There is nothing any of us can do to turn back the hands of time. If you’re paralyzed, or brain damage, or your bones are irretrievably broken, there is simply nothing we can do to reverse that damage. But, we can tell stories.
Big jury verdicts are nothing more than validations of these stories. Juries tell clients: “I see you, I hear you, I’m trying to understand what you’re going through, I want to help support you, we don’t want to see this happen to anyone else.”
Can you imagine a more powerful moment?
We often say that we are therapists as much as we are lawyers. Law school doesn’t teach you how to talk to people who have suffered a catastrophic and permanent injury, or those who have lost a loved one. And that is why so many attorneys in the profession don’t have the “bedside manner” needed for people to feel safe and comfortable.