Joseph Campbell
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…
Until the Work Is Done
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…
The 3 “Rs” of Sentencing Storytelling.
No matter what the case, there are only three types of sentencing stories defense lawyers ever tell. I call them the 3 “Rs”, and they are: REASONS, RELATIVITY and REDEMPTION. Every case has at least one. With a little bit of luck and whole lot of elbow grease, you may uncover all three. Understanding these…
The Secret Sauce of Master Storytelling: How “The Hero’s Journey” Can Change the Way You Practice Law.
What Penguins Can Teach Lawyers About “Minding the Gap”
Forget the inauguration. This Friday, January 20, 2017, is National Penguin Awareness Day! I swear, that’s really a thing. Google it. So, what do penguins have to do with lawyers and their clients? I’ll get there. I promise! Read on. Would it make our jobs easier if our clients, particularly those that will one day…