Season 6, Episode 5: The ACLU Lawsuit Challenging ICE’s Operation Metro Surge

A young Somali American U.S. citizen is tackled and detained by ICE in Minnesota, then later pepper-sprayed while filming a protest. That moment becomes the flashpoint for a federal class action brought by the American Civil Liberties Union, challenging ICE’s Operation Metro Surge.

Karen Koehler, Mo Hamoudi, and Mike Todd unpack how visual cues, surnames, and assumptions turn into a pretext for stops, and how fast “show me your papers” spirals when most citizens don’t carry proof of citizenship. 

They walk through the lawsuit’s core claims, including Fourth Amendment protections against unlawful seizures and equal protection challenges to racially targeted enforcement, and clarify what ICE can and cannot do under federal law.

The conversation widens to lived experience, family histories shaped by Nazi Germany and Jim Crow, and the unease that sets in when communities start bracing for enforcement instead of living freely. 

From Seattle school alerts to what happens next in court, this episode stays focused on the real question. Where does federal authority stop, and who draws the line?

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Hosted by Karen Koehler and Mo Hamoudi, trial lawyers at Stritmatter Law, a nationally recognized plaintiff personal injury and civil rights law firm based in Washington State.

Produced by Mike Todd, Audio & Video Engineer, and Kassie Slugić, Executive Producer.

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Season 6, Episode 4:  The Reality of Work-Life Balance for Trial Lawyers 

What does “work-life balance” actually look like for trial lawyers? In this episode, Karen Koehler, Mo Hamoudi, and Mike Todd get honest about what life looks like in the weeks leading up to trial and in the middle of it.

Karen walks through how she keeps relationships, movement, and creativity in her life even during trial, and why she deliberately cuts out everything else. 

Mo talks about being a grinder, integrating work into life instead of trying to escape it, and why physical movement and creative outlets keep him sharp. 

Mike pushes the conversation toward creativity, compartmentalization, and the mental reset that makes trial work sustainable.

They talk about guilt, especially for women in the law, sacrifice, aging, creativity, and why there is no magic formula. Trial work narrows life. It doesn’t stop it. And the art of law is part of what keeps them going.

🎧 Stay Connected with The Velvet Hammer™ Podcast

Hosted by Karen Koehler and Mo Hamoudi, trial lawyers at Stritmatter Law, a nationally recognized plaintiff personal injury and civil rights law firm based in Washington State.

Produced by Mike Todd, Audio & Video Engineer, and Kassie Slugić, Executive Producer.

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🔥 New episodes every Wednesday
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Season 6, Episode 3: Power: Who Holds It And Who Doesn’t

In this episode, Karen Koehler and Mo Hamoudi go head-to-head on whether power is real or an illusion, and why that question matters when your client has none. From courtroom dynamics and judicial authority to insurance companies, employers, and institutions that quietly run the show, this conversation pulls apart how power actually works when the stakes are real.

Karen brings decades of trial experience and zero patience for theoretical thinking that ignores reality. Mo pushes back with a survivor’s mindset shaped by resistance, meaning, and refusal to submit. Mike Todd jumps in to ground the debate in everyday life, systems, and consequences.

If this conversation resonates, follow The Velvet Hammer™, share it with someone who fights uphill battles, and leave a review telling us how you deal with power when it shows up in your life.

🎧 Stay Connected with The Velvet Hammer™ Podcast

Hosted by Karen Koehler and Mo Hamoudi, trial lawyers at Stritmatter Law, a nationally recognized plaintiff personal injury and civil rights law firm based in Washington State.

Produced by Mike Todd, Audio & Video Engineer, and Kassie Slugić, Executive Producer.

Watch full episodes on YouTube
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📬 Questions or topic ideas? Email us at [email protected]

🔥 New episodes every Wednesday
Subscribe for bold takes, heartfelt moments, and the unfiltered reality of what it means to live and lead as a trial lawyer at Stritmatter Law.

Season 6, Episode 2: Legal Breakdown of the ICE Minnesota Shooting

In this episode, Karen Koehler, Mo Hamoudi, and Mike Todd examine the January 7, 2026, fatal ICE shooting in Minnesota that resulted in the death of Renee Nicole Good. They discuss what is visible on video, the sequence of events, and the legal standards that apply when deadly force is used.

The conversation focuses on Fourth Amendment law, qualified immunity, and the divide between criminal prosecution and civil accountability. They also address why criminal charges are often unlikely in cases involving law enforcement shootings, and why civil litigation may be the only remaining path for a family seeking answers

🎧 Stay Connected with The Velvet Hammer™ Podcast

Hosted by Karen Koehler and Mo Hamoudi, trial lawyers at Stritmatter Law, a nationally recognized plaintiff personal injury and civil rights law firm based in Washington State.

Produced by Mike Todd, Audio & Video Engineer, and Kassie Slugić, Executive Producer.

Watch full episodes on YouTube
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📬 Questions or topic ideas? Email us at [email protected]

🔥 New episodes every Wednesday
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Episode 1: Preparing for Trial 

Season six opens with Karen Koehler, Mo Hamoudi, and Mike Todd discussing the emotional and physical shift that happens when a trial is coming. The sleep changes. The aggression sharpens. The energy spikes. 

Karen talks candidly about how her body knows a trial is coming before her brain catches up, why she sleeps less, gets spicier, and becomes laser-focused weeks in advance. Mo breaks down how he prepares without overpreparing, why living inside the story matters more than scripts, and how artistic instincts shape trial work. Mike brings the jury perspective, including how lawyer dynamics and confidence land in the room.

They dig into overpreparing versus trusting your instincts, why some lawyers isolate, and others stay fully engaged in life, how antagonistic defense counsel can fuel preparation, and why juries need time to earn the fight. 

🎧 Stay Connected with The Velvet Hammer™ Podcast

Hosted by Karen Koehler and Mo Hamoudi, trial lawyers at Stritmatter Law, a nationally recognized plaintiff personal injury and civil rights law firm based in Washington State.

Produced by Mike Todd, Audio & Video Engineer, and Kassie Slugić, Executive Producer.

Watch full episodes on YouTube
Follow us on Instagram, TikTok & Facebook
📬 Questions or topic ideas? Email us at [email protected]

🔥 New episodes every Wednesday
Subscribe for bold takes, heartfelt moments, and the unfiltered reality of what it means to live and lead as a trial lawyer at Stritmatter Law.

Episode 49: Decoding Voir Dire Part 5 | The Jury Selection Series

The final installment of our five-part Voir Dire series. Karen Koehler explains how to respectfully invite jurors to excuse themselves by honoring their moral convictions rather than attacking them. Mo Hamoudi explains why judges focus on what jurors say, not what lawyers argue, and how letting jurors talk themselves into a cause challenge is often the winning move. Mike Todd offers insight into what actually happens in deliberations and why silence, leadership, and thinking style matter more than most lawyers expect.

They also address Zoom voir dire pitfalls, the risk of silent jurors, and why there is no such thing as a perfect jury. Only the best one you can build in the time you are given.

If this conversation resonates, follow the show, share, and leave a review telling us which voir dire lesson took you the longest to learn.

🎧 Stay Connected with The Velvet Hammer™ Podcast

Hosted by Karen Koehler and Mo Hamoudi, trial lawyers at Stritmatter Law, a nationally recognized plaintiff personal injury and civil rights law firm based in Washington State.

Produced by Mike Todd, Audio & Video Engineer, and Kassie Slugić, Executive Producer.

Watch full episodes on YouTube
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📬 Questions or topic ideas? Email us at [email protected]

🔥 New episodes every Wednesday
Subscribe for bold takes, heartfelt moments, and the unfiltered reality of what it means to live and lead as a trial lawyer at Stritmatter Law.

Episode 48: Decoding Voir Dire Part 4 | The Jury Selection Series

Peremptory strikes look simple on paper. In practice, they are among the most strategic and controversial aspects of jury selection.

In Part 4 of the Decoding Voir Dire series, Karen Koehler and Mo Hamoudi break down how peremptories actually work, why Batson challenges matter, and how bias, intuition, math, and psychology collide in real time. They talk through when peremptories protect access to fair juries, when they cross the line, and why stereotypes are both unavoidable and dangerous if you rely on them too much.

This episode digs into tactical counting, protected classes, juror psychology, and the uncomfortable truth that jurors often surprise you for better or worse. If you have ever thought jury selection was mechanical, this conversation quickly disabuses you of that idea.

🎧 Stay Connected with The Velvet Hammer™ Podcast

Hosted by Karen Koehler and Mo Hamoudi, trial lawyers at Stritmatter Law, a nationally recognized plaintiff personal injury and civil rights law firm based in Washington State.

Produced by Mike Todd, Audio & Video Engineer, and Kassie Slugić, Executive Producer.

Watch full episodes on YouTube
Follow us on Instagram, TikTok & Facebook
📬 Questions or topic ideas? Email us at [email protected]

🔥 New episodes every Wednesday
Subscribe for bold takes, heartfelt moments, and the unfiltered reality of what it means to live and lead as a trial lawyer at Stritmatter Law.

Episode 47: Decoding Voir Dire Part 3 | The Jury Selection Series

In Part 3 of our voir dire series, Karen Koehler and Mo Hamoudi break down what happens when a politically charged case collides with real human bias, and why jury selection can quietly decide the outcome before opening statements ever begin.

Karen walks through her damage model and the Starbucks bike scenario that exposes how jurors really think about pain, loss, and responsibility. Mo reflects on trial partner chemistry, Zoom voir dire, and the moment you realize your best juror is now an alternate. 

Listen wherever you get your podcasts or watch on YouTube.

🎧 Stay Connected with The Velvet Hammer™ Podcast

Hosted by Karen Koehler and Mo Hamoudi, trial lawyers at Stritmatter Law, a nationally recognized plaintiff personal injury and civil rights law firm based in Washington State.

Produced by Mike Todd, Audio & Video Engineer, and Kassie Slugić, Executive Producer.

Watch full episodes on YouTube
Follow us on Instagram, TikTok & Facebook
📬 Questions or topic ideas? Email us at [email protected]

🔥 New episodes every Wednesday
Subscribe for bold takes, heartfelt moments, and the unfiltered reality of what it means to live and lead as a trial lawyer at Stritmatter Law.

Episode 46: Decoding Voir Dire Part 2 | The Jury Selection Series

In Part 2 of our five-part jury selection series, Karen Koehler and Mo Hamoudi break down what really happens when you get 20 minutes to talk to 50 to 60 jurors (and somehow remember who said what). Karen walks through the struck method, why “deselection” used to be the whole game, and how she color-codes jurors fast without a consultant. Mo shares why he learned about voir dire through bartending and why vulnerability is the fastest way to elicit honesty from a room full of strangers. They also get into the quiet power move most lawyers miss: actually responding like a human when a juror shares something devastating. 

🎧 Stay Connected with The Velvet Hammer™ Podcast

Hosted by Karen Koehler and Mo Hamoudi, trial lawyers at Stritmatter Law, a nationally recognized plaintiff personal injury and civil rights law firm based in Washington State.

Produced by Mike Todd, Audio & Video Engineer, and Kassie Slugić, Executive Producer.

Watch full episodes on YouTube
Follow us on Instagram, TikTok & Facebook
📬 Questions or topic ideas? Email us at [email protected]

🔥 New episodes every Wednesday
Subscribe for bold takes, heartfelt moments, and the unfiltered reality of what it means to live and lead as a trial lawyer at Stritmatter Law.

Episode 45: Decoding Voir Dire Part 1 | The Jury Selection Series

Karen Koehler and Mo Hamoudi kick off a five-part deep dive into voir dire with the question everyone secretly has. What are trial lawyers actually doing when they stand in front of a room full of strangers and start asking personal questions? From calling out bias to reading body language to deciding who stays and who goes, they break down the strategy and the chaos that shape a jury long before opening statements. 

🎧 Stay Connected with The Velvet Hammer™ Podcast

Hosted by Karen Koehler and Mo Hamoudi, trial lawyers at Stritmatter Law, a nationally recognized plaintiff personal injury and civil rights law firm based in Washington State.

Produced by Mike Todd, Audio & Video Engineer, and Kassie Slugić, Executive Producer.

Watch full episodes on YouTube
Follow us on Instagram, TikTok & Facebook
📬 Questions or topic ideas? Email us at [email protected]

🔥 New episodes every Wednesday
Subscribe for bold takes, heartfelt moments, and the unfiltered reality of what it means to live and lead as a trial lawyer at Stritmatter Law.