Courtroom Stories & Tactics

Sharif L. Gray and Nael A. Abouzaki
  • 4.3 (24)
  • Education
  • Updated Biweekly

Trial lawyers do not become great overnight. It takes persistence, a relentless work ethic, a willingness to learn from mistakes, a burning passion for the craft, an authentic self, and the courage and vulnerability to enter the arena time and again.  Those who become great trial lawyers also become great people. Through their work, they grapple with the realities of the human condition and in the process cultivate character, principle, integrity, leadership, strength, compassion, and perseverance.  Based out of Richmond, Virginia, Courtroom Stories & Tactics by RVA Trial Lawyers exists for lawyers who try cases to juries on behalf of people. Through our podcast, we hope to learn from them, support them, connect them, inspire them, and preserve their work for future trial lawyers.(804) 915-1611TrialLawyers@RVATrialLawyers.com1210 E Cary St Suite 300-3Richmond, VA 23219

  1. 1d ago

    Longevity Medicine Will Help You Be a Better Lawyer | Dr. Jonathan Schaaf (Longevity Doctor)

    We’ve talked about it before on the podcast (and it will surely come up again): you have to look after your health and wellbeing if you want to succeed long term as a trial lawyer.  We all know how easy it is to work the long hours, put in that extra push to midnight after the kids are in bed, neglect sleep and exercise, and let our work become all-consuming. And that’s not including the temptations of bad diet and alcohol that constantly surround us.  Longevity medicine is the study of health as a long-term investment, rather than a crisis response. Dr. Jonathan Schaaf specializes in this growing area of study, and breaks down the three-part longevity model he uses.  We talk about the difference between traditional insurance-based care and cash-based models like direct primary care, where physicians can spend more time and order more appropriate testing. And why basics like sleep, movement, nutrition, and stress management still matter most. Longevity is really about looking after your overall health, and being preventative and proactive. We may badge it as, "living longer," or, "live to 100," but the fundamental principle is putting yourself in the best position to achieve that, however it may ultimately work out. If this is you: "It's time I take my health seriously," then you’ll find this episode hits home with clarity and actionable advice.  "The most important things you're doing are diet and exercise, sleep and mental health. That's the foundation. If you don't have that in place, there's no peptide, there's no supplement, there's nothing else that's going to offset those bad habits." - Dr. Jonathan Schaaf In this episode, we discuss: ◼️ The patient story that pushed Dr. Schaaf toward longevity medicine: a 32-year-old man with who was later found to have metastatic adrenal cancer. ◼️ Why Dr. Schaaf's goal is not just to help people live longer, but to help them live well. ◼️ Why insurance often discourages preventive testing. ◼️ How AI is being used to build a kind of "digital twin" of a patient. ◼️ Dr. Schaaf's core supplement philosophy: start with the basics, use testing to guide decisions. Chapters 00:00 Foundations of Longevity 06:40 The Reactive Healthcare System 18:37 Understanding Longevity: A Crash Course 25:03 The Importance of Lifestyle Factors 29:01 The Role of AI in Longevity 39:27 Investing in Your Health 40:45 Supplement Ideas for Longevity 52:36 Reflections on Medical Practice Courtroom Stories & Tactics | RVA Trial Lawyers Available on Spotify, Apple, YouTube, and at RVATrialLawyers.com  Based out of Richmond, Virginia, Courtroom Stories & Tactics by RVA Trial Lawyers exists for lawyers who try cases to juries on behalf of people. Through our podcast, we hope to learn from them, support them, connect them, inspire them, and preserve their work for future trial lawyers. If you are willing, we would greatly appreciate it if you left us a 5-Star Google Review by clicking here. Your review will help people find us. Thank you! Sharif Gray and Nael Abouzaki

  2. Oct 15

    How Using Focus Groups Led to a $12 million Verdict | Michael Karp (Personal Injury Lawyer)

    Michael Karp's law practice changed when they started leaning heavily into using focus groups. The reason was pretty obvious: focus group testing brought an otherwise iffy slip-and-fall case to a $12 million verdict. But it's the process of watching that unfold that for Mike became so fascinating.  Witnessing the participants bring forth angles and perspectives that he and his firm hadn't thought of, or had seen from a completely different viewpoint, altered how they ended up presenting their case. It's like watching the thing that all lawyers crave: a behind closed doors look at what the jury is really saying, once they go in to deliberate and make their choice. We all want to be in that room; focus groups get you as close as possible. A key revelation in focus group work has been identifying, "Who's bringing the conflict?" It's juries' instinct to try and resolve conflict, and resist those who seem to provoke it. You want to let the defense give that impression, and focus groups will tell you how your arguments, your presentation and your personality are landing. Find the useful conflict, it's your secret to making a breakthrough. " You don't do a focus group to figure out how you can win the case. You  do a focus group to find out how you are going to lose the case." - Michael Karp In this episode, we discuss: ◼️ How to use focus groups to find how a case could be lost - not simply how it could be won. ◼️ Why an injury animation costing $50,000 initially seemed compelling, but feedback showed it could lead jurors to shift attention toward blame. ◼️ How focus groups helped narrow a long list of alleged safety failures to the few points jurors found most persuasive. ◼️ “Useful conflict” as a trial concept: if the defense does not create conflict, jurors may see the plaintiff as the source of it. ◼️How plaintiff's trial work and resources like Trial Lawyer University give you the permission to be yourself in the courtroom. Chapters 00:00 Why Focus Groups Win Cases 10:52 The $12 Million Slip-and-Fall Case 15:20 Focus Groups: Learn How You Could Lose 19:42 Building Trial Strategy From Juror Feedback 22:57 Finding Useful Conflict 35:59 Running Focus Groups In-House 41:03 How to Get Started 49:15 Building Confidence Through Trial Reps Courtroom Stories & Tactics | RVA Trial Lawyers Available on Spotify, Apple, YouTube, and at RVATrialLawyers.com  Based out of Richmond, Virginia, Courtroom Stories & Tactics by RVA Trial Lawyers exists for lawyers who try cases to juries on behalf of people. Through our podcast, we hope to learn from them, support them, connect them, inspire them, and preserve their work for future trial lawyers. If you are willing, we would greatly appreciate it if you left us a 5-Star Google Review by clicking here. Your review will help people find us. Thank you! Sharif Gray and Nael Abouzaki

  3. Oct 5

    How Using Big Data Turned a Potential $350K Settlement Into a $9 Million Verdict | Andrew Garza (Personal Injury Lawyer)

    What if you were confident that a $350K settlement could become a $9 million verdict, because you could predict that number before the trial? Connecticut trial lawyer Andrew Garza reveals how big data turned a difficult premises liability case into the largest verdict ever seen in that courthouse - and why most plaintiff lawyers are still leaving money on the table. Andrew breaks down what “big data” actually is, how it differs from traditional focus groups, and why it gave his team the confidence to try a contested case that many firms would have hesitated to touch. In his example today, a case that was heading for settlement was a challenge for the plaintiff's side, because the valuation was very difficult to assess. Thanks to the inputs of data, the team gained so much clarity on a figure that what they ended up receiving, $9 million, was just $300k less than what the data predicted they would get. It's a question of trust, commitment, confidence in your case and simplifying trial strategy. Tools like these can make a huge difference in getting you over the finish line, in a massive way. " We believed in the case, but we really didn't want to guess on value. We wanted to understand what we should ask for, what the best way to do that was. And so we decided to run our first big data study." - Andrew Garza In this episode, we discuss: ◼️ How big data studies test both plaintiff and defense narratives across hundreds of participants. ◼️ Why the team narrowed a complex case into a short, clean 1.5-day presentation. ◼️ What the data revealed about damages, jury selection, and even which juror profiles helped them. ◼️ How they used the study to challenge assumptions about geography, politics, and “typical” jurors. ◼️ Why asking for too little can be just as dangerous as asking for too much. Chapters 00:00 Case Value: A $9 Million Verdict 04:58 What Big Data Reveals 11:27 The Water Park Injury Case 19:53 Building Confidence in the Data 23:25 Trying a Shorter, Stronger Case 32:04 Keeping Sympathy Out of the Verdict 38:01 Do Local Jurors Really Differ? 41:34 How to Get Started with Big Data Courtroom Stories & Tactics | RVA Trial Lawyers Available on Spotify, Apple, YouTube, and at RVATrialLawyers.com  Based out of Richmond, Virginia, Courtroom Stories & Tactics by RVA Trial Lawyers exists for lawyers who try cases to juries on behalf of people. Through our podcast, we hope to learn from them, support them, connect them, inspire them, and preserve their work for future trial lawyers. If you are willing, we would greatly appreciate it if you left us a 5-Star Google Review by clicking here. Your review will help people find us. Thank you! Sharif Gray and Nael Abouzaki

  4. Sep 25

    Trial Breakdown: $1,500,000 Verdict | Ben Rand + Sharif Gray

    There are times when contributory negligence laws can become a gift to the plaintiff. You need to recognize the signs and, of course, have a strong case, but if the facts are there, the defense's own arguments can help shape your win. Ben Rand's firm recently took on a trip & fall case in Virginia that, on the surface, had strong facts, yet was a certainty to run headlong into Virginia's contributory negligence laws. In Virginia, this means that if it can be demonstrated that the plaintiff was even 1% responsible for the situation, then the case will likely be dismissed. As a result, Ben and Sharif were repeatedly warned by colleagues that the case had little hope of succeeding. And yet, the facts were strong, the evidence was there, the witnesses would prove to be outstanding, and as the trial unfolded, it became clear that the defense's approach was starting to backfire. Ben, Sharif and guest co-host Nathan Hittle talk about the mindset of approaching cases such as this, how to stay focused, unflustered, use "negative space" cross-examination, and recognize, in real time, a trial evolving in your direction. The result? A $1.5m verdict in the plaintiff's favor. It's so much easier when they don't make an offer that's respectable. It's hard when they make an offer where you're like, "Can we beat this at trial? I don't know." And then if we don't beat it, we've left all this money on the table." - Ben Rand In this episode, we discuss: ◼️ Why Virginia’s 'pure contributory negligence' rule makes premises cases especially high-risk for plaintiffs. ◼️ The reaction when a key witness called the store's entrance mat a “booby trap.” ◼️ What happened when the defense challenged the medical bills. ◼️ What is "negative space” cross-examination, demonstrating a witnesses' bias, lack of knowledge, and weak foundation. ◼️ Why the trial was deliberately streamlined and completed in one day. ◼️ The importance of slowing down, staying focused on core themes, and not chasing every defense argument. Chapters 00:00 Introduction: When Settlement Offers Matter 06:19 Why Trip-and-Fall Cases are Hard in Virginia 14:51 The Flipped Mat, Sliding Doors, and the Mechanics of the Fall 18:51 Trying the Case in One Day 23:21 The Cross-Examination Strategy That Exposed the Billing Expert 31:41 When Defense Arguments Backfire 39:59 Trial Advocacy: Slow Down and Stay Focused 45:10 Setting Boundaries so the Job Does Not Take Over Your Life Courtroom Stories & Tactics | RVA Trial Lawyers Available on Spotify, Apple, YouTube, and at RVATrialLawyers.com  Based out of Richmond, Virginia, Courtroom Stories & Tactics by RVA Trial Lawyers exists for lawyers who try cases to juries on behalf of people. Through our podcast, we hope to learn from them, support them, connect them, inspire them, and preserve their work for future trial lawyers. If you are willing, we would greatly appreciate it if you left us a 5-Star Google Review by clicking here. Your review will help people find us. Thank you! Sharif Gray and Nael Abouzaki

  5. Sep 15

    Why “They Were Going to Die Anyway” is Unacceptable | Kristen Lojewski (Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer)

    Isn't it remarkable how there are certain types of cases that necessitate entire practice areas in law? Inevitably, these are cases that involve some mixture of abuse, neglect, exploitation, or all of the above. And sadly, nursing home abuse is one of these areas. When Kristen Lojewski happened into this field in 2021, she recognized that as much as she had been personally impacted by such a case, she could use that emotion to deeply understand and empathize with her clients' situations and indignation.  Repeated falls often go ignored until a resident suffers a major injury, usually a hip fracture, then followed by a rapid decline. Kristen breaks down the business model behind many nursing facilities, including private equity ownership, and money being routed away from resident care, all of which lead to declining care. The staff in turn are stretched thin trying to keep up with cutbacks and understaffing, creating a vicious circle. And yet, defense strategies usually rely on dementia, Alzheimer’s or limited life expectancy, to minimize damages and shift blame away from the facility. It's a deplorable situation, yet like with sex assault cases or negligent security cases, it's all too common. Kristen is also a graduate of the Gerry Spence Method at Thunderhead Ranch in Wyoming, and her and Sharif talk about their shared experiences there, learning not just trial skills and strategies, but how to emphasize authenticity, good listening, and making a genuine connection with witnesses. A comment from Joe Low ended up changing her career trajectory and self-confidence, drawing a straight line to the firm under her own name that she operates today. "It  hits differently when  trial lawyers who are very seasoned, very successful, aren't trying to get me to be a  male trial lawyer who's seasoned and successful. They're just like, 'Be you. Who you are is enough.' And that has shaped how I am, in my current practice at my firm." - Kristen Lojewski In this episode, we discuss: ◼️ What nursing home abuse and neglect cases typically look like, including falls, choking incidents, pressure wounds, and wrongful death claims. ◼️ The main defense themes in these cases, especially the idea that an elderly resident “was going to die anyway,” or had comorbidities that supposedly explain the outcome. ◼️ How in Wisconsin, prior incident reports and state investigation reports are inadmissible, which can make pattern-and-practice proof harder to present to a jury. ◼️ How the Gerry Spence ranch pushed her to stop “playing small,” and ultimately helped inspire her to start her own firm. Chapters 0:00 Understanding Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect 5:02 The Journey from Prosecutor to Plaintiff’s Attorney 10:04 The Importance of Advocacy for the Elderly 15:13 Challenges in Nursing Home Litigation 19:57 Defensive Strategies in Nursing Home Cases 25:15 Understanding Patterns of Negligence in Nursing Homes 30:37 The Impact of the Gerry Spence Ranch on Legal Practice Courtroom Stories & Tactics | RVA Trial Lawyers Available on Spotify, Apple, YouTube, and at RVATrialLawyers.com  Based out of Richmond, Virginia, Courtroom Stories & Tactics by RVA Trial Lawyers exists for lawyers who try cases to juries on behalf of people. Through our podcast, we hope to learn from them, support them, connect them, inspire them, and preserve their work for future trial lawyers. If you are willing, we would greatly appreciate it if you left us a 5-Star Google Review by clicking here. Your review will help people find us. Thank you! Sharif Gray and Nael Abouzaki

  6. Sep 5

    Reinvent Yourself in Personal Injury Law | David Holt (Personal Injury Lawyer)

    David Holt had put in the years of hard, emotional work pursuing justice and accountability as a state prosecutor in Hampton, Virginia, litigating hundreds of jury trials. He was involved in multiple complex murder and gang-related cases, putting criminals in jail in cases that could take years. And so when the offer came to join a personal injury law firm, it represented a major shift from not just the work but the life he had been living. Long days, unpredictable schedule, lots of travel and stress. Rewarding work, with deep impacts on the community and the state, but it was time for a change. David then realized that civil litigation work is indeed not so far removed from public prosecution. It has many of the same skills, processes and workflows, relationships and collaborations, and very much the same objectives: to deliver accountability, to create deterrents, to help justice be served. 14 years since that shift, David has had a rewarding, influential and impactful career, his results including a $10M verdict in Oklahoma for a fork lift explosion TBI case, a $14.5M settlement for a woman with a brain injury, two days into trial, and a $12.2M record slip-and-fall verdict for TBI in Virginia.  But the ultimate reward?  The people, the relationships and remembering the lives that are impacted by everything that we do, every day. "For me, as prosecutors, it's keep cutting your teeth, being hungry, being aggressive in what you do, seek justice. This is just a different way of doing it." - David Holt In this episode, we discuss: ◼️ Why prosecution and personal injury law are more similar than they first appear. ◼️ The challenge of moving from representing the Commonwealth to representing one person or family, with very personal stakes. ◼️ Why David initially resisted PI work because of billboard-style advertising, and how he came to embrace a more respectful form of marketing. ◼️ Remembering, “This is their only case,” and why that perspective changes everything. ◼️ Guest co-host Shea Gibbons' transition from federal prosecutor to civil plaintiff lawyer and what that shift has felt like so far. Chapters 00:00 The Lives Impacted by Our Work 03:47 From Police Officer to Prosecutor 13:42 Moving Into Plaintiff Work 28:55 The Caleb Case and Client Impact 31:47 “This is their only case” 34:03 The One Thing That is Truly Constant 41:49 What Prosecutors Should Know About Plaintiff Work 46:06 CrossFit as Mental Health Training and Courtroom Preparation Courtroom Stories & Tactics | RVA Trial Lawyers Available on Spotify, Apple, YouTube, and at RVATrialLawyers.com  Based out of Richmond, Virginia, Courtroom Stories & Tactics by RVA Trial Lawyers exists for lawyers who try cases to juries on behalf of people. Through our podcast, we hope to learn from them, support them, connect them, inspire them, and preserve their work for future trial lawyers. If you are willing, we would greatly appreciate it if you left us a 5-Star Google Review by clicking here. Your review will help people find us. Thank you! Sharif Gray and Nael Abouzaki

  7. Aug 26

    How a Professional Investigator Saved a Client $9.5 Million | Sally Tierney (Professional Investigator)

    A reluctant witness, a freezing 3 a.m. wake-up, and one parking-lot conversation that saved a client $9.5 million: this episode shows why the right investigator can change the entire outcome of a case. Sally Tierney is a professional investigator, working with law firms to uncover facts, evidence, answers and the stories behind the case. It's thrilling and fascinating work, all the more so when you learn about Sally's motivation for becoming a professional investigator in the first place. That painful experience led to a complete 180 career change, out of left field, and she tells us all about it. Investigators play a critical role in criminal defense, personal injury and civil litigation. Sally shares how a thorough investigation can uncover key facts, strengthen a case, or even reveal when a case should not move forward.  And then there are the psychological questions of getting witnesses to open up, of knowing when and how to keep pushing for that breakthrough conversation, and of knowing what it means to truly listen. A skill that is equally crucial for lawyers. Sally shares how tenacity, not just intelligence, drives great investigative work, and why the lawyers who use investigators well are often the ones who build stronger cases, make better settlement decisions, and protect their clients earlier. "The answers are, one way or another, good or bad for your client, right? You want to find them out. You don't want to only find them out because the other side did their job." - Sally Tierney In this episode, we discuss: ◼️ Why every case can benefit from early investigation, even when the evidence may hurt your position. ◼️ How Sally gets reluctant witnesses to talk. ◼️ The difference between asking questions and truly listening. ◼️ Why in-person contact often gets results that phone calls and Zoom never will. ◼️ How investigators help lawyers uncover missing video, witnesses, police report errors, and critical details before it is too late. Chapters 0:00 Why Professional Investigators Matter 5:26 The Case That Saved $9.5 Million 11:58 What Real Listening Looks Like 16:14 Why Every Case Needs Investigation Early 28:09 Purpose, Power, and Helping the Wrongly Accused 33:43 The Weirdest Parts of the Job 36:35 Why Going to the Scene Matters 40:39 What an Investigation Looks Like in Practice 44:02 AI as a Research Assistant 46:51 Anxiety as a Useful Tool 49:01 How to Reach Sally Tierney Courtroom Stories & Tactics | RVA Trial Lawyers Available on Spotify, Apple, YouTube, and at RVATrialLawyers.com  Based out of Richmond, Virginia, Courtroom Stories & Tactics by RVA Trial Lawyers exists for lawyers who try cases to juries on behalf of people. Through our podcast, we hope to learn from them, support them, connect them, inspire them, and preserve their work for future trial lawyers. If you are willing, we would greatly appreciate it if you left us a 5-Star Google Review by clicking here. Your review will help people find us. Thank you! Sharif Gray and Nael Abouzaki

  8. Aug 16

    Secure the First Impression or Fall Behind | Jim Neale (Civil Trial Lawyer & Mediator)

    It's harder to overcome making a bad first impression to a jury than it is to argue against an inaccurate police report. Why are first impressions and opening statements so important?  Because once people make up their mind, you're no longer just asking them to look a different way.  You're now asking them to look at their former self and say, "Hey, you actually got it wrong." Jim Neale faced a challenging case where a police report on a fatal car collision included four witness testimonies, all of whom said they witnessed the same thing. The police report thus reflected this, and Jim and his client found themselves defendants unwillingly in a wrongful death case. How do you overcome such seemingly decisive testimony? It starts from the moment you present your case and set the tone. Embrace the slow build, as Jim says, "Give  the jury the facts and let them play detective."  Jim shares his team's fascinating approach to trying this case, and how they approached that uphill battle of getting people to change their minds. Perhaps not the witnesses, but certainly the jurors. "As a good trial lawyer, if you can kind of spoon feed your case in little bite-sized pieces to the jury, have them take one fact at a time, and build their own conclusion from it, you're going to be a lot better off. Because then it's their conclusion. " - Jim Neale In this episode, we discuss: ◼️ The psychology of speaking with witnesses who are certain they saw what they saw. ◼️ How a memory can be constructed, and was not the one that was actually seen. ◼️ How to give jurors the license to become just a little more sceptical. ◼️ The importance of patience and subtlety in cross-examination. ◼️ Figuring out where the witness wants to go on their own, if we let them. ◼️ The value of lawyers with litigation experience serving as mediators, especially for defense or plaintiff sides. Chapters 0:00 “We kept digging” 4:14 Jim’s background: Army Ranger to lawyer 10:50 Why accident reconstruction matters 13:41 The police report and first doubts 15:09 Reconstructing the crash 17:26 Interviewing witnesses carefully 20:55 How witness memory gets shaped 23:14 Juries, first impressions, and opening statements 26:29 Competing police reports and trial strategy 31:43 Science, visuals, and detective work 37:02 Trial losses, wins, and perspective 41:41 What clients really want from a case 45:57 Advice Jim would give his younger self Courtroom Stories & Tactics | RVA Trial Lawyers Available on Spotify, Apple, YouTube, and at RVATrialLawyers.com  Based out of Richmond, Virginia, Courtroom Stories & Tactics by RVA Trial Lawyers exists for lawyers who try cases to juries on behalf of people. Through our podcast, we hope to learn from them, support them, connect them, inspire them, and preserve their work for future trial lawyers. If you are willing, we would greatly appreciate it if you left us a 5-Star Google Review by clicking here. Your review will help people find us. Thank you! Sharif Gray and Nael Abouzaki

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4.3
out of 5
24 Ratings

About

Trial lawyers do not become great overnight. It takes persistence, a relentless work ethic, a willingness to learn from mistakes, a burning passion for the craft, an authentic self, and the courage and vulnerability to enter the arena time and again.  Those who become great trial lawyers also become great people. Through their work, they grapple with the realities of the human condition and in the process cultivate character, principle, integrity, leadership, strength, compassion, and perseverance.  Based out of Richmond, Virginia, Courtroom Stories & Tactics by RVA Trial Lawyers exists for lawyers who try cases to juries on behalf of people. Through our podcast, we hope to learn from them, support them, connect them, inspire them, and preserve their work for future trial lawyers.(804) 915-1611TrialLawyers@RVATrialLawyers.com1210 E Cary St Suite 300-3Richmond, VA 23219

Information

  • Creator
    Sharif L. Gray and Nael A. Abouzaki
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    75
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Courtroom Stories & Tactics
  • Show Website
    Courtroom Stories & Tactics

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