The Verdict: Trial Tips That Win Podcast
by Mitch Jackson
The Verdict: Trial Tips That Win is your no-BS guide to crushing it in the courtroom. Each episode delivers real, battle-tested strategies from a lawyer who’s been in the arena, not the lecture hall. If you’re serious about winning cases and showing up like a pro, this is where you level up. triallawyertips.substack.com
Episodes
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The High Cost of Mootcourtitis: Why Over-Arguing Is Hurting Our Profession.
I just watched it happen again in court. A lawyer kept arguing a motion even after the judge ruled in their favor. It was clear they didn’t recognize the win. They were locked in automatic mode, pushing a fight that no longer needed to happen. I’ve seen this happen during trial too, and so I…
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Next Level AI Prompts for Smarter Trial Prep
You’re smart. You prepare. But what if I told you there’s one simple shift that can take your trial prep from solid to next level? In this episode, I walk you through the exact AI prompts you can use before jury selection, direct and cross, and closing argument, and the three magic sentences you...
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Jury Preparation: Getting Ahead of the Hit
In this episode, we dive into one of the most powerful trial strategies every lawyer should master, getting ahead of the hit. We break down how to address the weak points in your case before opposing counsel can weaponize them, turning potential liabilities into moments that build trust and...
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How to Use Themes to Turn Jurors Into Advocates for Your Verdict
In this episode, we’re breaking down the one thing that can turn a group of strangers into your fiercest advocates in the jury room: your trial theme. This is not about fancy legal jargon or overloading them with evidence. It’s about giving jurors a simple, unforgettable phrase that frames the...
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The Defense Doctor’s Not Neutral: How To Cross-Examine Hired Guns in Personal Injury Trials
Think that defense doctor on the witness stand is giving a fair and objective opinion? Think again. In this episode, we rip the curtain off the polished credentials and show you what’s really going on behind those expert reports. You’ll learn how to track their testimony trail, follow the money,...
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How to Nail Direct Exam Without Turning It Into a Scripted Snoozefest
In this episode, we’re breaking down one of the most common ways trial lawyers shoot themselves in the foot during direct exam, by over-controlling the narrative. If you’ve ever found yourself scripting every word or interrupting your witness mid-sentence, this one’s for you. I’m going to show…
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Jury Selection Meets AI: How to Ask Smarter Questions and Seat the People Who’ll Actually Listen
Jury selection is no longer just about gut instinct, crossed fingers, and hoping the quiet guy in seat nine isn’t secretly a nuclear reactor of bias. In this episode, we’re diving into how artificial intelligence is changing the game, giving trial lawyers the tools to read the room before they…
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The Trial Starts in the Parking Lot
In this episode, we’re talking about the moment before the moment, the walk from your car to the courthouse doors, and why it matters more than most lawyers realize. Jurors are watching, even when you think they’re not. They're paying attention to how you carry yourself, how you treat others…
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Real Trial Lawyers Don’t Panic. They Pivot.
Every trial has a plan, until it doesn’t. In this episode, I’m taking you inside the courtroom to show you what really matters when everything goes sideways. The tech failed. The projector crashed. The judge said keep going. What do you do? Freeze or lead? This isn’t about being perfect. It’s…
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Stop Giving Opposing Experts the Spotlight. Start Pulling Back the Curtain.
Ever feel like you’re stuck wrestling with a professional witness who’s been paid fifty grand to say your client’s wrong? In this episode, I walk you step by step through exactly how to cross-examine the other side’s expert without falling into the trap of arguing opinions. You’ll learn how to...
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Want to Win in Court? Go Where the Story Lives
If you want to be the kind of trial lawyer jurors trust and clients never forget, you’ve got to do more than prep your outline. You need to get off your butt and go where the story actually happened. In this episode, I’m breaking down why showing up at the scene, spending a day in your client’s...
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Why Closing Argument Is the Last Real Chance to Win
This is the episode every trial lawyer needs to hear. Closing argument isn’t just your final shot—it’s the first thing jurors carry into deliberation. You’re not reciting evidence, you’re handing people language they can use to fight for your client when you’re not in the room. In this episode,...
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How to Make Your Key Points Stick: The Three-Step Rule That Wins Trials
There’s a reason the jury forgets your best moment. It’s not because it wasn’t good. It’s because you didn’t give it a second and third life. In this episode, we’re talking about the Three-Step Rule—a trial-tested strategy that makes your key facts stick like superglue. One fact. Three angles....
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Ditch the Laptop, Own the Room: How Real Trial Lawyers Connect with Jurors
In this episode, we’re calling out every lawyer who clutches their laptop like it’s a life vest. You don’t need it. You are the message. We talk about what really builds trust with a jury: your presence. Not your notes, not your slides, not your scrolling. This is about ditching the crutch,...
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Cross-Examination That Actually Lands: The Discipline Behind the Impact
This episode is a wake-up call for every trial lawyer clinging to a script. Great cross-examination isn’t about memorized lines—it’s about control that comes from calm, clarity, and total preparation. I’m walking you through how to train your mind to stay focused, listen like it matters, and...
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The First Language of the Courtroom Is Eye Contact
Before a single word leaves your mouth in court, the jury has already made a decision, about you. In this episode, I’m breaking down the most overlooked skill that separates great trial lawyers from forgettable ones: purposeful eye contact. From jury selection to cross, from anchoring a drifting...
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Cross-Examination Is a Battle of Control. Win It Early or Lose It All.
Cross-examination isn’t about being clever, it’s about being in control. In this episode, we break down how to take command of the courtroom the second you stand up—and never let go. You’ll learn the power of short, direct questions, how to shut down witness evasions without blinking, and why the...
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Win the Moment by Owning the Room: Why Preparation and Patience Win Trial
This episode is a masterclass in courtroom control. We’re talking about the real power behind a winning case: preparation, pacing, and the kind of timing that drops jaws. You’ll hear how one trial lawyer used a defendant’s own social media posts to destroy their testimony, live, in front of the...
About this show
The Verdict: Trial Tips That Win is your no-BS guide to crushing it in the courtroom. Each episode delivers real, battle-tested strategies from a lawyer who’s been in the arena, not the lecture hall. If you’re serious about winning cases and showing up like a pro, this is where you level up.
triallawyertips.substack.com
Hosted by
Mitch Jackson