More Likely Than Not

Jury trial consultant Jesse Wilson built his victim-to-victor framework not in a courtroom, but in a prison theater program, where removing judgment became the key to authentic communication. A former Julliard-trained actor turned full-time trial consultant for nearly 15 years, Jesse now travels the country helping lawyers reach record verdicts, drawing on his two books. He joins host Charla Aldous to explain why a wi...

Most lawyers build their case around closing argument — but the trial is already decided long before that. Shane Read, jury consultant, trial trainer, and author of six books on trial advocacy, joins host Charla Aldous to break down the brain science of trial storytelling. A former assistant U.S. attorney who tried more than 100 jury trials in 30 years, Shane explains why modern juries — digital natives and digital immi...

Private investigation isn't just for criminal law — it's how plaintiff attorneys win before they ever file. Caleb Miller hosts Mike Thompson, founder of Ideal Intel, a Texas-based investigation firm. A former Liverpool police officer turned surveillance specialist, Mike now works exclusively with plaintiff law firms on personal injury and wrongful death cases. The conversation covers evidence preservation window...

The key to winning a big verdict in a wrongful death case often lies in showing jurors the opposite of big money: scarcity. What is it that the decedent didn’t have? It could have been the last lick of ice cream. Or getting their affairs in order. Whether they were 20 or 80, they lost valuable parts of life. Dirk Vandever suggests that the job of the plaintiff’s lawyer is to put a value on that scarcity. In this ...

Here’s the scenario: Jarrett Stone and counsel for a major insurance company are emailing each other. One of them is sitting in a massive high-rise. The other is in his sweats in a converted attic office space. If you guessed that Jarrett is the second one, you’d be right. “It’s kind of trippy…” he says in this conversation with hosts Caleb Miller and Eleanor Aldous. The fou...

"The best advice for a trial lawyer is: this is not about you," says Meg Simonian, a medical malpractice trial lawyer practicing in Alaska who has navigated some of the most challenging trial conditions in the country. Meg joins host Charla Aldous to discuss building a career in a state with restrictive caps on non-economic damages — and how she pushes past those limits. She shares her hard-won strategies for tr...

“He has threatened to commit a mass shooting.” An Army reservist texted those chilling words to the commanding officer about Robert Card, a fellow reservist. Tragically, Card followed through on his threat at a Maine bowling alley. Today, Ben Gideon is leading claims against the U.S. Army and Army Reserve for failing to take steps to stop the risk that Card presented. “Part of our thinking in this case and ...

How do you go from prosecuting a fish snagger (yup, it’s a crime) in your first jury trial to becoming a personal injury trial legend? Rick Friedman reveals all in this candid discussion with the host. The author of influential books, including “Rules of the Road,” shares hard-won wisdom about building a successful plaintiff's practice. You don’t necessarily need to be the smartest one in the courtroom, he s...

Sach Oliver and his team were taking depositions on a mega-trial when it hit him: “Oh, my gosh. This is not a discovery deposition! This deposition is what the jury will watch someday!” The game-changing breakthrough led to his transformative approach to trial and his book “Depositions Are Trial.” Tune in to learn how Sach puts insights into practice, in this conversation with host Caleb Miller. Stay tuned f...

“The neat thing about studying lots of cases is you see what works and what doesn't,” says John Campbell in this visit with host Charla Aldous, where he and his wife, Alicia Campbell, reflect on their journey pioneering the use of big data jury reports. Fresh from their 1,300th study, the Campbells share trends they’ve documented along the way. As Alicia explains, big data helps attorneys by showing how different ...

Mark Mandell was winning lots of cases in the 1970s and ‘80s. Then came the ‘90s, and he noticed he had lost some cases he should have won. As he studied the “why” behind his losses, he experimented with different models until he came upon one that worked: case framing, a system that coordinates every element of trial preparation and presentation. He has since written two groundbreaking books about this mode...

“If you're not doing live focus groups before you do your trials, I think you are committing malpractice.” Sean Claggett, founder of Claggett & Sykes and co-author of “JuryBall,” didn’t say that when he launched his organized focus group program in 2010. He says it now. In this conversation with hosts Charla Aldous, Caleb Miller, and Eleanor Aldous, Sean explains why. Big data has revolutionized hi...

No job, no money, no future. It seemed like a common chapter in Jim Perdue Sr.’s life at the time. But that was after graduating from law school, and Jim’s story would change. Six decades later, the "Father of Texas Courtroom Storytelling” reflects on his remarkable journey from poverty to becoming one of America's most celebrated trial attorneys with host Charla Aldous. Tune in for his insights about his childhoo...

This in-house episode features hosts Charla Aldous, Caleb Miller, and Eleanor Aldous, who expand on a CLE presentation Charla gave to the Dallas Trial Lawyers Association earlier this year. In that CLE, Charla shared six essential tips for young lawyers; here, the trio broadens the focus to all lawyers. Tune in as they explore each lesson in depth: 1. be authentic, 2. be bold and confident, 3. keep it simple, 4. pick up the phone, ...

Artificial intelligence is revolutionizing jury selection. Robert Hirschhorn and Lisa Blue – longtime friends and frequent collaborators – explain how. Robert and Lisa, legendary jury consultants, focus the discussion on VerdictHub, an AI-driven survey platform that Robert founded and that Lisa uses. “You get basically 1,200 digital jurors giving you feedback for $3,000,” Robert says, adding that the platfor...

Undersized, undermanned, but gritty, the Fresno State University football team that Brian Panish played for was competitive – and victorious. As the first guest on “More Likely Than Not,” Brian reflects on how lessons from the gridiron inform his legendary career in the courtroom. One of those lessons is teamwork, and Brian explains to host Charla Aldous that while he may get credit as the “quarterback,&rdqu...

The pilot episode of “More Likely Than Not” takes you back in time to a year when the small Aldous Law firm won four eight-figure verdicts totalling $114.6 million. Award-winning trial lawyer and firm founder Charla Aldous and Caleb Miller unpack each case in a conversation guided by Eleanor Aldous. To prevail against Honda, they created this demonstration to show a dangerous design flaw in seatbelts. Result: $37.6 mill...

“More likely than not”—that .01%—is all it takes to tip the scales of justice. Join us as Inner Circle legend Charla Aldous, Eleanor Aldous, and Caleb Miller walk you through the critical moments, big decisions, and bold strategies that win high-stakes cases and show you how to turn that .01% into a game-changing verdict. You’re listening to the podcast where winning is…More Likely Than Not.

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