Let Amazon be Amazon, Let the Others Be Themselves
Let the run bring you to your knees
Let the Sun dry your eyes
Let the dew mix your cries
Let the drop sink it all
Let the wind carry your call
Let them whisper in the shade
Let them brew their lemonade
Let the Blatherskites be Twattle-baskets
...
Who’s Liable for Your TBI? Understanding Fault and Negligence
A sudden jolt or impact to the head can cause a traumatic brain injury (TBI) that can change your life forever. Symptoms might start out subtle, or they may worsen over time, making recovery unpredictable. When someone’s irresponsible actions cause a TBI, it makes an already tragic situation much more difficult.
Dreams and Fears
Even when fears try to hold us back.
Each journey is unique,
And through sharing our stories,
We find strength together.
I had an amazing chance to speak to a few hundred students at DECA recently. If you’re not familiar, DECA is a program for high school...
So You’re Gonna Be a Juror
Many of us have experienced it: being summoned for jury duty. The first feeling is usually anxiety, but then I see the dates. It turns out our firm has a trial set for that same court during that time. I think I’ll be excused since I work with the attorneys on the...
How We Become Bigger Than Ourselves
Our clients teach us many lessons.
And through them, we are humbled.
Humbled by their strength. Their resilience. Their power.
Their ability to make more from tragedy than tragedy.
My client Brian B. continues to teach me that you can become bigger than yourself or your tragedy.
He just...
For Chris
Grief fuels her to strive,
In Olympia, alive,
For safe roads, we thrive.
Cammryn Gadd, the widow of Washington State Patrol Trooper Christopher Gadd (Chris), has turned her heartbreaking loss into a mission to save lives. Chris was killed on March 2, 2024, when an impaired driver slammed into his patrol...
The Velvet Hammer™ Podcast is Back – Season 5 Premiere!
The wait is over—The Velvet Hammer™ Podcast is back with Season 5, and this time, Karen Koehler is joined by Mo Hamoudi for a brand-new season of unfiltered, honest, and thought-provoking conversations.
🎙 Stream the Podcast Now! Spotify:...
The Enduring Relevance of History in Modern Civil Rights Cases
For Derrick
History does not die
It is a witness
With fingers unfurled
Dawn's first light
The burdened chest
The clenched fist
Wisps of grass, dirt
History stands
Tall and handsome
It sings "rise, rise!"
- M.H.
The Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871, also known...
The More Things Change: Challenger Disaster and Modern Aviation Lessons
January 28, 2025, is the 39th anniversary of the Space Shuttle Challenger’s tragic explosion shortly after launch over the ocean in Florida, which in 1986 took the lives of all the brave, talented, and optimistic astronauts on board. A defective...
Tragic Pedestrian Death Highlights Rail Crossing Dangers
On a beautiful sunny winter day this week, a man was killed at Alaskan Way and Broad Street at the Seattle waterfront. Although investigation is ongoing, he may well have failed to appreciate that after a train had passed, it was not safe to cross...