Have you ever experienced getting disconnected from your client, where after several attempts to email and call them, poof! – they’re just gone? They can't be reached or maybe they’re there, but they just completely ghosted you out.

Failure to communicate is the number one bar complaint against lawyers. Hence, we need to do a better job of meeting people where they are, especially since things aren’t exactly the way they were before the pandemic. 

Today, we talk about how you can do a better job at staying connected with your clients. This is much a function of communication. Email is great, but it misses a personal touch aside from the fact that it can get quickly misinterpreted. Plus, you could be getting a ton of emails that it's so easy for emails to get lost or disregarded. Phone calls are great as well. However, scheduling those things can take so much energy and time. Sure, you can offload that to your staff but that's not a good use of their time either. 

And so, I'm sharing with you an alternative to communication, which is something you may already be using today but maybe you haven't thought about using this for clients as well. At the end of the day, it’s all about building that connection when it’s time for them to share their stories.

In this episode, you will hear:

• Great uses of a voice message
• The power of videos
• Decreasing your client’s fear through a personal connection with your voice
• How to do a better job at sending voice messages
• Sending forms and documents
• Text message gets a higher open rate than email does

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Larrick Law Firm

Here is a quick article that walks you through how to send voice messages using iOS or Android phones.

Here are some apps you can use on your cell phone or table to send a voice message via text: Speak-n-Send

I also mentioned using Loom to record short videos (less than 5 minutes) and create an instant link to share. 

If you have a question or a request for an episode, please let me know: [email protected] 

Episode Credits

If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com Let them know we sent you.

In our previous episodes, we've been sharing some how-to's when it comes to doing focus groups. But it's also important to take a pause and think about why we are doing focus groups, to begin with.

There are various reasons we might be holding ourselves back from doing focus groups. Maybe, there’s some confusion around why we have to do it. At times, too, we could already be too deep in case preparation that we get lost and no longer see what’s coming behind us. It’s so easy to lose those points of view, and that includes the jury’s point of view. When that happens, we start discounting the weaknesses of the case and the points the opposing counsel is trying to make. 

Hopefully, this episode will help give you a new perspective around focus groups by recognizing not just the exterior barriers to doing focus groups which we have discussed previously (cost, lack of skills, lack of time, etc.), but also some internal barriers that we need to think about.

In this episode, you will hear:

• Figuring out the facts that fuel the weaknesses of the case
• Testing the emotional buttons that people are deciding the case on
• Finding the big picture
• The importance of writing out first impressions

Subscribe and Review

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We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.

If you really enjoyed this episode, we’ve created a PDF that has all of the key information for you from the episode. Just go to the episode page at https://www.larricklawfirm.com to download it.

Supporting Resources:

Larrick Law Firm

If you have a question or would like to hear a topic on an episode, please email [email protected]. 

Episode Credits

If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com Let them know we sent you.

Have you ever instructed your client to say "I don't know" when it came to facts or anything that may have been detrimental to your case? Or maybe you've been on the other side of that where you were taking a deposition of someone and they just kept on saying they don’t know, just like a broken record.

In this episode, let’s focus on connecting with your client as well as some of those little shortcuts that we take along the way with our clients that could end in a bad result, otherwise known as woodshedding.

Ultimately, woodshedding is disrespectful to your client's experience and feelings. It can lead to the client losing overall trust in you, as their lawyer, and they may just start lying to you too. So it's not a very good road to go down. 

In this episode, you will hear:

• Where the term “woodshedding” comes from
• Examples of woodshedding
• Why woodshedding is bad
• How to avoid falling into this trap

Subscribe and Review

Have you subscribed to our podcast? We’d love for you to subscribe if you haven’t yet. 

We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.

Supporting Resources:

Larrick Law Firm

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-j-larrick-942447101/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LarrickLawFirm/ 

Episode Credits

If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com Let them know we sent you.

Have you ever experienced having a client who emotionally fell apart in a deposition or trial? You've already had a preparation plan, walked them through it, and organized everything, then all of a sudden, the plan goes out of the window. And when they're testifying to things that you've never heard before, it's certainly not a good feeling. 

At times, there are clients that are challenging to prepare and there are different reasons for this. In today's episode, how to spot some red flags before clients get into the deposition or go into trial to give testimony and how to deal with those.

As a lawyer, you need to figure out ways to do this better. Many times, we can spot some of these red flags, even before we're going to sit down and do deposition prep or trial prep. These are things such as when clients show a lack of interest in the case or they’re providing inconsistent stories. Maybe their effort has waned over time, or they just don't follow directions, or they’re simply refusing to answer any questions. And even sometimes, too, there are people who just refuse to even show up for preparation. 

Therefore, you need to dig a little deeper to understand and reveal some of the reasons these people are having these kinds of behavior. As lawyers, we want to make sure we have clients that are going to not only put effort into the case but also effort into themselves.

In this episode, you will hear:

• Moving from Plan A to Plan B 
• Step 1: Educating
• Step 2: Testing
• Step 3: Deciding
• The importance of spotting red flags early on
• Getting somebody else to roleplay with your client

Subscribe and Review

Have you subscribed to our podcast? We’d love for you to subscribe if you haven’t yet. 

We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.

If you really enjoyed this episode, we’ve created a PDF that has all of the key information for you from the episode. Just go to the episode page at https://www.larricklawfirm.com to download it.

Supporting Resources:

Larrick Law Firm

Have a question? What topic do you want us to cover in an episode? Email me: [email protected]. 

Episode Credits

If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com Let them know we sent you.

In this episode, I'm going to play a recorded live video of my recent presentation on how to create a focus group presentation, and the best presentation possible to gather more engagement from our participants as well as more feedback.

There are some things that always go into planning our presentations such as what evidence, objective documents, and videos you have to use. You want to look into your goals and what you're looking to get feedback on, whether it's pertaining to the whole case or you simply want to understand blind spots that could be missing.

You may also be looking at witness credibility and understand more about the credibility of the person in their testimony. There are lots of different ways to use focus groups. And I’m going to walk you through a few simple presentations that I have previously used when gathering information. 

In this episode, you will hear:

• The goal and timeline of the presentation
• Balancing information with questions
• The power of using visual aids (ex. PowerPoint, images, diagram)
• Focusing on the facts of the events
• Some dos and don’ts when using visual aids
• The simplicity of information
• Using chat to get them engaged

Subscribe and Review

Have you subscribed to our podcast? We’d love for you to subscribe if you haven’t yet. 

We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.

If you really enjoyed this episode, we’ve created a PDF that has all of the key information for you from the episode. Just go to the episode page at https://www.larricklawfirm.com to download it.

Supporting Resources:

If you have questions or have a request for an episode, please email me: at [email protected]. 

Episode Credits

If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com Let them know we sent you.

In this episode, John Griffith who has a personal injury practice joins us from Tennessee. John talks to us about the five trials he has had since the pandemic started. Find out why he thinks trial lawyers have now become better than they were pre-pandemic and some of the notable differences he had seen in trials. 

John specifically touches on some of the work he did during the shutdown in March of 2020, and how he used his time to improve not only his practice but also the other lawyers who were practicing with him as well. Not to mention, he was juggling being president of the Tennessee Trial Lawyers Association from 2020 to 2021. 

In this episode, you will hear:

• Procedural changes being judge-preference driven
• How the safety protocols look like post-pandemic
• The power of visuals in your trials
• The 13 books John requires his lawyers to read
• The challenge to keep the jury engaged
• The impact of focus groups on John’s practice
• How COVID has redirected people’s focus on the value of relationships

Subscribe and Review

Have you subscribed to our podcast? We’d love for you to subscribe if you haven’t yet. 

We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.

If you really enjoyed this episode, we’ve created a PDF that has all of the key information for you from the episode. Just go to the episode page at https://www.larricklawfirm.com to download it.

Supporting Resources:

Larrick Law Firm

Here are the 13 books John Griffith requires his lawyers to read:

1.   30 B 6 – Mark Kosieradski

https://www.trialguides.com/products/30b6-second-edition 

1.   Voir Dire and Opening – by Nicholas Rowley

https://www.trialguides.com/products/voir-dire-and-opening-statement 

1.   Damages – David Ball

https://www.amazon.com/David-Ball-Damages-Plaintiffs-Attorneys/dp/1556819404 

1.   Reptile  - Keenan/Ball

https://www.amazon.com/Reptile-2009-Manual-Plaintiffs-Revolution/dp/0977442551 

1.   Rules of the Road – Rick Friedman

https://www.trialguides.com/products/rules-of-the-road-trade 

1.   Polarizing the Case – Rick Friedman

https://www.amazon.com/Polarizing-Case-Exposing-Defeating-Malingering/dp/097432485X 

1.   The Fearless Cross Examiner – Patrick Malone

https://www.amazon.com/Fearless-Cross-Examiner-Win-Witness-Case/dp/B082LP8CQJ 

1.   Don’t Eat The Bruises – Keith Mitnik

https://www.trialguides.com/products/dont-eat-the-bruises-audiobook 

1.   Premises Liability – Michael Neff

https://www.amazon.com/Premises-Liability-Michael-Neff/dp/1941007643 

1. Moe Levine on Advocacy

https://www.trialguides.com/products/moe-levine-on-advocacy 

1. Luvera on Advocacy

https://www.trialguides.com/products/luvera-on-advocacy 

1.   The Domino Theory – Ed Capozzi

https://www.trialguides.com/products/the-domino-theory-second-edition 

1.   The Way of the Trial Lawyer – Rick Friedman

https://www.trialguides.com/products/the-way-of-the-trial-lawyer-ebook 

You can learn more about John and his background:https://www.griffithinjurylaw.com/bio/john-griffith.cfm

Episode Credits

If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com Let them know we sent you.

There is no doubt how important jury research and focus groups are in helping trial lawyers present to a jury. Not only does running practice groups hone your presenting skills for opening statement, but it also helps you with your materials. Jury reseach gives trial lawyers valuable feedback from those who are completely uninvolved with your case.

However, a lot of trial lawyers are still hesitant about doing it or they just don’t see the value in it mainly because they have certain assumptions and beliefs that aren’t necessarily true. 

In this episode, I'm sharing three main myths about focus groups that are circulating around which need to be debunked and clarified. And if you can just get through some of these, it will help you correct those misconceptions as a trial lawyer, and hopefully, you can start running focus groups and get the benefits out of them.

In this episode, you will hear:

• Myth #1: Focus groups = mock jury
• Myth #2: Relying on focus groups to determine the monetary value of your case
• Myth #3: It has to be done in person.

Subscribe and Review

Have you subscribed to our podcast? We’d love for you to subscribe if you haven’t yet. 

We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.

Supporting Resources:

To learn more about different styles of focus groups, check out this quick blog. 

If you are starting your own Virtual Focus Groups, download this quick checklist to help you get started: https://bit.ly/30uLFVH 

Have a question or a comment? Drop me an email: [email protected] 

Episode Credits

If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com Let them know we sent you.

Jury trials can be really messy. Changes happen often and frequently every day and it can be different things, whether it be the judge, the jury, or the opposing counsel. Preparation is long. It takes many hours working on witnesses, experts, order of proof, not to mention openings, closings, and jury selection. And that doesn't even go to tackling the paperwork that you have to do as well – the motions, the jury instructions, the witness lists, the exhibit lists. 

All these things are a huge part of preparing for a jury trial. And when we do all this, at times, we forget about this one really big piece of trial – an overall game plan for the day-to-day logistics. Talk about parking, lunch, meeting room, printer, even down to getting a bottle of water. This is an important piece because, without these really small things, a huge amount of stress can happen. 

In today's episode, let's take a look at some trial preparation from a logistics perspective and things you can do to avoid stress. Although this doesn't take a lot of thought, coming up with a game plan to cover the basics is always helpful.

In this episode, you will hear:

• Things to expect before trial
• The importance of logistics
• Things to think about from a logistics perspective
• Preparing for different scenarios
• Where to take lunch, checking the courtroom, construction, security, etc. 

Subscribe and Review

Have you subscribed to our podcast? We’d love for you to subscribe if you haven’t yet. 

We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.

Supporting Resources

Larrick Law Firm

Have a question or a comment? Drop me an email: [email protected] 

Episode Credits

If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com Let them know we sent you.

Today is the other half of our two-part series on virtual focus groups, where we specifically tackle the logistics or the backend of virtual focus groups. 

First off, there’s a lot of different software and technology that goes into doing virtual focus groups. Although there are ways to use these resources for free, the cost of buying them is relatively low compared to hiring a professional videographer or buying your own video camera and audio system. 

Then we break down the setup for a virtual focus group into four buckets: recruiting, communication, the focus group itself, and the wrap-up. We also discuss four parts of the system that you need to nail down to make sure you’re getting the most out of your virtual focus groups.

In this episode, you will hear:

• Ways to recruit people who will join your focus group
• Setting up Google Forms to make it easier for people to respond
• Why you need to get a confidentiality agreement signed and how to do it
• Choosing the right platform for running the focus group 
• Ways to pay people online and make sure you don’t 
• Four parts of your system to get all of them in place
• How to make sure those confidentiality emails are sent
• How to use Zoom settings that work best for you
• Why it’s best to have a second person who will help you run the focus group

Subscribe and Review

Have you subscribed to our podcast? We’d love for you to subscribe if you haven’t yet. 

We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.

If you really enjoyed this episode, we’ve created a PDF that has all of the key information for you from the episode. Just go to the episode page at https://www.larricklawfirm.com to download it.

Supporting Resources:

Larrick Law Firm

In this episode, I reference a free virtual focus group checklist resource, you can get that here.

If you have any questions about virtual focus groups, don’t hesitate to email me: [email protected]. 

Episode Credits

If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at emeraldcitypro.com Let them know we sent you.

What is a do-it-yourself virtual focus group? What does it look like and how do you make one? This is the first part of our DIY Virtual Focus Group two-part series, where we break down why we're doing virtual focus groups, what virtual focus groups are, and how we do them.

Be sure to also tune into Part 2 of this series as we dive into how to set up virtual focus groups in terms of logistics or the back-end stuff. Think about setting up Zoom, Paypal, and confidentiality agreements. 

The goal at the end of this two-part series is to give you a complete picture of how to do your own virtual focus group so you can finally get started. They're so easy to set up and the benefits are just as great so this is definitely something you need to try doing to better prepare for your cases.

In this episode, you will hear:

• What are virtual focus groups?
• Why now is the time to start running them and preparing your cases 
• The benefits of focus groups: clarity, certainty, and confidence
• Reasons for doing focus groups
• Some simple approaches for starting virtual focus groups
• Quick turnaround time
• Why do you need to run focus groups early on?

Subscribe and Review

Have you subscribed to our podcast? We’d love for you to subscribe if you haven’t yet. 

We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.

If you really enjoyed this episode, we’ve created a PDF that has all of the key information for you from the episode. Just go to the episode page at https://www.larricklawfirm.com to download it.

Supporting Resources:

Larrick Law Firm

If you’d like to learn more about different styles of focus groups, check out this quick blog.

For any questions or comments, please email me: [email protected]. 

Episode Credits

If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at emeraldcitypro.com Let them know we sent you.