Humans, it turns out, are lousy students. Our brains struggle with Western learning techniques. We, in every society around the globe, prefer the campfire of our caveman ancestors and learning by being told stories—just ask any five-year-old if she prefers school or a bedtime story.
Real estate brokers and agents, their clients, and sometimes even their lawyers are no different.
Ask most of those same people (the brokers, agents, and clients—not the five-year-old) if they have any interest in being told about a case from the California Court of Appeal, and they run, screaming for the hills. Case law, it seems, is no bedtime story.
I disagree.
We learn from stories. The War Story Wednesday videos, and the accompanying book I wrote called “War Story Wednesdays: A Trial Lawyer’s Tales from the Trenches” are a collection of stories, all of which are based on cases decided by the California courts, designed to teach us what to do and what not to do.
Each of the cases described in the book and in the War Story Wednesday videos is based on a true story. The cases involved real people who lost or gained real value as a result of a trial. Going through a trial, and then an appeal, is a serious thing. The emotional and financial tolls it takes on the participants can only be imagined by someone who hasn’t lived through it. For the participants, it is a nightmare turned real. For one side or the other, it is … a horror story.
But—stuffy case briefs are for the law library.
The book is for the shelf next to your desk, and the videos are meant to be a roughly 5 minute break that will make you smile. I’ve—well—taken some liberties. I’ve embellished. I’ve made these “entertaining.” Did I change any material fact? Nope. (At least, I don’t think so …) Did I give the cases flavor? You betcha. After all, I have to keep your attention, don’t I?
Read. Watch. Enjoy. The errors are ALL mine and mine alone. And if you want to buy the book, click on the image of the book above.
