What Happens When a Professional Poker Player Watches “Making a Murderer?”

19 February, 2016

My educational background is in communication theory, so I’ve had a lot of fun meeting with Kenna James over the last few weeks talking about “bluffs” and “tells” and how we see these non-verbal communications in the business and legal world. I admit, at first I was skeptical of some of the signs he...

Legal News Update: Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia dies at 79

17 February, 2016

Let’s take a look at this week in legal news. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia dies at age 79 Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia died of apparent natural causes on Saturday, February 13th at the age of 79. Justice Scalia was visiting Cibola Creek Ranch, a resort in West Texas, at the tim...

How Memory Impacts Client Interviews

12 February, 2016

Part of being a good lawyer is being a good psychologist, and a good psychologist understands the power, fragility and pitfalls of memory. How often do you find yourself questioning your client’s narrative? Watch them struggle to relate details of their experiences, or heard them change the story? ...

Legal News Update: February 10, 2016

10 February, 2016

Let’s take a look at this week in legal news. The FBI joins in the Flint Michigan water contamination investigation A multi-agency team has been activated to investigate the water contamination crisis in Flint, Michigan. The US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan announ...

Poker in the Courtroom – Tells Part 2: Rejection and Acceptance

5 February, 2016

Can poker skills give you a leg up in jury selection? How can we put this delicately: If you screw up jury selection, your entire case is screwed. Trials are costly and stakes are high, and if you’ve let a bad apple slip into your jury, it’s possible nothing will save you. And yet you have a limi...

Psychology and Clients Part 1: Naïve Realism

29 January, 2016

You’re meeting a new client today; a father whose son was injured while playing with a toy. Like the excellent lawyer you are, you’re prepared. Due diligence? Check. Start on time and with a firm handshake? Check. You introduce yourself and find out that a good friend referred him, and your kids go ...