In the most "far out" podcast yet, Jonathan sits down with Gary Smith.  Gary is America's foremost authorities on psychedelic law.  Gary advises companies and organizations around the country on matters related to drug laws and treaties.  Gary has authored numerous books including, Psychedelica Lex and Psychedelic Arizona.   Gary co-founded Guidant Law in Phoenix, Arizona, is general counsel for the Peyote Way Church of God, and has an obsession with cinnamon.  Gary is currently working on the Uniform Plant and Fungi Medicine Act which will hopefully lay the groundwork for the legalization of psychedelics.  

To reach Gary:  [email protected]  or check out his podcast:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/psychedelica-lex/id1566191928 

To buy one of his books:  https://www.psychedelicalex.com/books/

To get your hands on Penzey Cinnamon:  https://www.penzeys.com/online-catalog/penzeys-cinnamon-ground/c-24/p-967/pd-s

My friends Chrissy Hagen and Kaitlin Nares recently opened Hagen Nares in Denver, Colorado.  Hagen Nares is a modern law firm that sprouted out of The Great Resignation.  Chrissy and Kaitlin both worked for a large law firm in Colorado, where they struggled to strike a good work-life balance.  They also looked 10 years into the future and realized that the legal profession was going to look entirely different than it does now.  Together they launched Hagen Nares, a women owned law firm focusing on personal injury and civil rights.  This is a great interview with two dynamic humans.  Enjoy.

Website:  https://hntriallaw.com

Contact:  https://hntriallaw.com/contact-us/ or 720-772-8513

In 2014, Cynthia Pigott made history by sitting on the longest civil trial ever held in Manhattan, NY.  In 2021 she published her vivid memoir, Diary of a Mad Juror:  An Inside Look at a Record-Breaking Wrongful-Death Trial that fell Short of the Truth.  Cynthia provides a firsthand look at the wrongful-death case that led to a whopping ninety-six-million–dollar verdict.  More telling is what Cynthia discovered after the civil trial had ended, what the criminal case revealed, and why the courtroom is not the place to look for the truth.  

To purchase a copy of the book:  https://www.amazon.com/Diary-Mad-Juror-Breaking-Wrongful-Death-ebook/dp/B09CLQXG8M

To reach Cynthia:  [email protected] 

In the aftermath of unthinkable loss, shock, uncertainty, and anger set in. Few understand this more than nationally recognized lawyer Kyle Bachus. Kyle gained first-hand knowledge of his clients’ experiences when his own mother was struck and killed in a crosswalk. Now, in Unthinkable, Kyle provides a practical roadmap for navigating a path that no one chooses. He takes you through the process in chronological order, from what to expect in the police investigation to your rights as a victim and claiming victim’s compensation. You’ll gain the tools you need to handle numerous issues and unforeseen questions in the aftermath of tragedy, including insight into your options for holding those at fault accountable through the civil justice system. An invaluable asset for anyone struggling with next steps (or knows someone who is), Unthinkable is the guidance you need to control what you can, gain peace of mind, and focus on what truly counts.

To purchase a copy of the book:  

https://www.amazon.com/Unthinkable-Answers-Families-Confronting-Catastrophic/dp/1544527942 or https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/unthinkable-j-kyle-bachus/1140874329?ean=9781544527956

To learn more about Kyle:  https://www.kylebachus.com/

To reach Kyle:  [email protected]

On February 7, 2022, trial attorney Grant Gehrmann sent out an email to a list of plaintiff attorneys. Dubbed “the post,” this email challenged traditional norms and offered a musing on the idea of mediation. Grant took the position that engaging in mediation can actually hurt your case. Grant’s email was met with a firestorm of responses from attorneys all over the country. I invited Grant onto the show to talk about mediations, his post and why unorthodox approaches should be embraced not shunned.

Grant Gehrmann can be reached at:

Grant A. Gehrmann
[email protected]
203 SE Park Plaza Dr., #215
Vancouver, WA 98684
(360) 253-3667 - Telephone
(360) 253-3135 - Facsimile

Wesley Thysse Msc. joins the show to discuss the Whitepaper that he authored in 2018 titled: The Decentralized Legal System.  In this paper, Wesley offers a construct of how to develop a legal framework within a decentralized ecosystem.  In a sense, this Whitepaper creates a bridge between cyberspace and the real world to allow for enforcement of dispute resolution.  More thought-provoking is the idea that this Whitepaper envisions a world governed by decentralized law.  

Wesley can be reached at:  https://decentralizedlegalsystem.com

or on Twitter at:  @Decentral_Law 

Professor Bryant Walker Smith is one of the world’s leading legal experts on transportation technologies, and his research focuses on issues of risk and trust in new technologies, especially automated driving systems and unmanned aerial systems. As automated vehicle technology move towards level 4 and 5 of automation, the idea of risk analysis is front and center. How do minimal risk conditions (MRC) factor into the future of this technology and should there be better standards regarding expected risk? More simply put, it might be time to rethink the relationship between the MRC and the automated driving system to allow for environmental consideration.

Links:

https://newlypossible.org/wiki/Home

https://twitter.com/bwalkersmith?s=20

https://www.uber.com/us/en/elevate/

https://virginhyperloop.com

Nick Rowley, Courtney Rowley and Daniel Bidegaray join Jonathan to talk about Loss of Consortium. Loss of consortium is a standalone claim for damages brought by the spouse (and sometimes children) of an individual who been injured or killed as a result of a defendant's negligence. Think loss of love and affection from your spouse because they were injured. Nick and Courtney tried a case in Bakersfield back in September of 2021 and obtained a multi-million dollar verdict for Loss of Consortium. Nick goes as far as to do an actual role play of how you talk to potential jurors during Voir Dire (jury selection) about a Loss of Consortium claim.

Mike Alder, the founder of AlderLaw, is one of the best trial attorneys in California.  Mike and his team have recovered more than $1.7 billion dollars for their clients.  Jonathan sat down with Mike to talk about how to ask juries for large verdicts.  In addition to sage advice on damages, Mike offers insights into the future of injury law, how helping others without an expectation in return will come back tenfold, and how creating positive habits along with an intentional purpose in stress reduction can lead to a happy and healthier life.

Jonathan chats with TurnSignl co-founder Jazz Hampton.  Jazz and his team developed the TurnSignl app to connect users with attorneys in real-time.  Minnesota-based TurnSignl is an on-demand service that provides 24/7 legal guidance from an attorney to drivers while their camera records the interaction. When drivers are stopped by law enforcement officers or involved in a car accident, they can access live video chat with an attorney at the press of a button or voice command. TurnSignl attorneys are vetted and trained to de-escalate interactions between police, drivers, and passengers.  Learn more about TurnSignl by going to:  www.turnsignl.com.

Jonathan is joined by nationally recognized jury consultant Harry Plotkin.  Harry has picked over 1,000 juries that have delivered over $500 million dollars in verdicts.  Harry talks about how to get a fair and impartial jury and even gives a tip or two on how to get out of jury duty.  To connect with Harry you can visit his website at:  yournextjury.com.