Courtroom Stories & Tactics | RVA Trial Lawyers
Trial lawyers do not become great overnight. It takes persistence, a relentless work ethic, a willingness to learn from mistakes, a burning passion for the craft, an authentic self, and the courage and vulnerability to enter the arena time and again.
Those who become great trial lawyers also become great people. Through their work, they grapple with the realities of the human condition and in the process cultivate character, principle, integrity, leadership, strength, compassion, and perseverance.
Based out of Richmond, Virginia, Courtroom Stories & Tactics by RVA Trial Lawyers exists for lawyers who try cases to juries on behalf of people. Through our podcast, we hope to learn from them, support them, connect them, inspire them, and preserve their work for future trial lawyers.
(804) 915-1611
TrialLawyers@RVATrialLawyers.com
1210 E Cary St Suite 300-3
Richmond, VA 23219
Episodes
58 episodes
When Your Client Inspires You to Go Harder | Damon Hudson (Personal Injury Lawyer)
In just one year, Damon Hudson launched his personal injury firm in New Mexico and grew from 20 cases to over 70, a testament not just to results, but to his connection with his clients.There was one case however that stood out, a trip-a...
Trial Breakdown: $373,922 Verdict | Gray Broughton Injury Law
How would you approach arguing a personal injury case where there is very little visible damage, there are pre-existing conditions for the client, and a lot of difficulties in gathering evidence? In fact, would you take such a case ...
Don't Just Assume That It's Nothing | Elliott Buckner (Personal Injury Lawyer)
The defense asks you a seemingly innocuous question, and it's tempting to assume that whatever their angle is, it's probably nothing. Elliott Buckner learned the hard way that even the most mundane motion can cause major headaches t...
Who's Looking Out for You? | Dr. Scott Hickey & Dr. Shawn Borich (Maximum Medical Improvement)
Clients getting hurt for the first time in a significant way often don't know where to go, not just for legal advice but for medical advice. Not only does it impact their health and their recovery, but it impacts the strength of the...
Ask For a Bigger Number | Robert Hirschhorn (Jury and Trial Consultant)
How do you set the value for a case?Are you holding your case back from getting what it's really worth? And who makes that determination?Robert Hirschhorn's advice: "Don't put caps on yourself. You want to choose the bigges...
Trial Breakdown: $20 Million Verdict | Gray Broughton Injury Law
Over two and a half years ago, our firm was approached by a father in Winchester, VA, with a case that had been rejected by at least three other law firms. We knew it would be a very challenging case, with very limited evidence. It ...
Are You Fulfilled? You Have Choices | Jenn Cloutier (Executive Coach)
You are the most powerful person you know.Whether you're a trial lawyer, working in corporate America, or in any walk of life, nothing can change this simple fact.You have the ability to make the choices and decisions that ...
Finding Purpose in Your Law Career | Glenn Katon (Civil Rights Lawyer)
For years, you've been building your law career: head down, focused, years of commitment and perseverance.But are you sure you're where you need to be?Perhaps you know already: 'This is the best place, the best people and t...
The $95 Gut Punch That Created a Trial Lawyer | Matt Nakajima (Personal Injury Lawyer)
Losing a trial case can feel like a crushing gut punch, an emotional hit, burdened with the weight of disappointing your client. It stings, and it's hard to shake off.You can't control the outcome, but you can control your reaction to it...
The FBI Playbook for Trial Lawyers | Jim Melia (Professional Investigator)
How would the FBI approach jury selection?Imagine applying these same tools and trainings to your own jury selection and investigations, and having the ability to uncover evidence that changes the outcome of cases.Jim Melia is a r...
Build a Career That Doesn’t Break Your Family | Jason Boone (Civil Defense Lawyer)
Civil Defense Lawyer Jason Boone shares his personal experience of making sure he maintains the right work/life balance for him and his family.In a conversation of frankness and authenticity, Jason talks about how lawyers of all stripes ...
How Trial Lawyers Accidentally Kill Their Own Appeals | Rachel Yates (Appellate Lawyer)
Virginia's appellate landscape changed a lot in 2022, to where, similar to many other states, virtually everyone has an automatic right to go to the Court of Appeals.Yes, it can feel complicated and overwhelming. But the appellate proces...
We're Not Here to Get Along: Resist the Pressure to be "Reasonable" | Samantha Cohn (Personal Injury Lawyer)
When is being "reasonable," patient and compromising in fact just a strategy of the other side to delay, frustrate and ultimately to avoid trial?We should be respectful. We should be professional. But at no point should we ever compromis...
Why Dog Bites Cases Are Never 'Just a Dog Bite' | Ashley Strandjord (Personal Injury Lawyer)
Dog bite cases are rarely about just one victim—they’re about public safety, accountability, and preventing the next attack. "You have to show that this could happen to pretty much anyone. This could happen anytime, anywhere. You...
Forced to Go Through Law School Twice: Lessons in Perseverance | Rodd Santomauro (Lien Resolution Strategist)
You've completed law school, taken the bar exam, have built a network of contacts and are ready to start practicing. And then, your entire law school's results are thrown out. You're faced with the choice: walk away comp...
Get High-Value Cases with a Referral System that Actually Works | Erica Caviness (Law Firm Coach)
If you want more high-value cases without giving more money to Google, this episode is for you."Understanding referral generation is crucial for business growth, and a law practice must be a business first. "Today we look a...
Being a Lawyer is the "8th Most Important" Thing in My Life | Matt Long (Civil Litigation Lawyer)
If you want to learn how to live a full, sustainable life as a lawyer, this episode is for you. Matt Long breaks down how to build a healthy firm culture, communicate effectively, and avoid burnout as a lawyer.Please consider sharing th...
Changing Lives with Worker's Compensation | Michele Lewane (Worker's Compensation Lawyer)
"It gives me so much purpose and meaning: we are helping educate people in a place where they don't know anything. And they need the help."Michele Lewane is runs the Injured Workers Law Firm in Richmond, VA, which since 2006 has b...
Confronting Institutional Negligence | Peter Everett and Barkley Horn (Personal Injury Lawyers)
"What helps motivate us in part is institutional or organizational betrayal: where the bond between the institution and the person is strong, but there's a big power differential due to the size and strength of the institution." - Peter Ever...
How Boutique Law Firms Stand Out | Penn Crawford (Personal Injury Lawyer)
AI is not perfect yet, you still have to babysit it, but it's scary. Because two years ago I used AI and thought, "Well that was kind of like using a high school senior." Now when I'm using AI, it's like, "I'm using a second year associate."...
Have the Confidence to Be Yourself in the Courtroom | Courtney Winston (Personal Injury Lawyer)
"My thought when I go into a courtroom, and I feel this way throughout the trial, is I just am welcoming people into my house. I go in, I talk to my jury, I make eye contact with them, and I try to talk to them the way that I would talk to a...
The "Unite the Right" Aftermath and the Balance of Public Prosecution | Joe Platania (Charlottesville Commonwealth's Attorney)
"The community at the time was just furious with me for charging any of the counter-protestors with anything. And I was very sympathetic to the ideology of the counter-protestors, and was mortified by some of the viewpoints of the alt-right ...
The Power of Cooperation Amongst Trial Lawyers | Tarun Rana (Personal Injury Lawyer)
"The number one takeaway is trust yourself. Because we know our stuff. We are better than them. They are inundated with so much work, and they're doing the same old stuff. We're going to conferences and learning cutting edge technology. So b...
Justice Beyond Borders - Druze Voice for Change in Suwayda, Syria | Firas Alchoufi (International Arbitrator and Humanitarian)
"So in listening to this, whomever wants Syria to be unified, maybe the solution is to listen to this petition, to consider it, and to work really, genuinely, on reaching a peaceful solution to the Syrian crisis." - Firas Alchoufi
What Are We Asking of the Justice System? | Dr. Brad Lehmann (Criminal Justice Professor)
"This concept called the ethic of care: we've all heard this term 'care' before. And most of us who have had any type of training, a lot of times we are taught ethics from a formal or practical standpoint. But it doesn...