Sari Swears

I'm bringing this episode back because this question keeps coming up: "How do I explain my number for non-economic damages?" And here's the truth… You don't. At least not the way most attorneys try to. There is no real formula for non-economic damages. And when you try to force one… jurors can feel that it's not real. What they're actually looking for is much simpler: Do YOU believe the number you...

This is my most listened-to podcast episode… ever. 🤯 So I'm bringing it back. If you've ever thought: "I don't have enough time in voir dire" "This judge limits us" "I can't get through everything I want" This episode is for you. Because the truth is, you don't need more time. You need to focus on the right things. In this episode, I walk you through the three principles you MUST get from jurors:...

What if the issue isn't your case… but HOW you're thinking about the jury? Most lawyers won't say this out loud, but it's happening. You're asking the jury to do MORE than their job. Not just decide the case, but decide if you're good enough. If they rule in your favor → you feel validated. If they don't → you question everything. That's the trap. Because the jury's job is simple: hold bad actors...

One of our H2H™ crew members, Chrissy Hagen, recently tried a medical malpractice case that resulted in a defense verdict. After trial, she reached out with a great question: Should we be spending MORE time addressing defense points during trial? In this episode, we talk through: 👉🏽 The med mal case involving a delayed prostate cancer diagnosis 👉🏽 What Chrissy heard from jurors after the verdi...

What's actually motivating you in trial? 🤔 Is it love for your client? Love for justice? Love for the craft? Or is it fear? Fear of screwing up. Fear of missing something. Fear of not being good enough. In this week's episode, I'm back with Coach K talking about why so many trial attorneys are fueled by self-criticism and WHY that strategy quietly burns you out. We break down: 👉🏽 Why being hard...

Let's talk about the voice in your head. The one that says: "You should settle." "You're not ready." "If you lose, you're exposed." That's NOT wisdom. That's your saboteur and it's trying to keep you "safe." In this week's episode, I break down: 🤨 What the saboteur really is 🤨 Why your brain resists growth 🤨 The 7-step process to stop self-sabotaging your trials (BONUS: Free downloadable prep s...

You ever feel like your brain just… won't cooperate? 😣 You're overwhelmed . You're reactive . You're exhausted by 3:00 PM. You can't focus the way you know you should be able to. And then you beat yourself up for it. In this week's podcast, Coach K and I are talking about something that might hit closer to home than you expect: Why SO many trial lawyers operate like they have ADHD (even if they d...

Michael was here in Portland for our January Masterclass… so of COURSE I had to take the opportunity to sit down with him in the podcast room. 😉 Michael Cowen is a trial lawyer, firm owner, author of Big Rig Justice, AND host of Trial Lawyer Nation. We talk about: 👉🏽 His path from Wall Street litigator to plaintiff trial lawyer 👉🏽 The evolution of his practice (and his firm) over the years 👉...

I'm joined by special guest Nate Cobb, a New Mexico-based trial lawyer who used to say, " I don't need that mindset stuff." Until a case forced him to find out the hard way that mindset isn't optional — it's EVERYTHING. In this episode, Nate breaks down a recent case that settled mid-trial for $17.5 million and exactly what made the difference when the pressure was on. We talk about: 👉🏽 Why igno...

One decision changed Tom D'Amore's (one of my FAVORITE clients) entire practice: He stopped being "great at settling cases"… and became a trial beast. In this episode, Tom and I break down what actually shifted everything: 👉🏽 Why lawyers who don't try cases get paid less, even when they settle 👉🏽 How fewer cases created bigger results 👉🏽 Why most serious cases aren't about one bad actor, but...

Here's what I see all the time in trial openings: 😴 Same tone 😴 Same pace 😴 Same energy  The WHOLE way through…  And THAT'S the problem. In trial, you're always doing one of three things: 👉🏽 Teaching 👉🏽 Storytelling 👉🏽 Dealing with resistance Each one needs a different energy. Teaching should FEEL electric. Storytelling should FEEL like a movie. Dealing with resistance requires calm & con...

Hot take: Closing is NOT your last chance to re-argue the evidence. By the time you stand up, jurors are overloaded, stressed, and terrified of getting it wrong. And piling on more facts? That's not helping. Closing has one job 👉 empower the jury to act. In this week's Sari Swears podcast 🎙️, I break down the 8 ingredients every closing needs — the pieces that calm juror brain threat, give them s...

If delegating feels risky and holding on feels exhausting, this episode will hit home. On the podcast this week, I'm joined by Coach K and Meredith Berg , an EOS Implementer, to talk about the real reason running your firm feels so damn heavy — and what ACTUALLY fixes it. 🎯 We get into: 👉🏽 Why delegation fails (even when you want to let go) 👉🏽 How accountability (not micromanagement) creates...

This year will look EXACTLY like last year unless something deeper changes. MOST people don't fail because they lack discipline or ambition. They fail because they're chasing results instead of identity. You don't want the verdict. You want the feeling you think comes with it. And here's the part no one wants to admit: Willpower is trash. It runs out. Every time. In this week's podcast, I break do...

If you're a trial lawyer, you've probably been told some version of this: 🚫 "Don't be arrogant." 🚫 "Stay humble." 🚫 "Let the work speak for itself." Sounds right… until it starts shrinking how you show up. In this week's podcast, Coach K and I talk directly to YOU about a mindset trap we see all the time — the humble saboteur 🧠. It's the voice that tells you: 🗣️ "Don't own that win too much."...

The year is winding down. Trials are slowing. Your brain is STILL going a mile a minute. This week on Sari Swears, I'm joined by guest speaker Coach K for a conversation that feels like hitting the reset button before the new year. We talk through the mindset traps that quietly wear trial lawyers down and what to do about them. We Break Down: 👉🏽 Why chasing "100% prepared" keeps you stuck 👉🏽 H...

Have you ever felt COMPLETELY drained by this work… even when everything is technically "going fine"? Not just tired, but heavy ? That's exactly what we're talking about this week on Sari Swears and Coach K is back with me for this episode. We're diving into secondary trauma — the kind you absorb from: 👉🏽 The cases 👉🏽 The injuries 👉🏽 The families 👉🏽 The devastation It doesn't just affect y...

Let's talk about money. Specifically: what money can buy... and what it can't. That distinction? It's everything in trial. And it's everything when it comes to damages. Economic damages? You've got bills, life care plans, receipts… Non-economic? You're asking the jury to put a number on grief. On lost joy. On the inability to hold your child again. In this podcast episode, I'll show you EXACTLY ho...

If you're anything like I was a few years ago… You're doing everything . You're hustling. You're building. And you're running a successful business. BUT , you STILL feel trapped. That's because you're operating like a solopreneur , not an entrepreneur . (Spoiler: one burns out, the other builds a team.) In this week's podcast, I'm sharing something outside of the trial world, but essential to your...

Do you ever catch yourself repeating things in trial and worry it's too much? Let me stop you right there: it's NOT too much. In fact, you probably need to repeat yourself MORE . This week's podcast episode is all about how intentional repetition helps your jurors: ✔️ Understand your case ✔️ Remember your core messages ✔️ Trust YOU Too many attorneys are afraid of sounding redundant. But repetitio...

You ever meet someone and think, "Oh, they're about to break wide open." That was PI attorney Shaun Lieser. When he first joined our H2H world, he was smart (still is) , capable (still is) , and honestly?  A little stuck. Then he FLIPPED the switch. Inside the episode, we talk about: 👉🏽 Why wanting to be liked is killing your presence in court 👉🏽 The moment Shaun realized voir dire isn't all a...

Ever been in a conversation that went sideways fast? 🫣 You had good intentions… but suddenly it felt like you were speaking different languages? Yeah. Been there. That's WHY I'm dropping this week's episode: How to Master Difficult Conversations: The Tool I Swear By. It's based on a life-changing framework I got from my very first coach and I still use it TO. THIS. DAY (yeah it's that good) . Lea...

If instinct is your only strategy in the courtroom, you've already lost ground. This week's episode might ruffle a few feathers. Because I'm calling BS on the myth of "natural trial talent." You know the one. 😉 The idea that great trial lawyers are just BORN that way.  That some people just have it. Instincts are a starting point.  BUT they'll only take you so far.  If you're not practicing, real...

If you've ever found yourself spiraling mid-trial, wondering "am I doing this right?" — this episode is for you. Because here's the truth:  ⚡️ There is no "right." ⚡️ You can't perform your way to presence. ⚡️ You can't think your way into connection. You have to practice being present. In this episode, I share 7 ways to step out of your head and into the courtroom with power and presence.  Her...

We've all done it. Sat at our desk, typing out an opening statement word-for-word, hoping it'll somehow click once we're standing in court. But here's the thing: The way you practice is the way you'll perform. And if you're only rehearsing in your head, hunched over a keyboard, your brain's gonna BAIL on you the moment you stand up. In this week's podcast episode, I'm breaking down how to FINALLY...