Last Friday, I spoke at a workers’ compensation seminar in Birmingham. If you have read this blog in the past, then you know my strong feelings that lawyers should be life-long students of their legal specialty. That’s why our firm members routinely teach at seminars on topics involving personal injury, workers’ compensation, defective products, experts and trials. I’ve also been candid in my past blog posts that lawyers who populate billboard and television advertisements diminish the legal profession and too often harm clients. We even have a law firm in Huntsville now advertising on billboards for injury clients it secretly intends to refer for profit to another firm. In my opinion, that is dishonest and unethical. But, let me get back to the topic of this post — last week’s workers’ compensation seminar.
I believe this recent workers’ compensation seminar was one of the best yet. The credit for planning the seminar goes to attorney David Nomberg of the Nomberg Law Firm in Birmingham. I’ve known David and his brother Bernard for years. They are among the best workers’ compensation attorneys in Alabama. Bernard and I began our careers (over two decades ago) at the same Birmingham trial law firm handling cases throughout Alabama. I’m thankful David invited me to speak at this seminar.
David asked me to speak on workers’ compensation trial strategies. I have tried these cases in counties throughout Alabama. I have a specific philosophy about workers’ compensation cases. My philosophy about workers’ compensation and general personal injury cases is simple — Clients deserve a lawyer who will prepare their case for trial. Many lawyers will not do that. Better preparation leads to better trials and better settlements.
When David asked me to speak, I joked that my strategy was simply to lower my head and run at the other side at full speed. Thankfully, David still let me speak. Jokes aside, I believe hurt clients need a real lawyer who prepares for trial. I believe the most pressing ethical issue facing our profession today is the explosion of billboard settlement mill lawyers. Real trial lawyers rarely exist on billboards or radio. Real trial lawyers exist in court, in deposition, in legal study and other activities, advancing the cases of their hurt clients where it really counts. I’ve included, below, a link to my written paper on workers’ compensation trial strategies. If we can help hurting clients, then I welcome discussions about the topic from other lawyers or interested people. If you are interested in reading my seminar paper on Workers’ Compensation Trial Strategy, click the image below of our office building:
At the Blackwell Law Firm, we want to provide legal commentary and information in our specialty. That’s why we publish this blog. In addition to our regular blog posts, we have published several in-depth articles using LinkedIn. Our LinkedIn articles include:
In addition to publishing full posts on this blog and longer articles on LinkedIn, I also periodically upload legal briefs to my JDSupra page (Click the Publication tab). Check out that page and you will find a number of interesting legal briefs I’ve written. Because many of our cases involve confidentiality orders, I’m often prohibited from uploading some of the most interesting briefs. I also do not publish briefs dealing with cases without permission. And, because we so frequently try workers’ compensation cases, I have uploaded just a small sample of the typical pre-trial brief we file in those cases.
At the Blackwell Law Firm, we believe in scholarship, preparation and hard work. That’s why I went to law school in the beginning. That’s why I decided to start this firm. If you have questions about a personal injury matter, feel free to email or call us. Consultations are always free and confidential. We are happy to provide advice in our legal specialty.
(256) 261-1315
