Bar Exam Toolbox Podcast Episode 310: Listen and Learn -- Accomplice Liability (Criminal Law)
Podcast - Every Case Is a New World
Bar Exam Toolbox Podcast Episode 309: Listen and Learn -- Felony Murder and Causation (Criminal Law)
Podcast - The 3 Core Themes of Trial Law: Do the Right Thing
The 3 Core Themes of Trial Law: Tell Your Story
Podcast - The 3 Core Themes of Trial Law: Know Your Court
Podcast - Real Justice for Real People
Bar Exam Toolbox Podcast Episode 305: Spotlight on Civil Procedure (Part 2 – Discovery)
There Is No Right Path
Mock Jury Exercises: Enhancing Litigation Strategy in Consumer Financial Services Cases — The Consumer Finance Podcast
Eyes on the Evidence: Powerful Legal Presentations – Speaking of Litigation Video Podcast
Podcast - How Did We Get Here?
Podcast - Parting Thoughts: Be a "Peddler of Common Sense"
Against All Odds- Part Four
Against All Odds- Part Three
Against All Odds- Part One
The Presumption of Innocence Podcast: Episode 56 - A Strategic Gamble: The Risks, Costs and Rewards of Going to Trial
Podcast - Expert Witnesses, Special Issues
Podcast - Part II: The Importance of Pro Bono for Both Clients and Lawyers
Podcast - Cutting Back on Complex Cases
I have practiced law for 40 years with the vast majority as a “construction” lawyer. I have seen great… and bad… construction lawyering, both when representing a party and when serving over 300 times as a mediator or...more
We live in uncertain times, and that is becoming a more obvious observation by the day. From the turmoil in the financial markets to the tumult in the marketplaces of ideas, there is a widely felt lack of security,...more
The Reptile Theory is a litigation strategy intended to activate jurors’ survival instincts during trial and is designed to induce fear over logic and reason when hearing a case. Rather than focusing on the standard of care...more
The 2024 American Bar Association National Lawyer Population Survey puts the number of California attorneys at 175,883. This translates to 4.5 lawyers for every 1,000 residents in California. The Golden State trails only New...more
There is a case currently playing out in the Southern District of New York, Major League Baseball Players Inc.,v. Underdog Sports, Inc. There is a common dynamic called out right there in the caption: One side is the “Major...more
On Jan. 6, a Pittsburgh jury concluded a month-and-a-half long trial involving a suit asserting that decedent Michaeleen Lee developed mesothelioma from exposure to asbestos-containing talcum powder products made by Johnson &...more
Here’s a scenario we often see when watching deliberations in a mock trial: The subject of the defendant’s alternate damages number comes up, and jurors see it as a weakness...more
The greentech industry is recognized as one of the key subsectors of the ESG investment world. Energy transition to renewables is the new industrial revolution. It is a global win-win-win for bolstered economic strength,...more
In today’s legal landscape, the defense industry faces the unprecedented challenge of Nuclear Verdicts®. They pose a financial threat to businesses and individuals alike. It is vital for defense attorneys to embrace a...more
In addition to making their views known at the ballot box, citizens can similarly broadcast their sentiments in the civil jury box. While they’re asked to merely make a factual finding limited to a specific dispute, the...more
The adage, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” carries a special meaning in litigation. It can be one of those classic “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” situations: After an injury or other tortious event, if you fix...more
Question: How did the jury arrive at the decision to award the plaintiff $20 million in damages? Actual Juror #1: We came up with a percentage approach, and that’s what we all discussed. We started with what she was asking...more
IMS Strategy Consultant Dr. Clint Townson delves into jurors’ anti-corporate bias—including how to uncover biases through social media research and counteract them with an impactful company story—as well as ways to avoid...more
IMS Strategy Consultant Dr. Clint Townson discusses the benefits of early case theme development and the factors leading jurors to award massive damages....more
Data compiled by the American Transportation Research Institute shows that lawsuits targeting the trucking industry have increased at an exponential pace, seen in both the volume of cases and the size of verdict awards. When...more
From the time we were kids, most of us swiftly learned what was likely to get us punished: a spanking or — for more recent generations — a time out. Usually, that was brought out by something we did, or by the situation we...more
As a legal category, punitive damages are not very common in U.S. civil trials, being available and awarded in just six percent of cases. But in the broader sense of “punitive,” the motivation to punish or to correct behavior...more
“Seeing is believing,” and based on the social science, we tend to apply that adage even when the visual aid does not rationally add to the substantive proof. Visuals makes things easier to call to mind later (which makes...more
Lawyers are trained to think logically and analytically. So, if a category ABC includes A, B, and C, one would expect the total, ABC, to be the same as A, B, and C measured separately. But it isn’t always. When human...more
Sometimes as a defendant, you find yourself in the position where you need to admit to at least some part of the plaintiff’s liability claim. The plaintiff really was injured, and there really was a step that was skipped on...more
Defendants in many areas of litigation are likely familiar at this point with the Reptile approach to trying plaintiffs’ cases. A central pillar of the strategy, and its namesake, is the idea that personally-relevant fear...more
When civil litigation is being discussed by those outside the courtroom and outside the legal field, what stands out is often the perception, at least, of very high damages. The high-dollar figure being awarded, based on a...more