A Good Lickin'
Podcast - Part II: The Do’s and Don’ts of Demonstratives
Podcast - Part I - The Do’s and Don’ts of Demonstratives
Podcast - How Do You Define Success?
Podcast - Seek Out Feedback
Podcast - Part I: Being an Expert Is a Lonely Business
Podcast - Finding Common Ground
Law School Toolbox Podcast Episode 504: Listen and Learn -- Motions for Judgment as a Matter of Law and Motions for New Trial (Civ Pro)
Podcast - "Ready for Trial?"
Podcast - Every Case Is a New World
Podcast - The 3 Core Themes of Trial Law: Do the Right Thing
Podcast - How Did We Get Here?
Podcast - Parting Thoughts: Be a "Peddler of Common Sense"
Against All Odds- Part Four
Podcast - Expert Witnesses, Special Issues
Podcast - Direct Examination of Expert Witnesses
Podcast - Drowning in Complexity
Podcast: Part I - Reading the Jury
Podcast - How to Use Humor and Anger Effectively in the Courtroom
Preparing for Deposition Success
A California Superior Court recently saw its decision reversed on appeal to the California Court of Appeal over several improper evidentiary rulings in Sabrena Odom v. Los Angeles Community College District, et al., (2025)...more
On June 24, 2025, the Oregon Supreme Court held in Crosbie v. Asante that a trial court order of the scope of issues to be retried after reversal and remand cannot be immediately appealed....more
U.S. Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals - USA v. Zayas - currency transaction report, filing - Cunningham v. Cobb - § 1983, qualified immunity...more
In this episode of "The Trial Lawyer’s Handbook," litigation attorney Dan Small reflects on the question of what it truly means to "win" in the courtroom, sharing insights from his experience prosecuting the Farmers Export...more
After a male university student told his mother and girlfriend that a male coach was rumored to be having sex with one of his female players, the mother reported the rumor to the university. The university conducted a Title...more
After the case went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, on January 30 a federal district court denied dueling motions for summary judgment filed by Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, the U.S. Postal Service, and former Postal...more
On December 23, 2024, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit ruled in Su v. KDE Equine, LLC that whether an employer willfully violated the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) is a fact question best left to the jury. ...more
The Reptile approach to courtroom persuasion aims to sell plaintiffs’ cases by invoking absolute duties for protection wrapped around a fear appeal that resonates with the jurors. Even with the Reptile’s ‘reboot’ version, the...more
The “Reptile” approach to trying civil cases by targeting a fear response has transitioned from being a novelty to being a mainstay in a little more than a decade. While the approach has not always been taken seriously by...more
This week, hosts Tina and Jennie welcome Dr. Jo Ellen Livingston, co-founder of Livingston & Shepherd Trial Consulting, where she advises clients on all aspects of the trial process, including in the areas of labor and...more
On February 26, 2024, the California Supreme Court issued its opinion in Tricoast Builders, Inc. v. Fonnegra, No. S273368 (Cal. Feb. 26, 2024). For employers, the most important takeaway from this case is that the court held...more
A high-level IT worker who claimed he was discriminated against because of his medical condition was not entitled to a jury trial or monetary damages for his retaliation claim under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)....more
On December 5, 2022, the Supreme Court of the Virgin Islands upheld a 2019 jury verdict, which found that Caribbean airline LIAT (1974), Ltd., had discharged its former area manager, William Cherubin, because of his age in...more
As we have previously reported, jury verdicts in employment cases have continued to skyrocket in recent months, and there is no sign they are leveling off. Late last week, a Los Angeles Superior Court jury awarded a total of...more
On March 31, 2022, a Kentucky jury unanimously awarded $450,000 to an employee, who was terminated following two panic attacks the employee suffered at work. The jury concluded the employee’s anxiety disorder was a disability...more
In July 2021, the US Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Antitrust Division brought its first-ever criminal no-poach market allocation case. The Antitrust Division indicted DaVita, Inc. and its former CEO Kent Thiry on three counts...more
On February 18, 2022, the California Court of Appeal issued its decision in Jill LaFace v. Ralphs Grocery Company, __ Cal. App. 5th __ (2022), that provides important guidance in two areas. First, the Court made clear that...more
The Federal Arbitration Act (FAA) was amended in recent days when both houses of Congress approved the bill, Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act of 2021 (H.R. 4445). Days before its passage,...more
Many employers that attempt to manage workers’ compensation claims and expenses offer temporary light duty work to employees whose injuries prevent them from performing their regular job functions. The Department of Labor has...more
As someone who represents employers, I’ve long been a proponent of arbitration as a way to limit exposure to employment claims. I have colleagues who disagree and I recognize that it’s a complicated issue. So starting about...more
Employers may face juries that seek to hold them responsible if an employee contracts COVID-19, the trial consulting firm Dispute Dynamics suggests in its latest study. Dispute Dynamics surveyed 321 individuals, inquiring...more
As if there weren’t enough to worry about, Los Angeles employers may face an even tougher challenge to prevail at trial in the aftermath of the Coronavirus pandemic, the trial consulting firm Dispute Dynamics suggests in its...more
Safeway Wage & Hour Cases, 2019 WL 6954322 (Cal. Ct. App. 2019) - Following a jury trial, the trial court entered judgment in favor of Safeway on the ground that plaintiff William Cunningham was subject to the executive...more
Like Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Tennessee Human Rights Act (THRA) forbids sexual harassment as a form of sex discrimination. To be actionable, the harassment must be so severe or pervasive that it creates...more
If you want to avoid potential liability from a former employee, remember a key maxim: Stick to your story about why you made the employment decision. If an employer shifts rationales for its decision or tries to pile on by...more