Category: Podcast

Imagine being able to improve your trial practice by utilizing DIY focus groups – well, that’s exactly what our guest, Clint Schumacher, has been doing. As an attorney specializing in eminent domain cases, Clint shares his fascinating journey of implementing focus groups to enhance his practice, and how Zoom has become an essential tool in facilitating them. We also take a deep dive into recruitment strategies, discussing the importance of finding the right participants and sharing the tips and tricks Clint has learned along the way.

When it comes to condemnation cases, people’s emotional reactions are often at the forefront. Clint and I discuss the complexities of these cases, the inherent bias against the government taking property, and how to gauge the emotional value of a particular property case in order to better communicate with the jury. We also explore the scaling question, which measures how much people care about the case, as well as the importance of communicating facts clearly in focus groups.

Setting up a virtual focus group may seem daunting, but we cover everything you need to know, from the geographic area to be sampled to the recruitment process and the electronic confidentiality form used. We also discuss the challenges of finding participants in rural areas and how Clint and his team have been successful in using Facebook ads and Google forms for recruitment. Finally, we touch on the challenges of virtual focus groups, the strategies needed to handle them, and the undeniable importance of focus groups for trial lawyers. Don’t miss this engaging and informative conversation!

In this episode, you will hear:

• DIY focus groups for trial lawyers
• Measuring emotional engagement in focus groups
• Virtual focus group process and challenges
• Managing remote meeting disruptions
• DIY focus groups for lawyers

 

Supporting Resources: If you’d like to know more about my guest Clint Schumacher, please visit his podcast or website.

Clint Schumacher

DAWSON & SODD, PLLC

8333 Douglas Avenue #380

Dallas, Texas 75225

Email:  clint@dawsonsodd.com 

Phone:  214-373-8181

Fax:  214-217-4230

Licensed in Texas and Oklahoma

www.dawsonsodd.com

Clint has represented property owners of all sizes that are being impacted by public projects. Over the last twenty years, Clint has developed a particular expertise in condemnation for highway projects. He is able both to work with the condemning authority to try to minimize impacts and, when that fails, to seek full compensation for the owner. He will often recognize what others miss.  His varied client list includes Fortune 500 companies, Wall Street investment firms, national restaurant brands, international hotel chains, individual investors, developers, and families. Before joining Dawson & Sodd, Clint represented regional toll authorities and mass-transit authorities in some of the largest projects in north Texas.

Clint continually seeks to build on his extensive litigation experience by studying and practicing the art of effective advocacy. This dedication to excellence has led him to being named as a Texas Super Lawyer in Eminent Domain by Texas Lawyer magazine (a Thomson Reuters publication) in 2014-22 and to being recognized by D Magazine as one of the top lawyers in Dallas.

Clint is the host of The Eminent Domain Podcast which can be found on ITunes, Stitcher, Spotify, or at its home website: www.eminentdomainpodcast.com. The podcast covers all things eminent domain and reaches listeners across the U.S. and in several foreign countries.

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 I sent you.

Today, let’s start with the best time to run focus groups. Sure, you can run a focus group at any time. But if you want to get the most out of it, there are actually six spots to run a focus group in your case.

These are great places to help you prepare the case better.  But these are all opportunities for you to grow the case better and to help you look at things with a new set of eyes. You can always do more –  or less, but at least do one or two to have that outside perspective that will help keep you moving along.

In this episode, you will hear:

• Running a focus group during case planning (before the lawsuit)
• What to focus on after key deposition testimony
• Why do short focus groups 30 days before mediation
• The purpose of a focus group 90 days before the end of discovery
• Things to consider 60 days before trial
• What to do 30 days before trial

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:

If you have questions or suggestions, email Elizabeth directly for assistance: elizabeth@larricklawfirm.com.

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 I sent you.

• Episode Website

Have you ever wondered how to set up a focus group system that not only saves you money but also provides invaluable feedback for your courtroom success? In this episode, I share my insights and experiences on creating your very own focus group that will help you improve your skills and case strategies. I cover the non-economic damages model, the confusion around it, and how it could create gaps in your case. Plus, I discuss how to eliminate a defense argument and even add facts to your case from the focus group feedback. We dive deeper into strategies for ensuring reliable feedback from your focus groups, such as preventing repeats, providing clear instructions, and utilizing the right tools for communication, payment, hosting meetings, and advertising. By treating participants with respect and making it easy for them to participate, you can guarantee they’re engaged and providing honest feedback. Listen as I discuss how these strategies can help you get the practice and feedback needed for courtroom success. Lastly, I touch on streamlining focus group logistics by suggesting the use of tools like PayPal, Gmail, Google Calendar, and Dropbox. To help you get started, I’m offering a free download of my questionnaire. So hit play and join me in this episode to learn how to optimize your focus group system and ultimately improve your abilities in the courtroom. Don’t forget to leave a review and follow the podcast to help others find it!

In this episode, you will hear:

• Learning from focus groups 
• The value of having a Gmail account
• Setting up and managing focus groups
• Ways to improve communication and directions
• How to select from a diverse focus group participants 

Follow and Review:

We’d love for you to follow us if you haven’t yet. Click that purple ‘+’ in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. 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:

Please follow this link to download the Virtual Focus Group Checklist: https://fantastic-designer-3528.ck.page/635800b2c4

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 I sent you.

Discover the secrets to successfully recruiting focus group participants in my conversation with Rhonda, a seasoned virtual assistant based in Charleston, South Carolina. Learn how our innovative recruitment system, utilizing platforms like Craigslist and Facebook, has proven effective in drawing in participants from various locations across the US. Rhonda’s own experience as a focus group participant drives her passion for helping others find the perfect candidates for their groups.

In this episode, you will learn:

• The importance of advertising and maintaining an active Facebook page for focus group recruitment.
• How to utilize Google Forms and questionnaires to vet potential participants.
• The benefits of using a step-by-step email sequence to confirm attendance and manage expectations.
• The necessity of maintaining a master list and a no list to ensure proper eligibility and successful participation.
• How to handle payments through platforms like PayPal and Venmo, and streamline communication using email templates.

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:

If you have questions or a particular challenge with focus groups, email Elizabeth directly for assistance: elizabeth@larricklawfirm.com.

Episode Credits:

If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.

He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their businesses and impact the world.

Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com

Christopher Russo, a seasoned lawyer with 32 years of experience, will be joining us to share his insights on this aspect of client preparation and role play. Roleplaying is a versatile technique that can be employed to prepare for challenging scenarios, including cross-examinations and depositions. As trial lawyers, it is an effective tool that can improve our preparedness to handle complex legal situations. 

Today’s discussion will focus on roleplay’s application in getting clients ready for testimony, whether it is for a deposition or trial. 

During our session, we will delve into the common stumbling blocks that can arise during a deposition and explore techniques to avoid them. We will also discuss how gauging the personalities of our clients can aid in choosing the most effective roleplaying techniques. 

Our conversation centers on the value of roleplaying with clients, the importance of taking breaks during the process, and the benefits of roleplaying the deposition. By examining these topics, we hope to establish a more comprehensive understanding of how roleplaying can be utilized to enhance client confidence and performance in the courtroom.

In this episode, you will hear:

• The common stumbling blocks in the deposition
• Gauging the personalities of your patients
• The value of roleplaying with a client
• Roleplaying the deposition
• The importance of taking breaks

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:

If you have a question or a case in Rhode Island, please reach out to Christopher crusso@kirshenbaumri.com 

Christopher L. Russo | Managing Partner

Kirshenbaum & Kirshenbaum

Attorneys at Law, Inc.

117 Metro Center Blvd. Suite 1003

Warwick, RI 02886

Office: 401.946.3200 |  Fax: 401.943.8097

Christopher concentrates his practice in representing personal injury plaintiffs. He handles all matters assisting people injured in car collisions, slip and fall, bicycle and motorcycle accidents. He has handled many cases involving tractor trailer collisions. These cases require an attorney with knowledge of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations and an intimate understanding of the dangers these vehicles pose to the unsuspecting victims.

Christopher also handles a variety of criminal defense matters. He has handles District Court misdemeanor offenses, Superior Court felony matters as well as Federal District Court matters.

www.kirshenbaumri.com

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 I sent you.

In this episode, we’re joined by Jason Erlich, an employment lawyer out in California, and we talk about a book we both read called “Influence is Your Superpower: The Science of Winning Hearts, Sparking Change, and Making Good Things Happen.” The author, Zoe Chance, put a lot of her research into this book about influence and the psychology of influence. As trial lawyers, this is a useful and thoughtful book on motivation and persuasion. Many of the concepts transition easily into courtroom and the running of a law practice.

Most people feel very uncomfortable trying to influence others. Zoe Chance provides examples and research that influence comes down to brain science and how we are wired as humans. Her book gives us an understanding of how our brains work and how we can apply some of her ideas, as trial lawyers, in talking to jurors, opposing counsel, mediators, or whoever else. It’s also interesting how this could be applied in your personal life.

It’s always coming from a frame of good influence. She talks a lot about her class and what she has her class do, including a couple of experiments that they do. So it’s a very fun, light read where you will also find some interesting and applicable concepts.

In this episode, you will hear:

• The gator brain vs the judge brain
• How to deal with a juror who disagrees with you
• How to deal with a juror who is bad for you
• The importance of focus groups in detecting a liar
• How to deal with disagreement in focus groups
• How we say things and ask people

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:

Learn more about the author Zoe Chance: www.ZoeChance.com 

Purchase the book Influence is Your SuperPower: The Science of Winning Hearts, Sparking Change, and Making Good Things Happen

Big Thanks to Guest Jason Erlich!

If you would like to learn more about Jason and his practice please visit his website: https://erlich.lawyer/attorneys/jason-erlich/

If you have questions or a particularly challenging client preparation, email Elizabeth directly for assistance: elizabeth@larricklawfirm.com.

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 I sent you.

In this episode, we explore how focus group clips can be used as tools in mediation. Specifically, I’m sharing five simple things that we can do as plaintiff’s lawyers to help our mediation, which I learned from a respected mediator on both sides of the aisle.

In this episode, you will hear:

• Virtual mediation v. in-person mediation
• Ways to prepare your client for the mediation
• Sending a demand before the mediation
• Negotiation styles (ex. positional bargaining and principled negotiation)
• The ranges of risk on a case
• How to use focus group clips for mediation

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:

If you have questions or a particularly challenging client preparation, email Elizabeth directly for assistance: elizabeth@larricklawfirm.com.

Episode Credits:

If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.

He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their businesses and impact the world.

Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com

When we’re preparing a client for testimony, whether for deposition or trial, there are basic concepts you need to keep in mind. As trial lawyers, we could be so engulfed in a lot of things that sometimes, we need to step back and look at things from a ground-level perspective. 

In this episode, I’m going to discuss these three basic concepts: teaching, communication, and timing. We’re going to touch on the power of visuals, the things that go into preparing for deposition, and how one-on-one meetings can help clients understand what they’re asking. We want to make sure that we nail down some of these concepts before we get into content.

In this episode, you will hear:

• Teaching: Use of visual aids, writing vs. reading
• The value in creating a timeline 
• Understanding people’s learning styles:  auditory, visual, or combined
• Using legal and medical terms
• Keeping clients from information overload or TMI
• Communication: Primacy and recency
• Timing: When to start and repetition

Supporting Resources:

If you have questions or a particularly challenging client preparation, email Elizabeth directly for assistance: elizabeth@larricklawfirm.com.

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 I sent you.

Don’t skip out on measuring the credibility of your witnesses and seeing the power of influence that they have over the decision-makers in your case. And one of the best ways to do that is through witness video clips in a focus group. 

In this episode, we discuss the importance and the usability of witness video clips in a focus group. You can better understand how clients are perceived by outsiders. Focus groups can help you identify areas where clients can improve their credibility and provide insights into how they can present themselves better at deposition or trial.

Let’s dive in and learn how the use of witness video clips is an essential component of witness preparation so you can help make your client more effective. 

In this episode, you will hear:

• Witness preparation is key.
• The importance of keeping a clear mind.
• Understanding the value and power of witness testimony.
• Why start using video clips in focus groups.

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:

If you have questions or a particularly challenging client preparation, email Elizabeth directly for assistance: elizabeth@larricklawfirm.com.

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 I sent you.

When you’re going to get ready for trial, and you’re building your team to help you pick a jury, you don’t actually need a lot of people. Perhaps one to three people would suffice. Building a small group will help things become more structured for you. That being said, you’ve got to pick people that match up with your ideology on picking a jury altogether. Then let them in on what would help you best as a lawyer.

In this episode, I’m sharing my recent experience of helping a fellow lawyer pick a jury. They wanted my perspective as a female trial lawyer so I decided to show up. There were a couple of things that happened on the fly that I’m going to share here, which are things you may want to consider as you’re building your own team for jury selection. 

In this episode, you will hear:

• A strategy that worked well
• Different ways of taking notes
• Things to consider when you’re building a team
• The benefits of taking notes and having notetakers
• Why you want to only build a small 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.

Supporting Resources:

If you have questions or a particularly challenging client preparation, email Elizabeth directly for assistance: elizabeth@larricklawfirm.com.

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 I sent you.