Drive up to the gate. Pay $15 for a parking pass. Drive 100 feet forward and turn left. Find a space and park. Am barefoot. Slip on shoes. Exit car. Walk around the side of the building. Open the doors. Am now inside the UW school of law. Head down the hallway to room 138. Open the door. It's a big theater styled space. Walk down the stairs to the front. Give Bill Bailey a hug. He’s a full time professor there for now. This is the big lecture class for the trial advocacy program.
Read MoreToday a ghost writer offered to secretly write my blog.
Before deleting her spam, I took a peek at the links to the firms she writes for. Bet they'll be happy to know they've been outed.
It is slimy to hire someone to do legal blogging without disclosing that the writer is: a) not a member of the firm and b) not a lawyer. Plus maintaining a blog simply for the sake of having a blog, is kinda lame.
Read MoreTom Chambers has summoned me. I walk down the hall past Sheila - Tom’s right hand office manager whom we have nicknamed Sheera Princess of Power. Enter his fake office. The one where he meets with clients or other lawyers and important people. It is as big as a large living room. Sitting proudly next to the marble fireplace is an imposing desk. There is one small pile of papers neatly stacked on it just so. As if ready for a magazine photo shoot.
Read MoreFlashback to 1990.
We are at Chambers Court. In the upstairs conference room. In a former life, the building was a funeral home. So when we call it "The Morgue" we aren't joking.
Like all good attorneys with new associates, Tom does not trust me quite yet. When I am told to depose an electrical engineer defense expert, Tom comes along and sits by my side. With a foot and a half pile of documents on the table in front of him. So he can listen with one ear but also get the rest of his work done.
Read MoreThis is an excerpt from my trial diary day 3. In most car crash cases, the jury is never told about insurance. This old rule makes no sense in our current world. This case is brought against Allstate for failure to pay an underinsured motorist claim (UIM). The person who hit M did not have enough insurance. They paid what they had. Now M seeks to recover the balance from her own UIM coverage. Allstate has a "sue us" clause in their policy. This means, if they don't agree to pay the UIM claim, they force their own insureds to file a lawsuit. This is what happens here.
Read MoreWe used a ton of visuals in this case. Opening was filled with animations, blow up charts, video, and story boards. In this brief excerpt you can hear what was said to weave in all the images. As with all transcripts, I leave in all the typos as well as all my word flubs. I say "you know" too much. That's for sure.
Read MoreImagine you are a blonde LA model who gushes, chirps and bats her eyes as she sashays through life. One day you die but up in heaven you brazenly push the return to earth button. Back down you rocket.
At the same time, a brunette, stout, workaholic trial lawyer named Jane saves her senior partner’s life. She jumps in front of him just as a crazed former client shoots. She takes the bullet. Is on the operating table but it is no use. She breathes her last breath and in you drop from heaven. When Jane awakens you are her. Same ditzy yet caring personality but with a twist. Now you are unfashionable, super smart and drive a nice car.
Read MorePrologue: Failure to Mitigate is a legal defense. The charge here, is the injured person made herself worse by not following doctors orders.
We break for lunch.
I’m out in the hall. Meeting the parade of C’s own health care providers that Nick is calling to testify in the defense case against her.
Read MoreOnce upon a time four young lawyers decided they hated practicing law. So they became comedians. Part of their gig involved creating a podcast. Which they needed content for.
One day one of the comedians, Matt Ritter, saw that The Velvet Hammer blog was the number one trial practice blog for the ABA. He thought that was neat. Called. And the rest is comedians at law podcast history.
Read MoreThe insurance company hires two defense doctors to testify. They don't examine the patient. Just read the records and come up with opinions. A nice way for a couch doctor to earn $750 to $1000 per hour.
I take their depositions one after the other. Dr. 1 is taken at 2:00 and lasts for an hour. The next is set to start at 3:30. So what do you think. Will Dr. 1 and Dr. 2 try to get their story straight in the 15 minutes between the two depositions. Read on.
Read MoreThis is a snippet from closing argument in a catastrophic brain injury case I tried with attorney Gordon Johnson.
The courtroom is wired for videorecording. But the microphones are not that great so you have to turn up the volume.
Read MoreTired of fake reality tv.
Try the true life story of the survival and recovery of the Owen family. Brought to you by - the Owen Family.
According to the news: On December 21st around 1:20 p.m. The Owen family was traveling on Highway 2 near Stevens Pass when a tree fell onto their suburban and claimed the lives of 58-year-old Tim Owen and 56-year-old Cheryl Reed. Also in the vehicle were the couple's son, Jeremy, daughters Jessie and Jamie, and son-in-law Steven Mayer. Jeremy was released from the hospital but the other three are still being treated for serious injuries.
Read MoreMs. A is insured by State Farm with UIM. They do not want to pay the claim. They hire this psychiatrist to do a records review. To help them challenge the injury claim. Dr. P never meets or interviews Ms. A. But being the God-like creature that he is, will testify that Ms. A somaticizes her injuries and has "secondary gain." What this means in real people language - is that she is making the injuries up. My job is to show that he is the one making things up.
Read MoreThis is becoming a pastime of mine. I call it: name that article. Let's see if this defense rehab doctor (physiatrist) can do more than blow smoke...
Read MoreI teach trial advocacy with Judith Shahn who is a voice coach. Judy has been a senior lecturer at the University of Washington's School of Drama since 1990.
Here are Judy's top suggestions for more effective speaking...
Read MoreToday, someone does something that really ticks me off. Actually, two someones do.
Inside, am gnashing teeth. Mumbling non-swear words. Like Elmer Fudd aims at Bugs Bunny.
Outside, do nothing. Other than email one word to staff: Lame. Then go about business as if nothing is ticking me off at all.
Read MoreThis showed up in my email today. At first I hoped it was a bad joke. It wasn't. This wins my award for Most Tacky & Gross Lawyer Advertising Scheme 2012.
Read MoreReid is my daugher Alysha's boyfriend. He comes bearing gifts. An ornament for the tree from Denmark where he was studying abroad. And this poem that he wrote last night on his way to see The Elf musical.
Read MoreWe are packed in his former office building. Reminiscing. Rubbing elbows. Smiling and sometimes shedding tears. Marveling over the career of this brilliant man.
Born over a gas station in rural Washington. Becoming one of the best plaintiff trial lawyers the state has ever seen. President of the trial lawyers. President of the state bar. And finally Supreme Court Justice. We are here to honor Tom Chambers.
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