When I was growing up
As a kid, I lived next door to my Grandma and Grandpa, and I spent a lot of time at their house. My Grandpa (his name was Bob too) was my hero. Almost every day he told me stories about his work and his dad’s work (his dad (my great-grandpa) was the Circuit Court Judge for a couple of decades here in Clark County). They were both attorneys.
Grandpa Bob died when I was 12 years old, but the seed that his stories planted never did.
Becoming a Trial Attorney and What I Have Come to BELIEVE
I went on to become an attorney too, and throughout my career have come to believe there are some really important things that all trial attorneys (and all people) have to understand and practice in order to be successful. These things are what I refer to as the Secret in my video above, but they really aren’t “secrets” at all. They are innate, deeply ingrained attributes of being human.
Some may think this is a bit “touchy-feely” (especially for an attorney), but it is these deeply ingrained things that propel all of us to decision-making. That’s why we often can’t say what it is that propelled us to make a decision, it “just does or doesn’t FEEL right.”
First, all of us humans, deep down, have the very same needs, wants and desires. We all want to be loved, liked, accepted. We also want to have certain things in our lives (not necessarily material things). The things we want are pretty basic, and I believe, universal, for example, happiness, joy, comfort, trust in our loved ones, and to be trusted.
Secondly, as human beings, we are drawn, almost uncontrollably, to a good story. I am not talking about something made up and fictional. I am talking about a story that stirs our inner-being. Something that makes us feel connected to our fellow man in some way. A story that makes us see the commonalities (the universal needs I mention above) between us, as an individual, and the character(s) in the story.
Lastly, success for your case hinges upon your attorney’s ability to find these human commonalities and the broader meaning in a set of seemingly simple and mundane facts, and then to convey these in such a way that the decision-maker is moved emotionally. Because, it is this inner emotional movement that helps us all (most importantly the judge, jury or opponent) make decisions.
I approach all my cases this way
Obviously, no one can guaranty success in a trial, or any court hearing. However, I can guaranty that this is the way I approach all of my cases from the very beginning of my representation. And it is this approach that I believe has the most power to touch the hearts of people who might be making decisions that can have life changing consequences for you.