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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161 – Dan Ambrose’s Trial Lawyers University – Big Names, Boot Camps, Case Breakdowns
From October 16 to 19, Caesars Palace will be the site of Trial Lawyers University, an in-depth educational opportunity for lawyers who want to sharpen their skills, network, and perhaps – if they’re brave – belt out tunes at a karaoke bar.
Trial Lawyers University founder Dan Ambrose offers a preview of what’s in store at TLU Vegas during this conversation with host Michael Cowen. He explains how he has designed the conference so that participants have training choices that suit their knowledge gaps and goals. “I try to put my heart and soul into it,” Dan says of the rigorous planning. “Just like you put your heart and soul into a trial. Every conference is like my trial.”
Want to attend TLU Vegas? Register here.
Featured Guest
Name: Dan Ambrose
About: Dan is a Las Vegas-based personal injury attorney who launched Trial Lawyers University during the pandemic. The next conference, TLU Vegas, will be held from October 16 to 19 at Caesars Palace.
Company: Trial Lawyers University
Connect: TLU on X, Facebook, Instagram & LinkedIn
Episode Highlights
[02:17] An Idea Born in Darkness: Trial Lawyers University evolved during the pandemic, when Dan and a friend discussed how they could give back to the community because “people remember who was there for them in their time of darkness.”
[05:31] Learning How to Win: Lessons learned from an early career as a criminal defense lawyer. Today, Dan’s mission is to help lawyers avoid losing.
[09:10] Emotional State Control: If you say “Good morning” without warmth, your audience’s unconscious detectors buzz. Something’s weird. That’s why Dan teaches lawyers how to be aware of what they’re projecting in the courtroom.
[12:21] Are You Ready for Your Close-Up?: If you join a TLU boot camp, be prepared to videotape yourself doing presentations. The preparation is critical, as Dan explains.
[19:26] Building a Connection: Dan’s three strategies that lawyers can use to connect with their jury.
[27:38] The TLU Difference: After years of attending conferences, Dan styled TLU to reflect his vision of what makes an effective educational environment. It starts with the exhibit hall. Here’s why.
[28:33] Filling the Knowledge Gap: From lectures to workshops to networking, TLU Vegas is designed to offer enough choices so that anybody can target their gap in knowledge – and fill it.
[32:33] Bringing People Together: How Dan builds time at TLU so that attendees and instructors can learn, have fun, and even refer business.
Connect with Trial Lawyer Nation
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☑️ 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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173 – Malorie Peacock – You Asked. We Answered. 8 Burning Listener Questions
In the first installment of their new “Ask Malorie and Michael Anything” feature, host Michael Cowen and colleague Malorie Peacock tackle eight questions from listeners. They offer strategies and tips on topics ranging from launching a career as a personal injury lawyer, to navigating a traumatic brain injury case, to managing doubts about an expert witness.
Have a question for Michael and Malorie? Email Michael.
Featured Guest
Name: Malorie Peacock
About: A name partner at Cowen Rodriguez Peacock, Malorie represents clients who have been injured by the negligence of others. Her experience includes working on commercial vehicle, trucking, and wrongful death cases.
Company: Cowen Rodriguez Peacock
Connect: LinkedIn | X | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube
Episode Highlights
[05:54] Post-Law School: To a law school student looking past graduation, Michael recommends two strategies for kick-starting a career: a part-time job at a law firm or working at a clinic.
[09:00] Eye Witness: Malorie offers young lawyers another idea to enhance their skills: watching real trials to see how they play out in the real world.
[10:37] Truck Accident Law: Responding to a question about how to become an effective truck accident lawyer, Michael suggests taking advantage of educational opportunities through groups like the Academy of Truck Accident Attorneys. He’ll teach a course for the Academy in Billings, Montana, in May.
[13:17] Taking on TBI: Michael and Malorie outline how they approach the complex issues associated with a client’s traumatic brain injury, particularly a “mild” one.
[18:41] Three-Legged Stool: The PI attorney must evaluate a case on three factors, Michael explains: liability, damages, and resources.
[23:44] Pro Hac Vice: Michael explains how to avoid falling into procedural traps in districts where you’ve never practiced. “It’s surprising when you practice out of state or in various federal courts how different the rules actually are for different things,” Malorie adds.
[36:24] Doubts: You’ve hired an expert that everyone says is great, but now you have doubts. Michael and Malorie share insights about how to navigate that delicate situation.
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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125 – Jessica Mogill – Building a World Class Law Firm Culture
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
☑️ 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.
