In this episode of “Celebrating Justice,” trial lawyer Daniel Schneiderman traces that arc from early Toastmasters triumphs and DA’s training to a deliberately client-first personal injury practice.

Daniel’s candid about what actually fuels his fire: living the case alongside clients, from hospital to courthouse steps, and doing high-quality work at a deliberately capped caseload so he can be present at every turn. “Small, hungry, and we know what we’re doing,” he says — not as a slogan, but as operating philosophy.

Schneiderman’s origin story is textured. The grandson of a NASA engineer who worked around the Mariner missions, he grew up seeing precision and curiosity modeled in the most practical ways — darkroom photography, notebooks dense with rocket-science math, even early GPS tinkering before the internet era. A different path was possible, even tempting, but the courtroom called. He loved English and writing, loved to present, loved the emotional resonance of a story well told. And there was a formative moment at home: after a freak blender accident injured his mother’s hand, he calmly took charge, asked “Whose fault was this?” and began to see how law touches real life.

In Southern California’s crowded PI market, he’s resisted the volume game. Instead of chasing leads with ads, he invests in reputation — relationships, thoughtful LinkedIn presence, and trust that compounds into referrals. That human-centered posture crystallized during a catastrophic-injury trial he worked with mentor Roger Dreyer.

Key Takeaways

• Client-first PI work scales on trust, not volume — cap caseloads to stay present and deliver quality.
• Mentorship in the heat of trial teaches the hardest lesson: separate lawyer ego from client decisions.
• Strong personal branding (done thoughtfully) compounds into organic referrals and immediate trust.
• Contingency work invites a gambler’s mindset; disciplined risk framing keeps the client in control.
• Today’s tools and mentors lower the barrier to launching or reinventing a legal practice.
• Total commitment — time, resources, and energy — is the hallmark of a true trial lawyer.

The Trial Lawyer's Journal is Presented by CloudLex and Lexvia.ai.

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In this episode of “Celebrating Justice,” trial lawyer Jeremy Citron, founder and partner at The Hurt Boss, traces an unconventional path to the courtroom — from dreaming of becoming a Major League Baseball umpire to finding his calling in personal injury law. The journey starts with a nudge from his father to take the LSAT “as a fallback,” turns into early academic momentum in law school, and then shifts through big-law training at Holland & Knight. A pivotal fellowship at Atlanta Legal Aid reframes everything. Perspective changes when you work with people who have nothing, he says — and the courtroom quickly becomes home.

Citron’s early trial reps at Legal Aid deepened through criminal defense work and even a stint as a part-time municipal prosecutor. The accumulation mattered: quick thinking, comfort on his feet, a taste for real trials. What ultimately sets him apart, he explains, isn’t perfection — it’s presence. “Nobody is expecting perfection in a trial. They’re just looking for a human presentation — someone who can get the client’s perspective across and engage the jury.” The goal, always: be the most authentic version of himself on his feet.

For his "Closing Argument," Citron closes with a clear charge to the plaintiff bar: embrace the role and the responsibility. “Trial lawyers help people who will never be able to speak for themselves because the system isn’t designed for them to do so.”

Key Takeaways

• Authenticity persuades: juries seek a human presentation, not perfection.
• Early trial responsibility — especially at legal aid — accelerates courtroom growth.
• Career detours (big law, prosecution, defense) can compound into a trial-ready toolkit.
• Truth-finding is its own remedy — clients often want accountability as much as compensation.
• Passion plus preparation fuels endurance in long, complex litigation.

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From fraternity consultant to defense associate to plaintiff’s trial lawyer and now a solo personal injury attorney at Hudson Injury Law in New Mexico — Damon Hudson has taken the "scenic route" to meaningful advocacy. In this episode of "Celebrating Justice", he shares how a winding early career (including a brief stop in tax law) ultimately clarified what he wanted from the law: real human connection, real outcomes.

Damon frames litigation like offense on a football field, pushing tempo and refusing to let cases gather dust. As he puts it, “I liked being on offense. I liked being in control and dictating the pace....” That mindset shows up in discovery battles, scheduling fights, and the day-to-day discipline of moving matters toward resolution rather than letting them idle for years.

In his “Closing Argument,” Hudson emphasizes confidence, steady courage, and service. He reflects on how far he’s come in six years and challenges himself to double that growth — not for accolades, but to better support his family and the people who call him on their hardest days.
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• Momentum wins cases — consistent, respectful pressure prevents files from languishing and gets clients to resolution sooner.
• Human connection is the payoff: outcomes matter, but relationships and closure are what clients remember.
• The plaintiff’s path offers direct ownership, client contact, and responsibility that many lawyers never see on the defense side.
• Respecting client goals — not just lawyerly glory — leads to smarter choices between trial and settlement.
• Confidence isn’t the absence of fear; it’s the practiced habit of acting through it to serve others.

The Trial Lawyer's Journal is Presented by CloudLex and Lexvia.ai.

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