More Likely Than Not

The first time you try a case shouldn't be in front of a real jury. Geoff Hamby, a partner at Oliver Law Firm, rehearses jury selection and opening with mock jurors — two rounds a day across two days — in the trial venue before pulling the trigger. His firm even starts wearing suits 30 days out to get into the right mindset. Hosts Caleb Miller and Eleanor Aldous unpack the preparation behind Geoff's $5.3 million verdict against First Student in Portland, Oregon, in only his second first-chair trial, and how he passed a Sharpie-marked brain around the jury box. Tune in to learn how relentless preparation can turn trial nerves into readiness.Learn More and Connect☑️ Geoff Hamby | LinkedIn☑️ Oliver Law Firm | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | X | YouTube☑️ Charla Aldous, Caleb Miller, Eleanor Aldous☑️ Aldous Law☑️ Connect: Facebook | LinkedIn | Instagram☑️ Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTubeProduced and Powered by LawPods, a podcast marketing agency for law firms

Jury trial consultant Jesse Wilson built his victim-to-victor framework not in a courtroom, but in a prison theater program, where removing judgment became the key to authentic communication. A former Julliard-trained actor turned full-time trial consultant for nearly 15 years, Jesse now travels the country helping lawyers reach record verdicts, drawing on his two books. He joins host Charla Aldous to explain why a witness is not her pain but the strength of trying to overcome it, why joy functions as courtroom evidence, and why choosing the victor story over the victim story reshapes case strategy. Tune in for his approach to witness preparation and opening statement. Learn More and Connect☑️ Jesse Wilson | LinkedIn☑️ Tell the Winning Story | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube☑️ Charla Aldous, Caleb Miller, Eleanor Aldous☑️ Aldous Law☑️ Connect: Facebook | LinkedIn | Instagram☑️ Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTubeProduced and Powered by LawPods, a podcast marketing agency for law firms

Most lawyers build their case around closing argument — but the trial is already decided long before that. Shane Read, jury consultant, trial trainer, and author of six books on trial advocacy, joins host Charla Aldous to break down the brain science of trial storytelling. A former assistant U.S. attorney who tried more than 100 jury trials in 30 years, Shane explains why modern juries — digital natives and digital immigrants — process information differently, why pictures outperform word-heavy slides, and how the "curse of knowledge" blinds lawyers to their own case's weaknesses. He reveals the three questions every winning story must answer and his WIN acronym for keeping the jury's needs front and center.Learn More and Connect☑️ Shane Read | LinkedIn | YouTube☑️ Shane Read LLC | LinkedIn☑️ Charla Aldous, Caleb Miller, Eleanor Aldous☑️ Aldous Law☑️ Connect: Facebook | LinkedIn | Instagram☑️ Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTubeProduced and Powered by LawPods

Private investigation isn't just for criminal law — it's how plaintiff attorneys win before they ever file. Caleb Miller hosts Mike Thompson, founder of Ideal Intel, a Texas-based investigation firm. A former Liverpool police officer turned surveillance specialist, Mike now works exclusively with plaintiff law firms on personal injury and wrongful death cases. The conversation covers evidence preservation windows — video footage disappears after 30 days — and Mike's "discovery before discovery" approach. A background check on a truck driver in a death case exposed incomplete employment records and a dishonorable discharge the company didn't know about. Mike identifies where lawyers most commonly fall short: reactive fact-finding and failing to vet witnesses and experts.Learn More and Connect☑️ Mike Thompson | LinkedIn☑️ Ideal Intel | Facebook | LinkedIn☑️ Charla Aldous, Caleb Miller, Eleanor Aldous☑️ Aldous Law☑️ Connect: Facebook | LinkedIn | Instagram☑️ Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTubeProduced and Powered by LawPods

The key to winning a big verdict in a wrongful death case often lies in showing jurors the opposite of big money: scarcity. What is it that the decedent didn’t have? It could have been the last lick of ice cream. Or getting their affairs in order. Whether they were 20 or 80, they lost valuable parts of life. Dirk Vandever suggests that the job of the plaintiff’s lawyer is to put a value on that scarcity. In this conversation with host Charla Aldous, he explains how he’s done it in his successful wrongful death practice over the past 50 years. Tune in as he unpacks his "two oaths" approach to unlocking honest panel responses and his two-word advice for young lawyers.Learn More and Connect☑️ Dirk Vandever | LinkedIn☑️ Popham Law Firm | X | Facebook | LinkedIn☑️ Charla Aldous, Caleb Miller, Eleanor Aldous☑️ Aldous Law☑️ Connect: Facebook | LinkedIn | Instagram☑️ Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTubeProduced and Powered by LawPods