Sari Swears

You're spending your voir dire on the wrong thing. And it's not subtle. You're trying to get ahead of the defense's argument—funneling defense points, repeating their story, mapping out everything wrong with what they might bring up. Meanwhile, your jury is soaking up defense point after defense point. That's the problem. Because what you give airtime to, they give weight to. In this week's podcast, I break down the 4 topics you should avoid in voir dire, because they quietly hand power to the other side (even when you think you're doing it right). Love, Sari P.S. If you want to go deeper on this, join me LIVE on May 28th for my Beyond the Book Webinar. I'll walk you through the H2H Method™ and how it actually works in real cases and you can even bring your own case for live feedback. Register NOW → sariswears.com/webinar

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 👉🏽 What shifted when he focused on the internal work (not just trial tactics) 👉🏽 Why loving trial is very different from simply getting through trial It's a grounded, honest conversation about growth, professionally and personally, and what it REALLY takes to keep getting better in this work. If you care about mastery, you'll want to listen. Tune in NOW! 🎧 Love, Sari Quote: "I could do all the trial techniques in the world. I could memorize other people's openings and copy their moves. But none of it would matter until I fixed myself. When I didn't trust the jury, when I didn't trust myself, that came through — in my tone, in my body language, in my eyes. And if they don't trust you, they shouldn't trust you. The shift for me was learning to believe that I am just as deserving, capable, and worthy as anyone else — not better, not worse. Once I stopped tying verdicts to my worth, everything changed." Michael Cowen Trial Lawyer Nation Podcast: https://triallawyernation.com/ Can't get enough of me? Connect with me here: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saridelamotte/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SariSwears Watch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SariDLM Free FB Group for Plaintiff & Criminal Defense Attorneys https://www.facebook.com/groups/fromhostagetohero/

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 systemic failure 👉🏽 And what it really takes to walk into a courtroom prepared — not hoping for luck This is REAL trial work, real verdicts ($26.5M, $21M), and real growth. This is the stuff NO one teaches in law school and very few people are willing to say out loud. If you've felt that pull toward trial or you KNOW you're capable of more… Tune in NOW! 🎧 Love, Sari Quote: "If you've got 150 cases, you're never going to excel at trial work. You just can't do all the things you need to do to prepare properly. That's why we keep our caseload small—so we can actually do the work." Tom D'Amore Can't get enough of me? Connect with me here: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saridelamotte/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SariSwears Watch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SariDLM Free FB Group for Plaintiff & Criminal Defense Attorneys https://www.facebook.com/groups/fromhostagetohero/

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 structure, and show them exactly how to do their job. We're talking: 🚨 Why themes beat facts at the end 🚨 The part most lawyers skip (and shouldn't) 🚨 How to turn jurors from hostages into heroes If your closing feels heavy, forced, or flat… this might be why. Tune in NOW! 🎧 Love, Sari Quote: "The purpose of closing is not to re-argue the evidence or shove more facts into jurors' brains. At that point, they're already overloaded. The real purpose of closing is to empower the jury to take action — to give them structure, tools, and confidence so they know exactly how to do their job and trust themselves enough to do it." Sari Can't get enough of me? Connect with me here: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saridelamotte/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SariSwears Watch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SariDLM Free FB Group for Plaintiff & Criminal Defense Attorneys https://www.facebook.com/groups/fromhostagetohero/

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 down: ⚡ Why goals alone don't work ⚡ Why "doing more" keeps you stuck ⚡ Why everything shifts when you decide who you are first If you want different results this year, don't write a longer to-do list… Decide who the hell you are. Then act like it. The rest follows. Tune in NOW! 🎧 Love, Sari Resource: jamesclear.com/identity-based-habits Quote: "We think we have to have the thing before we can do the things and then finally be the person. It has never worked that way. You decide who you are first. Then you do the things. Then you get the results." Sari de la Motte Can't get enough of me? Connect with me here: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saridelamotte/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SariSwears Watch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SariDLM Free FB Group for Plaintiff & Criminal Defense Attorneys https://www.facebook.com/groups/fromhostagetohero/

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 👉🏽 How fear bloats your opening and blurs your story 👉🏽 Why isolation lies to you about everyone else having it together 👉🏽 How your saboteur plays its favorite holiday reruns 👉🏽 What it really takes to trust yourself again If you've been carrying too much into this season, consider this your permission to put some of it down. Tune in NOW! 🎧 Love, Sari Quote: "Your saboteur is going to try to throw all these things at you that you're never going to be able to achieve. You have to notice it showing up and say, 'I know you're here, but I don't need that right now.' It all starts with awareness—it starts with changing the way you think." Coach K Can't get enough of me? Connect with me here: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saridelamotte/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SariSwears Watch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SariDLM Free FB Group for Plaintiff & Criminal Defense Attorneys https://www.facebook.com/groups/fromhostagetohero/

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 how to: ✅ Separate price from value in voir dire, opening, and closing ✅ Use stand-in language and metaphor to anchor your ask ✅ Reframe the jury's role so they stop thinking they're buying something and start seeing what their number really represents If you've ever struggled to confidently ask for a big number… This one is for YOU. Tune in NOW! 🎧 Love, Sari 💖 P.S. I threw in the 3 questions I use in closing to reframe damages every time. You can thank me later. Quote: "You're not pricing the pain. You're pricing the value of relieving that pain. You're pricing the value of reclaiming your life. What would you pay to get that back? That's what you're asking the jury to consider." Sari Can't get enough of me? Connect with me here: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saridelamotte/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SariSwears Watch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SariDLM Free FB Group for Plaintiff & Criminal Defense Attorneys https://www.facebook.com/groups/fromhostagetohero/

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 repetition, when done right, is one of the most powerful teaching tools you have. In the episode, I break down: 🗣️Why repetition builds neural pathways and increases recall 🗣️How to use repetition throughout voir dire, opening, and closing 🗣️The difference between GOOD repetition (strategic) and BAD repetition (nervous rambling) And I walk you through exactly where in trial you should be repeating key phrases, hooks, gestures, and more. Because when jurors hear it again and again it STICKS. And if it sticks, they carry it into the verdict room. Tune in NOW! 🎧 Love, Sari Quote: "If you want the jury to remember something, you have to be willing to say it over and over and over again. Not just in voir dire, not just in opening, not just in closing—but throughout the entire trial. Because repetition creates neural pathways. That's how the brain works. Repetition is how we learn, how we connect, how we remember. And if you're not repeating your most important points? You're leaving the jury with nothing to hold onto." -- Sari Can't get enough of me? Connect with me here: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saridelamotte/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SariSwears Watch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SariDLM Free FB Group for Plaintiff & Criminal Defense Attorneys https://www.facebook.com/groups/fromhostagetohero/