About ten years ago, I served for the first time as embedded appellate counsel in a high-profile criminal case. Trial counsel brought me in early to assist with pretrial motions and to monitor legal issues as they arose. I wasn’t in court daily, but I didn’t need to be—the case was televised locally and available […]
Let me start with a confession: I don’t know exactly what artificial intelligence is. And I definitely don’t know what it will be a month—or a year—from now. That kind of humility feels important to say at the outset. Because this post isn’t about predictions. It’s about how our firm is using AI today, and […]
/wp-content/uploads/SK-Logo-Black-White.png00Scott Key/wp-content/uploads/SK-Logo-Black-White.pngScott Key2025-07-14 17:06:072025-07-14 17:06:07Briefs, Bots, and Balance: A Lawyer’s Honest Take on AI
A few years ago, my firm—a small one at the time—was hired to take on the biggest appeal we’d ever seen. It was the longest criminal trial in Georgia history. The transcript? Somewhere around 50,000 pages. There was no big-team bravado. Just me and an associate, acting as exclusive appellate counsel in consultation with trial […]
/wp-content/uploads/SK-Logo-Black-White.png00Scott Key/wp-content/uploads/SK-Logo-Black-White.pngScott Key2025-07-13 20:58:072025-07-13 20:58:07Scrappy By Design: How a Small Firm Tackled Georgia’s Longest Trial Transcript—And What it Means Today
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. […]
/wp-content/uploads/SK-Logo-Black-White.png00Scott Key/wp-content/uploads/SK-Logo-Black-White.pngScott Key2025-07-12 12:00:502025-07-12 12:04:03☕ The Coffee Note That Shaped My Trial Philosophy
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 […]
/wp-content/uploads/SK-Logo-Black-White.png00Scott Key/wp-content/uploads/SK-Logo-Black-White.pngScott Key2025-07-11 11:25:542025-07-11 11:25:54Discovery: From Manila Envelopes to Motion Practice
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 […]
/wp-content/uploads/SK-Logo-Black-White.png00Scott Key/wp-content/uploads/SK-Logo-Black-White.pngScott Key2025-07-10 12:57:492025-07-10 13:04:15From Horns of a Dilemma to Running the Table: Lessons from the Trial Trenches
https://scottkeylaw.com/wp-content/uploads/Jessica-Rock-Featured.jpg8681300admin/wp-content/uploads/SK-Logo-Black-White.pngadmin2024-10-09 12:51:272024-10-09 12:51:27The Importance of Prosecuting Animal Crimes with Jessica Rock
https://scottkeylaw.com/wp-content/uploads/Steve-Murrin-Featured.jpg8681300admin/wp-content/uploads/SK-Logo-Black-White.pngadmin2024-10-09 12:46:422024-10-09 12:46:42Building Up Your Client Base with Steve Murrin
https://scottkeylaw.com/wp-content/uploads/John-Miles-Featured.jpg8681300admin/wp-content/uploads/SK-Logo-Black-White.pngadmin2024-10-09 12:05:582024-10-09 12:42:18The Future of Mediation with John Miles
https://scottkeylaw.com/wp-content/uploads/attorney-Tom-Withers.jpg.png7201280admin/wp-content/uploads/SK-Logo-Black-White.pngadmin2024-10-09 11:51:102024-10-09 11:55:56Crafting a Cross Examination with Tom Withers
🎯 Why Embedded Appellate Counsel Matters—A Personal Reflection
/by Scott KeyAbout ten years ago, I served for the first time as embedded appellate counsel in a high-profile criminal case. Trial counsel brought me in early to assist with pretrial motions and to monitor legal issues as they arose. I wasn’t in court daily, but I didn’t need to be—the case was televised locally and available […]
Briefs, Bots, and Balance: A Lawyer’s Honest Take on AI
/by Scott KeyLet me start with a confession: I don’t know exactly what artificial intelligence is. And I definitely don’t know what it will be a month—or a year—from now. That kind of humility feels important to say at the outset. Because this post isn’t about predictions. It’s about how our firm is using AI today, and […]
Scrappy By Design: How a Small Firm Tackled Georgia’s Longest Trial Transcript—And What it Means Today
/by Scott KeyA few years ago, my firm—a small one at the time—was hired to take on the biggest appeal we’d ever seen. It was the longest criminal trial in Georgia history. The transcript? Somewhere around 50,000 pages. There was no big-team bravado. Just me and an associate, acting as exclusive appellate counsel in consultation with trial […]
☕ The Coffee Note That Shaped My Trial Philosophy
/by Scott KeyNegotiation 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. […]
Discovery: From Manila Envelopes to Motion Practice
/by Scott KeyIn 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 […]
From Horns of a Dilemma to Running the Table: Lessons from the Trial Trenches
/by Scott KeyThis 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 […]
The Importance of Prosecuting Animal Crimes with Jessica Rock
/by adminBuilding Up Your Client Base with Steve Murrin
/by adminThe Future of Mediation with John Miles
/by adminCrafting a Cross Examination with Tom Withers
/by admin