Face the Jury

In this episode of Face the Jury, Lloyd Bell is joined by Professor Michelle Mello, a leading scholar on medical malpractice, patient safety, and health law, for an evidence-based look at whether the medical liability system is actually working and what a better system could look like.

Drawing on more than two decades of research, Professor Mello examines the strengths and shortcomings of the current malpractice system, from barriers that keep injured patients from receiving compensation to the culture of silence that can follow an adverse medical outcome. She and Lloyd also explore which tort reforms are actually supported by evidence, the potential of alternative resolution models, and how the growing use of AI in healthcare could reshape questions of physician and developer liability.

Listen as we discuss:

• Where the current medical malpractice system succeeds and where it falls short
• Which tort reforms have evidence behind them, and which may create unintended consequences
• How greater communication and transparency after a medical error could reduce litigation
• Who should be responsible when physicians rely on AI in patient care
• Whether a no-fault compensation model could offer a better alternative to traditional malpractice litigation

Listen today, and subscribe at podcast.belllawfirm.com so you never miss an episode.

In this episode of Face the Jury, Lloyd Bell is joined by a lawyer often described as the “king” of Texas medical malpractice, Jim Perdue, for a candid conversation on what it really takes to win in the courtroom.
 
With more than 50 years of trial experience, Jim pulls back the curtain on the strategies that changed trial law. He makes it clear that juries don’t decide who makes the better argument, they decide which story they believe. From bold courtroom tactics to the role of creativity and timing, this episode challenges trial norms and shows why connection and persuasion are everything.

Listen as we discuss:

• Why storytelling is the foundation of effective trial advocacy
• How creativity and “surprise” can completely shift a jury’s perspective
• What it means to find the “silver bullet” that wins your case

Listen today, and subscribe at podcast.belllawfirm.com so you never miss an episode.

In this episode of Face the Jury, Lloyd Bell is joined by trial lawyer Adam Malone for a thoughtful and personal conversation about the experiences that shape great trial lawyers and what it takes to connect with a jury.
 
Drawing on his upbringing in South Georgia and a career influenced by watching his father’s career, Adam shares lessons rooted in real courtroom experience. From trying difficult medical malpractice cases in challenging venues to developing his own voice as a lawyer, he reflects on the importance of integrity, resilience and staying committed to doing meaningful work that makes a difference in people’s lives.

Listen as we discuss:

• The three ingredients of a successful case
• How jurors’ real-life experiences shape their expectations
• What it means to find your own style in the courtroom

Listen today, and subscribe at podcast.belllawfirm.com so you never miss an episode.

In this episode of Face the Jury, Lloyd Bell is joined by one of the most accomplished trial lawyers in the country, Mark Mandell, for an interesting conversation on the mindset, strategy, and human psychology behind winning high-stakes cases.

Drawing on more than five decades of courtroom experience, Mark takes a deeper dive into his case framing model, defining the powerful “I just can’t get over it” moments that shape cases—and showing how, while facts matter, it’s the perception of those facts that ultimately influences the verdict.

Listen as we discuss:

• What separates a $1 million case from a $10 million verdict
• How “I just can’t get over it” issues influence how juries decide cases
• Why understanding why something happened matters more than just proving what happened

Listen today, and subscribe at podcast.belllawfirm.com so you never miss an episode.

In this episode of Face the Jury, Lloyd Bell is joined by longtime friend and fellow trial lawyer Render Freeman for a wide-ranging, deeply human conversation about what truly persuades and motivates juries.

Drawing on decades of courtroom experience on both the defense and plaintiff sides, Render shares hard-learned lessons about credibility, storytelling, preparation, and the power of authentic client relationships. From childhood mock trials to high-stakes verdicts, this episode explores why the most powerful trial moments aren’t scripted and why juries respond most to truth, trust, and humanity.

Listen as we discuss:

• Why juries start out skeptical of lawyers and how credibility is earned through authenticity, not theatrics
• How deep client relationships and unscripted storytelling create the most powerful moments in trial
• What decades of wins, losses, and lessons reveal about how juries actually decide cases

Listen today, and subscribe at podcast.belllawfirm.com so you never miss an episode.

In this episode of Face the Jury, we take listeners inside the emergency room to explore how split-second decisions, communication breakdowns, and system failures can change lives forever. We’re joined by Dr. Daniel Green, a veteran emergency room physician who has spent more than two decades treating patients in rural hospitals and trauma settings. He offers a rare, behind-the-scenes look at what juries never see inside the ER. 
 
Listen today as we discuss:

• What really happens during an ER shift, and how physicians triage life-and-death decisions
• How communication failures and system errors contribute to medical malpractice cases
• The right—and wrong—ways doctors deliver devastating news to patients and families

Listen today, and subscribe at podcast.belllawfirm.com so you never miss an episode.

Welcome to Season Six of Face the Jury!

To kick off this season, we are joined by former juror Angela Banks-Spain, a longtime Gwinnett County resident, CDC public health professional, and now a two-time medical malpractice juror. Angela offers a rare, behind-the-scenes look at what it’s really like to sit on a complex med mal trial.

Listen as we discuss:

• What stood out most to the jury during testimony and closing arguments
• How expert credibility, clear communication, and strong visuals shaped the verdict
• The intense deliberation process and how the jury reached a multimillion-dollar award

Listen today, and subscribe at podcast.belllawfirm.com.

In this Season 5 finale episode of Face the Jury, Lloyd Bell shares the heartbreaking story of a 10-year-old girl who suffered severe facial burns after a preventable surgical fire broke out during a routine eyelid procedure. What should have been a simple outpatient operation turned into a traumatic medical emergency, one made worse by altered medical records. Listen today as we discuss:

• What a "never event" is and why surgical fires still happen
• The critical system failures that lead to these types of errors 
• The importance of listening to your instincts and investigating 

This case is a powerful reminder of why accountability, communication, and patient safety protocols matter, especially when lives and futures are at stake.

Welcome back to Part 2 of this two-part episode, where we continue our conversation with Dillon Diamond, a former juror in the case of Tim Jenkins v. Dr. Max Steuer, Dr. Richard Amerson, and Northside Emergency Associates, P.C. Dillon shared what it was like to be selected as a juror and the challenges of reaching a unanimous verdict in complex cases. Now, we go even deeper into the jury deliberation process as Dillon takes us behind closed doors of the jury room.

Listen today, and subscribe at podcast.belllawfirm.com.

In this two-part episode of Face the Jury, we’re doing something that has rarely—if ever—been done on a legal podcast. We’re going behind the scenes of a 3-week-long medical malpractice trial and talking with a juror about his perspective on the whole process. We’re joined by Dillon Diamond, a high school languages teacher in the Fulton County Public School System, who was selected as a juror in the case of Tim Jenkins v. Dr. Max Steuer, Dr. Richard Amerson, and Northside Emergency Associates, P.C. Dillon shares what it’s really like to be selected for jury duty, to hear and see the evidence as it’s presented by the different lawyers, and to deliberate over a life-changing case—one that ultimately ended in a hung jury. Listen today as we discuss:

• What jurors really think during trial
• The challenges of reaching a unanimous verdict in complex cases
• How jury duty gives everyday citizens a voice in the justice system

Listen today, and subscribe at podcast.belllawfirm.com so you don't miss out on part two.