Building a law practice from scratch requires finding your tribe and embracing the paradigm of giving, says KC Ashmore of Ashmore & Ashmore Law Firm in Rockwall, Texas. The Coast Guard veteran transformed his military service ethic into legal practice success through veteran outreach, Habitat for Humanity builds, and active participation in bar associations such as the Texas Bar College. KC shares his journey from the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals to insurance defense work and ultimately to running a general practice firm, emphasizing his "10-year apprenticeship" approach inspired by John Grisham novels. With hosts Todd Smith and Jody Sanders, KC discusses mentoring, continuing education beyond minimum requirements, and professional networking through service that creates sustainable success. 

Connect and Learn More

☑️ KC Ashmore | LinkedIn

☑️ Ashmore & Ashmore on Facebook | Instagram |  LinkedIn

☑️ Todd Smith | LinkedIn | X | Bluesky

☑️ Jody Sanders | LinkedIn | X | Bluesky

☑️ Texas Appellate Law Podcast on LinkedIn | X | Instagram | Bluesky

☑️ Texas Appellate Counsel PLLC

☑️ Kelly Hart & Hallman, LLP | LinkedIn

☑️ Subscribe Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music

Produced and Powered by LawPods

Sponsored by Court Surety Bond Agency and Counsel Press

The basic concept – that appellate lawyers face an existential crisis – came to Kevin Dubose in a dream. In this thought-provoking episode, hosts Todd Smith and Jody Sanders welcome Kevin back to the show to explore this concept and potential solutions to the unique challenges appellate lawyers face. Kevin shares insights from his recent paper, including the unique pressures in this practice area and how redefining success can lead to a more fulfilling career. Tune in to discover strategies for managing client expectations, improving advocacy skills, and finding personal satisfaction as an appellate lawyer. For more insights from Kevin about appellate practice, check out his previous appearances on the podcast: “Setting the Appellate Bar in Texas” and “Understanding the Texas Standards for Appellate Conduct.”

Connect and Learn More

☑️ Kevin Dubose | LinkedIn

☑️ Alexander Dubose & Jefferson 

☑️ Todd Smith | LinkedIn | X | Bluesky

☑️ Jody Sanders | LinkedIn | X | Bluesky

☑️ Texas Appellate Law Podcast on LinkedIn | X | Instagram | Bluesky

☑️ Texas Appellate Counsel PLLC

☑️ Kelly Hart & Hallman, LLP | LinkedIn

☑️ Subscribe Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music

Produced and Powered by LawPods

Sponsored by Court Surety Bond Agency and Counsel Press

The world of public defense is traditionally challenged by limited resources. Appellate practice carries weighty time demands. Now comes AI—a disrupting force that can solve those problems and bridge the justice gap, says Joe Stephens. His insights come from several roles, including as chief public defender for the Caprock Regional Public Defender Office, consultant for Steno, a court reporting services firm with an AI-powered “Transcript Genius” tool, and clinical lecturer at Texas Tech University School of Law. “I just think that if you deploy it effectively, the results are just going to be incredible,” he tells hosts Todd Smith and Jody Sanders. Tune in for Joe’s reflections about his recent experience using AI on a pro bono civil rights case and some takeaways about the new Texas Responsible Artificial Intelligence Governance Act.

Connect and Learn More

☑️ Joe Stephens | LinkedIn

☑️ Steno on LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube 

☑️ Texas Tech University School of Law 

☑️ Todd Smith | LinkedIn | X | Bluesky

☑️ Jody Sanders | LinkedIn | X | Bluesky

☑️ Texas Appellate Law Podcast on LinkedIn | X | Instagram | Bluesky

☑️ Texas Appellate Counsel PLLC

☑️ Kelly Hart & Hallman, LLP | LinkedIn

☑️ Subscribe Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music

Produced and Powered by LawPods

Sponsored by Court Surety Bond Agency and Counsel Press

The marketplace may know Counsel Press as printers, but “we’re a lot more than that,” says Vincent Wiscovitch, senior appellate counsel. “We like to refer to ourselves as ‘appellate support providers,’ because anybody can be a printer. You could go to Staples and get a brief printed.” Counsel Press goes far beyond Staples, as Vincent and colleague Janet Bennett, appellate counsel, explain. From brief preparation and electronic filing to record compilation and hyperlinked e-briefs, they help lawyers navigate the complex maze of court rules across all 50 states and federal courts, providing everything from bluebooking and citation verification to ghostwriting and brief critiques. Tune in to this conversation with hosts Todd Smith and Jody Sanders for insights about how Counsel Press gives lawyers what Todd describes as “peace of mind.”

Connect and Learn More

☑️ Vincent Wiscovitch | LinkedIn

☑️ Janet Bennett | LinkedIn

☑️ Counsel Press on LinkedIn | Facebook | YouTube

☑️ Todd Smith | LinkedIn | X | Bluesky

☑️ Jody Sanders | LinkedIn | X | Bluesky

☑️ Texas Appellate Law Podcast on LinkedIn | X | Instagram | Bluesky

☑️ Texas Appellate Counsel PLLC

☑️ Kelly Hart & Hallman, LLP | LinkedIn

☑️ Subscribe Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music

Produced and Powered by LawPods

Sponsored by Court Surety Bond Agency and Counsel Press

"If everyone can take out the fancy words from their language, we would all do better—law students and seasoned professionals alike." That observation comes from Christina Crozier, clinical assistant professor at the University of Houston Law Center and of counsel at Haynes Boone. In this conversation with hosts Todd Smith and Jody Sanders, Christina reveals four simple hacks that can improve legal writing, from the “lunch test” for word choice to guidance on sentence and paragraph length. Tune in for her insights about AI's impact on research and writing, the importance of verification in an era of hallucination, and her work rebooting the Appellate Advocate publication.

Connect and Learn More

☑️ Christina Crozier | LinkedIn

☑️ University of Houston Law Center

☑️ Haynes Boone

☑️ Todd Smith | LinkedIn | X | Bluesky

☑️ Jody Sanders | LinkedIn | X | Bluesky

☑️ Texas Appellate Law Podcast on LinkedIn | X | Instagram | Bluesky

☑️ Texas Appellate Counsel PLLC

☑️ Kelly Hart & Hallman, LLP | LinkedIn

☑️ Subscribe Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music

Produced and Powered by LawPods

Sponsored by Court Surety Bond Agency and Counsel Press

“We live in crazy times" is a phrase we hear a lot these days, Dr. Bill Chriss observes in this milestone 150th episode with hosts Todd Smith and Jody Sanders. But not the craziest America has ever seen. Drawing from his Law Day presentation, Bill examines how the nation’s founding fathers—particularly Madison and Washington—foresaw the dangers of political factions and built safeguards to protect democracy. Modern trends like partisan gerrymandering and social media, he warns, are weakening those safeguards. As chair of the State Bar of Texas Appellate Section, Bill challenges lawyers to uphold their ethical duty to protect the judiciary, combat hyper-partisanship, and promote analytical thinking to preserve the republic.

Connect and Learn More

☑️ Dr. Bill Chriss | LinkedIn

☑️ Todd Smith | LinkedIn | X | Bluesky

☑️ Jody Sanders | LinkedIn | X | Bluesky

☑️ Texas Appellate Law Podcast on LinkedIn | X | Instagram | Bluesky

☑️ Texas Appellate Counsel PLLC

☑️ Kelly Hart & Hallman, LLP | LinkedIn

☑️ Subscribe Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music

Produced and Powered by LawPods

Sponsored by Court Surety Bond Agency and Counsel Press

“There's never any point at which I would have to say, ‘Well, I'm only going to do trial work now’ or ‘I'm only going to do appellate work,’” Dylan Russell says. He can straddle that line because, as he explains to hosts Todd Smith and Jody Sanders, “I just like the law so much that I think about it all the time.” In this conversation, Dylan discusses why he maintains both trial and appellate skills rather than specializing and suggests how trial lawyers can become strong appellate lawyers. Tune in for his insights and a few war stories, like the time he had to file a Supreme Court petition for writ of certiorari during Winter Storm Uri with no power or printer.

Connect and Learn More

☑️ Dylan Russell | LinkedIn | Instagram | X | BlueSky

☑️ Sorrels Law on LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook 

☑️ Todd Smith | LinkedIn | X | Bluesky

☑️ Jody Sanders | LinkedIn | X | Bluesky

☑️ Texas Appellate Law Podcast on LinkedIn | X | Instagram | Bluesky

☑️ Texas Appellate Counsel PLLC

☑️ Kelly Hart & Hallman, LLP | LinkedIn

☑️ Subscribe Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music

Produced and Powered by LawPods

Sponsored by Court Surety Bond Agency and Counsel Press

"I give trial lawyers a menu of options," Andrew Gould explains to hosts Todd Smith and Jody Sanders about his strategic approach as head of appellate at plaintiffs' firm Arnold & Itkin. After building their appellate practice from scratch following his years as a federal prosecutor, Andrew shares battle-tested techniques for navigating the trial lawyer relationship. His "eyes-wide-open" philosophy ensures transparent communication about strategic decisions and potential appellate consequences. When asked about electoral changes affecting appellate courts, Andrew replies: "What matters to me as an appellate lawyer are the law and the facts, and that's all it should be."

☑️ Andrew Gould | LinkedIn

☑️ Arnold & Itkin on LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | X | YouTube

☑️ Todd Smith | LinkedIn | X 

☑️ Jody Sanders | LinkedIn | X 

☑️ Texas Appellate Law Podcast on LinkedIn | X | Instagram

☑️ Texas Appellate Counsel PLLC

☑️ Kelly Hart & Hallman, LLP | LinkedIn

☑️ Subscribe Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music

Produced and Powered by LawPods

Sponsored by Court Surety Bond Agency and Counsel Press

Milo Bobbitt built an appellate practice from scratch at his firm. After an internship with then-Justice Willett at the Texas Supreme Court, he successfully defended a significant oil and gas contract victory on appeal, complete with a quote from the movie “Armageddon” in the opinion. "I was writing a new brief about every month for eight months straight," Milo recalls to hosts Todd Smith and Jody Sanders. Tune in as he offers practical strategies, such as volunteering for pro bono appeals and dispositive motions, for attorneys looking to develop appellate skills. As someone who has faced challenges – including being born partially deaf – Milo also stresses the importance of mentors and encourages new lawyers to take advantage of Texas's collegial appellate bar.

☑️ Milo Bobbitt | LinkedIn

☑️ Patel | Gaines, Attorneys at Law on LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | X | YouTube

☑️ Todd Smith | LinkedIn | X 

☑️ Jody Sanders | LinkedIn | X 

☑️ Texas Appellate Law Podcast on LinkedIn | X | Instagram

☑️ Texas Appellate Counsel PLLC

☑️ Kelly Hart & Hallman, LLP | LinkedIn

☑️ Subscribe Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music

Produced and Powered by LawPods

Sponsored by Court Surety Bond Agency and Counsel Press

In this milestone episode, hosts Todd Smith and Jody Sanders celebrate the fifth anniversary of the Texas Appellate Law podcast. Reflecting on 145 episodes of conversations with judges, practitioners, and legal innovators, they discuss how the podcast has evolved alongside major shifts in legal practice—from the pandemic's acceleration of virtual proceedings to the emergence of AI in legal work. The hosts share personal insights about what they've learned from their guests, address listener questions about the 15th Court of Appeals and recent case law developments, and express gratitude for the community that has formed around their "backstage pass" to the appellate world. Their conversation offers both a retrospective and a forward-looking glimpse at the changing landscape of appellate practice.

Looking ahead, Jody will present his paper on Broad-Form Issue Submission at the State Bar of Texas’ Advanced Evidence and Discovery program in April (Houston) and May (San Antonio).

☑️ Todd Smith | LinkedIn | X 

☑️ Jody Sanders | LinkedIn | X 

☑️ Texas Appellate Law Podcast on LinkedIn | X | Instagram

☑️ Texas Appellate Counsel PLLC

☑️ Kelly Hart & Hallman, LLP | LinkedIn

☑️ Subscribe Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music

Produced and Powered by LawPods

Sponsored by Court Surety Bond Agency and Thomson Reuters