic damages, the duo’s masterful trial preparation—including expert testimony, focus groups, and compelling family witnesses—convinced jurors of the gas station’s liability for failing to train the overnight employee.
Click here to learn about the firm’s Big Rig Boot Camp on July 10.
Michael and Malorie welcome listener questions for a new “Ask Michael and Malorie Anything” feature. To submit a question, email Michael.
Featured Guest
Name: David Christensen
About: David began his legal career handling corporate legal matters but later became interested in personal injury law. He worked at a large firm for about two decades before branching out on his own, founding Christensen Law in 2014.
Name: Sarah Kime
About: Sarah is the managing partner at Christensen Law, where she recently celebrated her 12th anniversary. She has been working alongside founder David Christensen since 2009, partnering on major trials to advocate for accident victims.
Company: Christensen Law
Connect: LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube
Episode Highlights
[03:18] A Firm Is Born: David and Sarah share their backgrounds as Michigan personal injury attorneys who started Christensen Law with the mission of providing a firm where clients aren’t “just a number.” With a staff of 35, the firm is about as big as it’s going to be.
[04:48] Culture First: Before “culture” became a buzzword in law firms, David and Sarah were building a workplace that prioritized positive relationships and avoiding the toxic traditions common in many firms.
[06:06] Trial Partners: David explains how trying cases with Sarah transformed his practice after years of handling trials completely alone, leveraging her natural communication abilities and organization skills.
[12:19] Team Dynamics: The duo discusses the benefits of trying cases as a team, including dividing labor by strengths and connecting with different juror personalities during trial.
[19:44] The Case: A 30-year-old man with schizophrenia was stabbed near a gas station at 4:30 am, then entered the store bleeding heavily and asking for help—only to be turned away by a 17-year-old clerk who didn’t call 911 until nine minutes later.
[27:16] Video Tells a Story: When the case first came in, they weren’t sure if it was viable until they saw the surveillance video, which showed the clerk’s shocking indifference as customers stepped over the victim’s body.
[34:02] Seconds Count: Through expert testimony and creative use of police dash cam footage with a timer, they demonstrated emergency responders could have reached the victim within 90 seconds and saved his life with a tourniquet.
[39:07] Damages Challenge: With no economic damages, they relied on compelling testimony from family members about lost relationships, with a psychiatrist explaining how schizophrenia patients often reconcile with family after stabilizing in their 30s.
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 Sponsored by LawPods.
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143 – Malorie Peacock – Employees Can’t Read Minds: Michael and Malorie on Law Firm Training
Lawyers constantly receive training in the form of CLE. However, training staff members in the day-to-day running of a law office is no less important to a successful practice. Nobody comes into a law firm knowing everything. Ongoing reminders and documented procedures are needed for employees to learn new things, retain information, and correct mistakes.
On this episode of Trial Lawyer Nation, host Michael Cowen speaks with his fellow partner and trial attorney Malorie Peacock about how, why, and when to train employees at every level of the firm, from clerks and receptionists to paralegals and litigators.
Tune in to hear Michael and Malorie discuss their approach to training at Cowen Rodriguez Peacock and lessons they’ve learned through years of training “trial and error”. Every office trains differently, but as they point out, there are some starting points and areas of emphasis that can help every firm implement a training program that is mission-focused and effective.
Don’t miss out! Michael’s book, Big Rig Justice: A Comprehensive Guide to Maximizing Value in Truck Accident Cases is now available!
Featured Guest
Name: Malorie J Peacock
About: Malorie J Peacock is a Partner at Cowen Rodriguez Peacock. She was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas and received her J.D. from the University of Houston Law Center. During her time with Cowen Rodriguez Peacock, Malorie has worked on numerous commercial vehicle, trucking, and wrongful death cases. Malorie brings close attention to detail, commitment to finding safety issues and areas of neglect, continued utilization of technology and cutting-edge visuals in cases, along with a sincere passion to help those who have been hurt, to each and every case.
Company: Cowen Rodriguez Peacock
Connect: LinkedIn
Episode Highlights
[02:57] Employees aren’t psychic: People can’t read your mind, and memory is fallible. Tell them how you want things done in a clear manner that they can remember.
[05:57] Starting point: It can be overwhelming to figure out training priorities. Start with where training is needed the most.
[09:02] Different procedures for different team members: Everybody–from the receptionist to partner level attorneys–needs training, but it should be tailored to the audience.
[11:30] The human touch: Even when it’s written down or recorded, training should be presented in-person to maximize effectiveness.
[15:13] Train. Retrain. Repeat: Training isn’t a one-off. Retraining helps lessons stick and allows errors to be diagnosed and corrected.
[16:51] Identifying training topics: When mistakes or something new happens, training is typically required. It’s also important to ask people, at every level, what they would like to be trained on.
[22:58] Quality control: While trial lawyers are often comfortable giving training to their coworkers, it’s not necessarily a strength of everyone in the office. There needs to be quality control to ensure training has the desired outcome.
[26:29] Train early and often: Training should take place regularly, as soon as a firm has staff members. Waiting too long to start can make bad habits harder to break.
[27:50] Outside resources: Sometimes, the trainers need training. Outside consultants and resources can provide valuable insights to internal team members. Don’t assume you know everything about everything.
[30:15] Lesson learned?: To get the most out of training, implement a system that can assess whether the lesson imparted is the lesson received so corrections can be made.
[32:19] Radical candor: Be direct and truthful with people while maintaining respect and compassion for them.
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.
