Negotiation Lessons from Criminal Defense That Elevate Civil Practice I couldn’t believe I’d made such a boneheaded move. There I was—wedged into a slow-moving Starbucks line, about to be late for a meeting with a prosecutor. The mission? Negotiate a favorable outcome before my client’s case hit the grand jury. So I improvised: “Grabbing coffee. […]
In my years as a criminal defense trial lawyer, “discovery” wasn’t a process—it was an event. It usually arrived inside a creased manila envelope, thick with paper and stapled together like a grade school art project. Surveillance footage came in strange formats. Witnesses didn’t always give statements. If something crucial was missing, I had to […]
This story begins with me squarely on the horns of a dilemma. My then-boss and mentor taught me a great deal—but also carried a drinking problem that manifested in his reluctance to work afternoons. As a result, I was frequently placed in an awkward and precarious position. The routine would unfold like this: the partner’s […]