Courtroom Stories & Tactics | RVA Trial Lawyers
Episodes
Forced to Go Through Law School Twice: Lessons in Perseverance | Rodd Santomauro (Lien Resolution Strategist)
19 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 s...
Get High-Value Cases with a Referral System that Actually Works | Erica Caviness (Law Firm Coach)
09 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Understanding referral generation is crucial for business growth, and a law practice must be a business first. Today we look at the importance of ref...
Being a Lawyer is the "8th Most Important" Thing in My Life | Matt Long (Civil Litigation Lawyer)
29 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 cult...
Changing Lives with Worker's Compensation | Michele Lewane (Worker's Compensation Lawyer)
19 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"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.&q...
Confronting Institutional Negligence | Peter Everett and Barkley Horn (Personal Injury Lawyers)
09 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"What helps motivate us in part is institutional or organizational betrayal: where the bond between the institution and the person is strong, but...
How Boutique Law Firms Stand Out | Penn Crawford (Personal Injury Lawyer)
30 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 lik...
Have the Confidence to Be Yourself in the Courtroom | Courtney Winston (Personal Injury Lawyer)
20 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"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...
The "Unite the Right" Aftermath and the Balance of Public Prosecution | Joe Platania (Charlottesville Commonwealth's Attorney)
10 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"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 i...
The Power of Cooperation Amongst Trial Lawyers | Tarun Rana (Personal Injury Lawyer)
01 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"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&ap...
Justice Beyond Borders - Druze Voice for Change in Suwayda, Syria | Firas Alchoufi (International Arbitrator and Humanitarian)
24 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"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 reall...
What Are We Asking of the Justice System? | Dr. Brad Lehmann (Criminal Justice Professor)
22 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"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,...
Maximize Your Clients' Settlements | Jenny Sciadini (Settlement Consultant)
13 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"Whether it's a $50,000 case or a $50 million case, it's ultimately helping people preserve their settlement funds, make sure that they...
A Progressive Approach to Criminal Justice | Ramin Fatehi (Norfolk Commonwealth's Attorney)
01 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"I tell my prosecutors that being a public defender was one of the most important things for my career as a prosecutor, even though I only did it...
From Military Justice to Trial Law | Broughton Injury Law (Personal Injury Law Firm)
20 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"You often think, if someone's going through a hard time, what is the way that you can help them? And here was something I had to offer. I f...
Turn Your Bad Facts Into Arrows | Dillon Hobbs (Personal Injury Lawyer)
08 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"I just owned the bad facts. I talked about them, I mentioned them to the jury. I'm making eye contact with the jury, they're making ey...
Practice vs. Performance: Understanding the Difference as Trial Lawyers | Dan Ambrose (Trial Conference Host)
27 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"Practice means you're doing intentional movements. Practicing typically indicates you have a coach giving you feedback, or somebody's ...
Mastering Witness Preparation Method and Focus Groups | Elizabeth Larrick (Trial Consultant)
15 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"Having done so many focus groups, you get a good, fine-tuned ear for what is clear testimony and what is not. The goal of this method is for peo...
Behind the Curtain with Two Former Defense Lawyers | John Merrick and Les Brock (Personal Injury Lawyers)
03 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"The middle of a trial is the only place I've ever been where the thought came over me, 'This is where you belong. Right here. In this ...
Fighting for Survivors. Holding Predators Accountable | Guy D'Andrea (Sexual Abuse Lawyer)
21 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"What is going to drive damages has little to do with what the client is going to say about their therapy records, and instead is going to have e...
The Business Side of a Personal Injury Law Firm | Beau Correll (Personal Injury Lawyer)
09 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"We have the mindset that each case we're going to file suit on, we're intending to take it to trial. Absent a material difference or c...
"Vulnerability is Strength" | Andrew Caple-Shaw (Trial Consultant)
28 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"Just because the jury can't use words, doesn't mean they can't talk to you, it doesn't mean they can't communicate with...
The Power of a Healthy Mindset | Michael Cowen (Personal Injury Lawyer)
16 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"All you can do is guide and arm your good jurors to go in there and fight for you."Michael Cowen is one of the most respected voices in the...
Conduct Your Focus Groups Correctly | Jessica Brylo (Trial Consultant)
04 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"Focus groups give you a lot of time to practice things that you don't get to practice in court. Getting your feet wet where you can do it w...
Trying Cases the Right Way | Chris Finney (Personal Injury Lawyer)
24 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"It's really important when you meet your client to develop that authentic connection. Because if I have an authentic connection with my cli...
"Your Client is Exhibit A, and There is No Exhibit B" | Rand Robins (Personal Injury Lawyer)
14 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"The toughness and resilience of clients of mine, to see those people pick themselves up off the mat and carry on with life as best they can, is ...
The Rewards of Personal Injury Law | Maureen Farrell (Personal Injury Lawyer)
04 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"I think it's wonderful work. I'm grateful every day that I get to do, for money, something that I find incredibly interesting. I think...
Choosing a Winning Jury | Harry Plotkin (Trial Consultant)
25 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"All the best verdicts that I've had, in the opening statement, the jurors' eyes are bugging out and their jaws are hitting the floor. ...
The Grind that Creates the Magic | Kenny Berger (Personal Injury Lawyer)
15 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"The magic that happens in a case at trial is a lot of times built on the seemingly mundane efforts to get discovery, to take depositions, to req...
Representing the Catastrophically Injured | Stephanie Grana (Personal Injury Lawyer)
01 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"It sucks when we lose, but when we win and hopefully you win more than you lose on our side, it's life changing. I can't get that from...
"You Can't Handle The Truth" | Donald Marcari (Personal Injury Lawyer)
15 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"Find out how this accident affected them. Talk to their spouse, talk to their cousins, their best friends. No matter how big or small, it has af...
The Essential Traits of Great Trial Lawyers | Hon. Mark Bennett (Federal District Court Judge)
01 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"You have to have the desire and passion to be the best that you can be. And that takes an incredible amount of hard work. You have to find role ...
The Human Side of Trial Lawyering | Joe Fried (Personal Injury Lawyer)
15 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"At the end of the day, what's behind dunking a basketball and what's behind being a badass cha-cha dancer is the same feeling. It&apos...
Defending Police Officers and Mentoring the Next Generation of Trial Lawyers | David Corrigan (Civil Defense Lawyer)
01 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"In almost every instance, the police officer doesn't go to work that day saying, I hope I get in a fight or shoot somebody today. I've...
Building a Thriving Practice | Ben and Brian Glass (Personal Injury and Disability Lawyers)
22 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"You are the power in the courtroom. You are the authority, even above the judge. And I know everybody will say, no, the jury will look to the ju...
The Pursuit of Justice | Mike Gill (Federal Criminal Prosecutor)
24 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"Number one, do justice. Do the right thing. No matter what, at the end of the day, that's what we get to do. We're fortunate to get to...
Life as a Criminal Defense Lawyer | Jeff Everhart (Criminal Defense Lawyer)
08 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"The fun thing about our business is, we get to try cases with good lawyers. Trying cases is fun. Trying juries is fun. Losing juries ain't ...
Focus Groups and Challenging the Status Quo | Irv and Joseph Cantor (Personal Injury Lawyers)
27 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"I'm able to help people with the most important thing in their life. I'm able to fight for them in court, which is just a blast. On to...
Prosecution to Criminal Defense | John Rockecharlie and Russ Stone (Criminal Defense Lawyers)
02 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
"One piece of advice I would give people is you really have to be yourself because insincerity is sensed by juries. It's sensed by judges. I...
Making a Difference for the Community from the Bench | Hon. Catherine Hammond (Virginia Circuit Court Judge)
13 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
"To me, if you say what is justice? I remember during the summer of George Floyd when people said no peace, no justice. I started wondering all s...
Making the City of Richmond Safer as a Prosecutor | Learned Barry (State Criminal Prosecutor)
02 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
"If you really do your job as a prosecutor, you can help people."Learned Barry joined us on RVA Trial Lawyers. We discuss his 47 years as a ...
Medical Malpractice Trial Work | Brewster Rawls (Medical Malpractice Lawyer)
04 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
"You have to have that spark of curiosity of creativity, but it has to be coupled with an utter fearlessness."Brewster Rawls joined us on RV...
Defending the Defenseless | Russell Bowles (Criminal Defense Lawyer)
10 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
"You're not gonna be another number coming through the system. You're gonna be a human being with everything that is good about you. Ma...
Civil Justice for the Injured | John Shea (Personal Injury Lawyer)
01 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
“Early to bed, early to rise, work like hell, and advertise.”John Shea joined us on RVA Trial Lawyers. We discuss his career, his record-setting v...
"If Not You, Who?" and the Washington, D.C. Sniper Case | Craig Cooley (Criminal Defense Lawyer)
26 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
"If not you, who?"Craig Cooley joined us on RVA Trial Lawyers. We discuss his long career as a criminal defense lawyer, his representation o...