Fight Giants and Win! (Formerly the Athena in the Well -- Find Your Inner Trial Goddess Podcast)

Hillary Walsh -- a renowned immigration lawyer in Phoenix and owner of New Frontier Law -- and I talked on June 2, 2025 about practicing one of the hottest areas of law.   Hillary shares her powerful story of finding her purpose and surviving in a harsh system.  She also offers practical suggestions of how to prepare for the worst case scenario -- practical advice not only for immigration clients, but also for all of us.

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OOPS!  New sound editing software has a steep learning curve.  This is a re-issue of January 22, 2025's podcast.  Apologies for the goofy editing in the original.  

As for the substance -- and there's A LOT to discuss -- for all that commentators talk about immunity, few address legal immunity's nuances.  This podcast is designed to help understand a rapidly changing, tricky area of law.  (And, yes, we will discuss presidential immunity and He Who Most Needs It.)

 

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Legal immunity is a hot topic with political commentators.  It's also a complex legal area that is not for the faint of heart.  On today's podcast, we focus on building our strategist skills with a primer on a legal principle that can come back to bite plaintiff's lawyers, if they aren't well versed in all the ways people can be protected from criminal and civil lawsuits.  And, yes, of course, we will talk about the person with absolutely the most to win and lose with legal immunity . . .

Enjoy!

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Being a master strategist requires a command of your practice area.  In criminal defense, understanding Brady and while it can't be fixed with a claim of "harmless error" is critical to how you plan your case -- from investigation to post-conviction.  

Here, we have a brief summary of what happened in the Baldwin/Rust trial, with cameo appearances by members of my menagerie. 

If you prefer video -- here's a YouTube link:

https://youtu.be/hy7FOkjc9Jc

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My former legal assistant and right-hand-man, Jeff Seward, was called for jury duty in a Washington State criminal case.  

(And -- gentle warning -- there's a short deviation to discuss jury selection in the Trump criminal trial.   And a couple of swear words littered within that discussion. . .)

Biggest take away -- LISTEN to the answers your jurors give you!  Ignore them at your own risk!

And -- for the lawyers -- juror research is the standard of practice.  And so, so few lawyers do it.  If you'd like help on how to do that research respectfully and ethically, email me and we can set up a consult:  [email protected].

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Hey, Friends!  

We're back and getting down to the nitty gritty -- trials!   

The best firsthand juror experience most trial lawyers will get is *maybe* sitting on a venire panel before being struck.  

Often, trial lawyers do not have the ability to talk in-depth with jurors at the end of their trials, because jurors just want to go home or because court rules prohibit lawyers from contacting jurors about the trial.  

Imagine my delight when my friends and family were called to jury duty!  

Enjoy this interview, with my sister-in-law, Kate, who was quite generous with her take-aways from a recent criminal Cook County jury trial.  

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Hello!  

We're back!  

This episode talks about the three big lessons learned for Athenas after a year of . . . well. . . a lot:

How brutal this industry can be. 

The new,  developing medicine to treat brain injuries.  

How the Athena Shield quadrants worked in real life this past year.  

As my dear friend, Charlotte Benson, says, "Onward and Upward!"

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Athena in the Well is back!   

We return with this Facebook Live event last year, during the Chauvin trial.  

Which Athena Shield quadrant does witness preparation fall?   Creative Goddess.  Yep.  You read that correctly. 

The Creative Goddess quadrant includes preparation, discipline, and practice.  

Imagine the jury instructions, the rules of procedure, and the rules of evidence  are the framework of your trial.  The evidence is the threads you use to make your tapestry.    The more you prepare, the more powerful you are in using those threads of evidence at trial.  

Enjoy this discussion and ask yourself how you can develop your advocacy skills to  

Take Your Space.  
Find Your Voice.
Command the Courtroom. 

xoxo --

Joy

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Faith Kohler is a fiercely independent, multi-faceted powerhouse.

Attorney, former federal agent, Fortune 500 company alum, visual artist, and documentary film maker, Faith embodies the term “renaissance woman.”  

With confidence, humility and grace, Faith tells her story (and those of others) – strategically, convincingly, and with the gift of hindsight about making purposeful, courageous choices.  

Find Faith and her multi-faceted strength online at www.faithkohler.us, www.faithkohlerartist.com and in Instagram at #trueglue.

PS.  Still trying to get your Ethics CLE requirements for 2020?  The deadline is fast approaching.  Join us for our fun, and interactive Trial-Ready Client CLE where you will earn 1.5 hours of Ethics CLE all while learning 3 jury-tested strategies to develop a better narrative in less time with fewer client meetings.  Click here to LEARN MORE.  

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How can the practice of yoga help us in the practice of law?  Andrea Griego, yoga studio owner and body work specialist shares her perspective.  First, the confidence and the humility gained by getting really good at something really hard cannot be overstated.  Next, 80% of all doctor visits are stress-related.  Your body trying to tell you something.  But most of all?  We are students of our clients and of the law at exactly the same time: the most dangerous student is the one who has stopped listening. Yoga makes you strong – it also makes you listen.  To that voice that may start as a whisper, to that pain that won’t go away, and to that stress that seems to always be there. Yoga helps you find our own response to that voice – the one that is best for you and only you.  

Listen in on a conversation with Andrea Griego, a down-to-earth yoga instructor and licensed massage therapist who has dedicated her practice to helping you listen to your body and your mind, while gently encouraging you to find your own inner guru.  

Learn more about Andrea and how to reach her at https://www.andreahealingarts.com or speak with her directly at 602.625.1948.  She is currently seeing clients for private yoga instruction and massage/body work.  

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