Voices of NCAJ

"Bad facts don't get better. Don't make them better." Criminal defense attorney Teny Geragos, a founding partner at Agnifilo Intrater LLP in New York City, grew up with those words from her father written on a chalkboard in her parents' pantry. That lesson has guided her defense of some of the most unpopular clients imaginable, from Martin Shkreli to Harvey Weinstein and Sean Combs. In this conversation with host Amber Nimocks, Teny explains how she turns intense media attention into a defense strategy and how she picks jurors who can see past the headlines. Tune in for insights on how to show jurors a client's humanity and why a fair trial can overcome public opinion.🎙️ Featured Guest 🎙️Name: Teny GeragosConnect: LinkedIn💡 Episode Highlights 💡[02:47] Standing Up to the Government: Teny says she rarely seeks out clients; they come to her when they have something to say about the government's allegations or actions against them.[04:48] Advocacy and Feminism: Teny describes being raised by her grandmothers to speak her mind, an upbringing that shaped her personal definition of feminism and how a woman rises to the top in a field full of men.[08:16] Owning the Worst Fact: Teny explains why she admitted Sean Combs' domestic violence in her opening statement and how that moment shifted the courtroom.[11:57] The Attorney as an Extension of the Client: Teny shares why jurors must like the defense attorney first and how she showed the jury who Combs really was.[14:20] Picking a Jury Under a Spotlight: Teny reveals what she looks for in potential jurors who have already seen the headlines and why mock juries shaped her arguments.[17:35] The Pharma Bro Lesson: Teny's first federal trial as a new lawyer defended Martin Shkreli, then known as the most hated man in America, and taught her that jurors in a fair trial can look past the media.[19:50] Born Into the Courtroom: Growing up around her father's high-profile cases, including his representation of Michael Jackson and Scott Peterson, Teny briefly considered a media career before landing where she says she was always supposed to be.Connect with North Carolina Advocates for Justice☑️ Follow us on X, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.☑️ Subscribe to Voices of NCAJ on Apple Podcasts or SpotifyVoices of NCAJ features members of the North Carolina Advocates for Justice talking about what it means to be a trial lawyer, what it takes to be great at the practice of law and how being a part of NCAJ enriches their lives and their careers.Members of NCAJ belong to a nonprofit, nonpartisan association of legal professionals dedicated to empowering a strong community of trial lawyers to protect people, prevent injustice and promote fairness. Membership affords many benefits and we’re proud to offer discounts and opportunities thanks to our tremendous community of sponsors and partners. Join today!

Understanding where someone comes from can change how you read them in a courtroom. Ramón de la Cabada, a Miami criminal defense attorney focused on white collar and regulatory work, joins host Amber Nimocks ahead of his presentation on Hispanic and Latino cultural competency at NCAJ’s Mountain Magic 2026. A former prosecutor, Ramón has helped rewrite money laundering laws in the Dominican Republic and train lawyers across Latin America. He shares why lumping all Latino and Hispanic communities together backfires, and how he co-founded a voter protection committee to defend people criminalized for casting a ballot. Tune in for a candid look at how understanding cultural context helps trial lawyers read jurors and connect with clients.🎙️ Featured Guest 🎙️Name: Ramón de la CabadaConnect: LinkedIn | Facebook | X💡 Episode Highlights 💡[03:07] Rewriting the Law Abroad: Ramón recounts helping the U.S. Embassy expand the Dominican Republic's money laundering statutes in 1999, then helping the Organization of American States implement a corruption court in Honduras.[05:49] A Peruvian Guide's Lesson for Jury Selection: A conversation with a guide Ramón met in Peru, where suspects can be jailed before prosecution, illustrates how a Peruvian juror might not value the same freedoms Americans do.[08:06] Moving to the Other Side of the V: Ramón explains how the politics of climbing the prosecutorial ranks turned him off and pulled him toward defense work, where his belief in second chances fit better.[10:12] Get Into Court, Stay in Court: Florida Chief Justice Gerald Kogan, a trial practice instructor at Ramón's law school, gave him career advice that set him on the path to becoming a litigator.[11:46] A Family That Fled Castro: Born in Puerto Rico to Cuban parents who left during the Castro regime, Ramón credits his family history and his father's early Parkinson's diagnosis for his drive to seize every opportunity.[13:42] Beyond a Language Barrier: Ramón describes how lumping all Latino and Hispanic people into one category erases real cultural differences and can insult a client, juror, or witness.[21:20] Defending the Right to Vote: Ramón details the voter-protection committee he co-chairs at NACDL, which grew out of Florida prosecutions of returning citizens who thought they were eligible to vote.Connect with North Carolina Advocates for Justice☑️ Follow us on X, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.☑️ Subscribe to Voices of NCAJ on Apple Podcasts or SpotifyVoices of NCAJ features members of the North Carolina Advocates for Justice talking about what it means to be a trial lawyer, what it takes to be great at the practice of law and how being a part of NCAJ enriches their lives and their careers.Members of NCAJ belong to a nonprofit, nonpartisan association of legal professionals dedicated to empowering a strong community of trial lawyers to protect people, prevent injustice and promote fairness. Membership affords many benefits and we’re proud to offer discounts and opportunities thanks to our tremendous community of sponsors and partners. Join today!

"Trust the data." That's the lesson John McCabe took from a six-week trial that ended in a record-setting $101 million jury award for two men seriously injured when a retaining wall collapsed in Hendersonville. John, principal attorney at The Law Offices of John McCabe and a past president of NCAJ, learned mid-trial that he had also won NCAJ's Founders Award. He tells host Amber Nimocks how his team scored jurors using big data analytics, why the jury needed only 35 minutes to decide 16 liability issues, and how his clients' unscripted testimony moved the courtroom to tears. Tune in for the story behind a case John says was "literally like a movie."🎙️ Featured Guest 🎙️Name: John McCabeConnect: LinkedIn💡 Episode Highlights 💡[02:05] A Surprise Call Mid-Trial: Four weeks into a six-week trial and working 21 hours a day, John learned he had won the Founders Award — a complete surprise, since he sat on the nominating committee.[04:33] Beating the Defense Theory: The defense argued the collapse was purely a masonry and construction problem. John's team instead showed the property owner's tenant coordinated, scheduled and supervised the project, and that its profit center manager disregarded recommendations.[06:23] 35 Minutes: The jury decided 16 liability issues and picked a foreman in 35 minutes, filling out the verdict form exactly as suggested in closing and checking gross negligence.[08:23] Moneyball Jury Selection: After seven court days and three jury pools, John's team used empirical studies to build a scorecard and scored jurors against data-driven criteria to decide who to keep and who to excuse.[10:03] From Skeptic to Believer: Former law partner Brian Davis pushed John to trust the data despite his deep skepticism. The other side saw the same studies at mediation and discounted them completely, though the data projected a 90% chance of winning.[12:12] Testimony That Stopped the Courtroom: John's client testified through an interpreter about being buried alive under the wall for an hour, leaving everyone in the courtroom — including the interpreter — in tears. His wife, a kindergarten teacher, had the jury laughing and crying within minutes.[17:57] Four Failed Mediations: John mediated his case four times with three different mediators, including a global mediation the Saturday before trial, and still could not settle.Connect with North Carolina Advocates for Justice☑️ Follow us on X, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.☑️ Subscribe to Voices of NCAJ on Apple Podcasts or SpotifyVoices of NCAJ features members of the North Carolina Advocates for Justice talking about what it means to be a trial lawyer, what it takes to be great at the practice of law and how being a part of NCAJ enriches their lives and their careers.Members of NCAJ belong to a nonprofit, nonpartisan association of legal professionals dedicated to empowering a strong community of trial lawyers to protect people, prevent injustice and promote fairness. Membership affords many benefits and we’re proud to offer discounts and opportunities thanks to our tremendous community of sponsors and partners. Join today!

A fifth-grader wrote to President Richard Nixon in 1971 about school desegregation — and got a reply. That girl grew up to build a 40-year career as a litigation paralegal, most recently at Daggett Shuler Attorneys at Law in Winston-Salem, where her work earned her NCAJ's Robbie Price Award at Convention this year. In conversation with host Amber Nimocks, Rana D. Holcomb traces her path from an outspoken kid to a trial-prep specialist who mastered the rules of evidence and court. She also describes decades of volunteer work with Stop Child Abuse Now and family services, the networking that drew her to NCAJ's early paralegal committee, and her advice for paralegals just starting out.🎙️ Featured Guest 🎙️Name: Rana D. HolcombConnect: LinkedInDaggett Shuler Attorneys at Law: Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube💡 Episode Highlights 💡[01:39] Argue With a Stop Sign: Rana recalls her mother's prediction that she'd make a good lawyer, and her early love of history and civics.[02:17] A Fifth-Grade Letter to the President: In 1971, Rana wrote Richard Nixon about school desegregation and received a reply from an attorney general's office.[03:35] An Unplanned Path Into the Law: A local attorney who had helped Rana with a family matter invited her to interview for an administrative position that grew into paralegal work with a tax attorney.[06:11] Why Litigation Work Fits Her: Rana explains that litigation is often the hardest process for clients, and that hard work and earned trust carry them through depositions, mediation and trial.[09:59] A Second Full-Time Job in Volunteering: Rana describes eight years with Stop Child Abuse Now, plus volunteer work in domestic violence response and support for sexual assault victims.[16:10] Advice for New Paralegals: Compassion, honesty, the rules of evidence and court, and drafting skills that take work off the attorney's plate.[18:07] What NCAJ Gave Her Early: Rana was honored to serve on the committee handling membership enrollment issues, and says networking with paralegals across the state has been the biggest benefit.Connect with North Carolina Advocates for Justice☑️ Follow us on X, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.☑️ Subscribe to Voices of NCAJ on Apple Podcasts or SpotifyVoices of NCAJ features members of the North Carolina Advocates for Justice talking about what it means to be a trial lawyer, what it takes to be great at the practice of law and how being a part of NCAJ enriches their lives and their careers.Members of NCAJ belong to a nonprofit, nonpartisan association of legal professionals dedicated to empowering a strong community of trial lawyers to protect people, prevent injustice and promote fairness. Membership affords many benefits and we’re proud to offer discounts and opportunities thanks to our tremendous community of sponsors and partners. Join today!

When Anabel Rosa joined NCAJ's Hispanic Latino Legal Issues Division in 2011, she was one of just a handful of attorneys in the room — today that group is nearly 200 members strong. Anabel, principal attorney at Rosa Lawyers in Durham and this year's Annie Brown Kennedy Award recipient, joins host Amber Nimocks to trace the path that led there: from Spanish-language TV reporter to press aide for Mayor David Dinkins to Brooklyn Law School graduate to a 2010 move to North Carolina and James Scott Farrin. Anabel also speaks candidly about the fear gripping immigrant communities today.🎙️ Featured Guest 🎙️Name: Anabel RosaConnect: LinkedIn💡 Episode Highlights 💡[02:23] Leaving Puerto Rico at 16: Anabel recalls moving alone from Puerto Rico to Syracuse, New York, without speaking English, and registering for her first semester of college before she could form a sentence in the language.[07:57] Joining Mayor Dinkins' Press Office: Anabel spent nearly eight years on David Dinkins' team before and during his time as New York mayor.[10:51] From City Hall to the Bar: Encouraged by Dinkins, Anabel attended Brooklyn Law School and passed both the New York and New Jersey bar exams back to back in 1996.[13:55] Teaching ESL: Early in her advocacy work, Anabel spent Saturdays teaching English as a second language to newly arrived community members, building lessons around everyday skills like ordering food and reading bus routes.[16:09] Founding Durham's Hispanic-Latino Committee: Anabel describes working with then-Durham Mayor Bill Bell to build a committee that could bring Latino residents into city meetings, addressing barriers like scheduling and fear tied to immigration status.[20:53] HLD's Growth: Anabel and Amber discuss how NCAJ's Hispanic Latino Legal Issues Division has grown from a small handful of attorneys when Anabel joined in 2011 to roughly 200 members today.[22:43] Fear Facing the Community: Anabel describes how fear is affecting mixed-status families, including clients who are hesitant to show up in court, drive, or send their kids to school.Connect with North Carolina Advocates for Justice☑️ Follow us on X, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.☑️ Subscribe to Voices of NCAJ on Apple Podcasts or SpotifyVoices of NCAJ features members of the North Carolina Advocates for Justice talking about what it means to be a trial lawyer, what it takes to be great at the practice of law and how being a part of NCAJ enriches their lives and their careers.Members of NCAJ belong to a nonprofit, nonpartisan association of legal professionals dedicated to empowering a strong community of trial lawyers to protect people, prevent injustice and promote fairness. Membership affords many benefits and we’re proud to offer discounts and opportunities thanks to our tremendous community of sponsors and partners. Join today!