Juries don't expect perfect plaintiffs

Every once in awhile there will be a plaintiff who is almost saintly in their wonderful-ness.  I remember one darling Grandmother.  We all fell in love with her.  When she scrunched up her cute little face and talked about her sadness, jurors weren't the only ones crying.  Mary Anne was as perfect as they come.

With the occasional saintly exception, plaintiffs are human beings like the rest of us.  Jurors don’t expect our clients to be perfect.  When we try to prove they are, we set them up for failure.

We are living in an age where The Kardashians are our favorite TV family.  Charlie Sheen is becoming even more famous as he unrepentantly unravels in the most public way.  Celebrity Rehab and The Biggest Losers rule the ratings.

Here is a picture of my mom and siblings.  We can't even all look into the camera at the same time.  My hair is a bit frizzy and my jacket is doing something strange.  My mom's last button isn't done.  And Susan's glasses need to be pushed up a little.   No, we aren't perfect.  But we stick together as a family.  That's what counts.

So next time you're in trial remember.  It’s okay for our clients to “be real.”