Coopers' Code

In this episode of Coopers' Code, Miles Cooper sits down with Andrea Posey and Corey Jollie, Coopers LLP, to unpack the Lockhart trucking case: a catastrophic crash on Portland, Oregon’s Fremont Bridge that left 37-year-old Air Force veteran Richard Lockhart with permanent T4 paraplegia after a Freightliner driver — fatigued and operating far beyond federal hours-of-service limits — slammed in...

Apple Podcasts & Spotify listeners: this episode features visual content. For a full experience, consider watching it on YouTube at this link: https://youtu.be/NvWADc6TnGA?si=5E8vI9HeZ0yRrEoJ Since our Monday drop day lined up with May 4th we decided to celebrate a day that has come to be known as May the Fourth Be With You, a nod to Star Wars. In this episode we look at the way of the Jedi La...

In Part 1 of this conversation, Nina shared the experiences that shaped her as a lawyer, from growing up in Kyiv during the Soviet era to building a plaintiff-side trial practice in California. She and Miles discussed discipline, preparation, authenticity in the courtroom, gender dynamics in litigation, motherhood, and what her time on the bench taught her about lawyers, courts, and the justice sy...

I’m very excited for this conversation with Nina Shapirshteyn, a partner at Abramson Smith Waldsmith LLP and one of California's most decorated plaintiff's trial lawyers. Nina represents individuals and families in serious injury and wrongful death cases, with a proven trial record. Nina was named Trial Lawyer of the Year by the San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association after securing a $79.8 millio...

In this episode of Coopers’ Code , Miles Cooper and Shahrad Milanfar look at how artificial intelligence is starting to move from theory into real legal and institutional settings. They discuss Los Angeles Superior Court’s reported AI pilot, Contra Costa County’s beta chatbot for court users, and the broader question of what happens when legal systems begin relying on tools that can summarize, ass...

As Coopers’ Code takes a short spring break, we’re bringing back a conversation from the archives that remains as powerful and relevant as ever. Full episode here: - Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsrwuaXxneEaXa6lIR8Zw5BLdH0MoCRDn - Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/parking-while-black-%2411m-civil-rights-verdict-after/id1679622653?i=1000715124275 - Spotify: ht...

As Coopers’ Code takes a short spring break, we’re bringing back a conversation from the archives that feels especially useful for anyone spending long hours at a desk. Full episode here: - Youtube: ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsrwuaXxneEbAcvmNbukp2dDx_4WqhMth⁠ - Apple Podcast:⁠ ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lawyers-burnout-mobility-tips-for-staying-healthy-with/id1679622653?...

In this episode of Coopers’ Code, Miles Cooper continues the conversation with Peter Kirk, pivoting into the higher-exposure realities of claims handling. Peter breaks down how big files get assigned and valued, what shifts the number in complex injury cases like TBI, and how reserves move as new facts and records come in. They then get tactical about mediation mechanics, what changes when trial b...

In Part 1 of this two-part conversation on Coopers’ Code, Miles Cooper sits down with Peter Kirk, discussing Peter’s decades-long career as a claims representative and how claims actually get evaluated from the carrier side. They walk through what makes and breaks a claim, what information moves the number early, and where communication gaps and misunderstandings between plaintiff lawyers and carr...

In this episode of Coopers’ Code , Miles Cooper is joined by regulars Marshall Cole and Shahrad Milanfar for another installment of This Month in Legal AI . The conversation shifts from how lawyers use AI to how AI itself is becoming central to litigation. The group explores AI as a potential product liability defendant in medical device cases, including a surgical system whose malfunction rate sp...

I’m very excited for this lien reduction strategy episode with Tim Michael, Pre-Litigation Manager at Coopers and lien Jedi master. Some folks do crossword puzzles or Wordle - Tim seems to have found his happy place in finding inconsistencies between health insurance contracts and the statutes they seek to avoid when claiming an interest in our clients’ recoveries. We discuss some ways to tackle l...

In Part 2 of this conversation on Coopers’ Code, Miles Cooper and Todd Schneider pivot from trial execution to leadership, culture, and the long-term business of law. If you missed Part 1, stream it here: - Youtube: https://youtu.be/ea7JMNqyyF8 - Apple Podcasts:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-lawyer-with-a-programmers-mindset-with-todd-schneider/id1679622653?i=1000750142434 - Spotify:...

In Part 1 of this two-part conversation on Coopers’ Code, Miles Cooper sits down with Todd Schneider for a deep dive into how elite trial lawyers think about preparation, systems, and execution. Before founding Schneider Wallace Cottrell Kim LLP, Todd supplemented his income during law school as a database programmer. That early exposure to process and systems became a defining advantage when he e...

In this episode of Coopers’ Code , Miles Cooper with Shahrad Milanfar discuss the latest developments in AI and their legal implications. The conversation spans high-profile social media addiction litigation, including the prospect of Mark Zuckerberg testifying at trial, growing concerns over AI-driven content moderation, and the consolidation of power across major technology platforms. They also...

In this episode of Coopers’ Code, Miles Cooper continues with Mike Laurenson and Mollie Burks, of Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani, LLP, as the discussion moves from foundations to the courtroom. The episode centers on what happens when preparation meets pressure, and how experienced trial lawyers make decisions when the stakes are real.  If you missed Part 1, stream it here: - Youtube: https://youtu...

I’m very excited for this two-part conversation with the employment defense world’s power couple, Mollie Burks and Michael Laurenson. Both have decades at Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani, each establishing themselves in their own ways. Mollie rose from the tiny town of Tuolumne in California’s gold country to being co-managing partner for Gordon Rees’s Northern California region, developing a reputa...

In this episode of Coopers’ Code, Miles Cooper breaks down one of Larry Kern’s most memorable voir dire tools, the Jurometer. Sparked by a listener question, the discussion revisits Kern’s courtroom technique of using a simple object, often a stapler, to help jurors safely acknowledge bias in a way that feels natural, human, and even humorous. Miles walks through how the Jurometer works in real ti...

In our previous episode, we sat down with Jeff Mitchell - a San Francisco-based medical malpractice trial lawyer partner at Mitchell Leeds LLP - to talk about his path into trial law, jury selection strategy, courtroom psychology, and the mindset behind winning difficult medical malpractice cases. If you missed Part 1, stream it here:  - Youtube: https://youtu.be/5a5UZ7pKVd4 - Apple Podcasts: http...

In this episode of Coopers’ Code, Miles Cooper sits down with Jeff Mitchell, a San Francisco-based medical malpractice trial lawyer and partner at Mitchell Leeds LLP.  Jeff has secured the two largest medical malpractice verdicts in California history, holds record verdicts in multiple counties, and has resolved approximately $500 million on behalf of malpractice clients across California, Arizona...

As Coopers’ Code takes a short holiday break, we’re bringing back a conversation that remains as powerful and necessary as ever. A mother and her two daughters were handcuffed and detained for nearly an hour in a parking lot while doing absolutely nothing wrong. No probable cause. No matching description. No apology. What followed became the Loggervale case, also known as the “Parking While Black”...

In Part 2 of this after action review, Miles Cooper and Brett Schreiber, Partner at Singleton Schreiber take us inside the courtroom to show how strategy, clarity, and pressure shaped a record verdict. If you missed Part 1, stream it here: - Youtube: https://youtu.be/iYF4EURNLWc - Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tesla-on-trial-%24329-000-000-autopilot-judgment-with/id16796226...

In this two-part after action review, Miles Cooper sits down with Brett Schreiber, Partner at Singleton Schreiber, to break down the first jury verdict holding Tesla liable for an Autopilot defect. In August 2025, a Florida federal jury issued a unanimous 329 million dollar judgment, including 243 million in compensatory damages, placing the result among the largest individual plaintiff outcomes i...

In the recurring AI conversation series, regulars Marshall Cole, Shahrad Milanfar, and Miles Cooper are joined by Spencer Pahlke, Walkup partner and mock trial expert, who breaks down qualitative insights drawn from AI use and mock trial success. The conversation highlights prompting strategy, tool reliability, the limits of AI in predicting juries, and how human judgment continues to shape real t...

In this final chapter of Coopers' Code: Lifecycle of a Case series , Miles Cooper breaks down what happens after a case resolves: court-approved minors’ compromises, how to choose the right vehicle for protecting a child’s settlement, when special needs trusts are necessary, and the realities of lien resolution. Miles also walks through distribution reports, exit interviews, and the practical...

In this episode of Coopers' Code, Miles Cooper welcomes back Shaana Rahman: a distinguished trial lawyer, cycling advocate, and all-around force for justice. Together they unpack the world of amicus briefs, the impact of the California Supreme Court’s recent cycling decision, and the evolving legal challenges around rideshare companies and protective orders. The conversation explores how publi...