Blog
The Labor of Law – Save Yourself and You Save the World
Next month I will have officially reached my twenty-fifth year of lawyering; the majority of those years were spent slogging through the litigation trenches as a state and federal public defender. These can be dark waters we lawyers swim in. We confront people at their lowest moments in life. We absorb trauma vicariously through our…
Sometimes It Rains: A Fantastic New Podcast for fans of Sport and Court!
The Three Most Important Words in Persuasive Communication
Senators Sell Sentencing Snake Oil at KBJ Confirmation Hearing
The Set for Sentencing Podcast is so close to launch and I can’t wait for you to see/hear it. But, given that the recent Senate Confirmation Hearings for Justice Kentanji Brown Jackson were so heavily focused on federal sentencing law, I could not wait to get started. Here was an impromptu, lively conversation with Mark Allenbaugh. Mark is a federal sentencing expert, the founder of sentencingstats.com, and formerly served as a Staff Attorney for the U.S. Sentencing Commission.
Anastasia Screams In Vain: The Devil’s Coming For Melissa Lucio
I Stuck around St. Petersburg, when I saw it was a time for a change. Killed the Tsar and his ministers, Anastasia screamed in vain. –Sympathy for the Devil, The Rolling Stones The famous Stones song is a meditation on evil. If we have some understanding of the devil’s work, we may better understand the…
Every good story has meaning!
We humans are undeniably creatures of story. Think of how empty life would be without ever having been transfixed by images dancing before our eyes in a dark movie theatre, engrossed in an incredible page-turner, or mesmerized by a master storyteller weaving a yarn around a roaring campfire. But stories are not just for entertainment. …
Until the Work Is Done
CAPITAL DEFENSE INSTITUTE (KENTUCKY DEPT. OF PUBLIC ADVOCACY) (WEBINAR) | DEC. 11, 2020
The KY Dept. of Public Advocacy provides high quality, client-centered legal representation to indigent persons of all ages, accused of crimes or facing a deprivation of liberty throughout the Kentucky. The Capital defense institute provides high-quality training to aid teams in all facets of death penalty litigation. Passon will be presenting on the use of…
The Professor, The Porn Star, & The Death of Empathy: 3 Surprising Podcasts That Will Make Us Better Lawyers
Litigation is a battle of stories; the lawyer who presents the most compelling and authentic story wins every time. It never ceases to amaze me how little we lawyers are ever taught about story fundamentals. The good news is we are surrounded by great stories. The better news? Free resources abound to help us master…