The Velvet Hammer™ Podcast
By Karen Koehler and Mo Hamoudi
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Image by Karen Koehler and Mo Hamoudi
Category: Society & Culture
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Episodes: 184
Description
Trial lawyers can be real people, too—and this podcast proves it. The Velvet Hammer™ is back, and this time, Karen Koehler isn’t going it alone. Known for her fearless advocacy, bold storytelling, and, yes, even the occasional backwards dress moment, Karen is teaming up with Mo Hamoudi, a lawyer, poet, and storyteller whose empathy and resilience add a whole new dynamic to the show.
Together, they’re pulling back the curtain on trial law, diving into bold topics, heartfelt stories, and the messy, hilarious moments that make trial lawyers human. This is an unscripted, raw, and fun take on life inside—and outside—the courtroom.
| Episode | Date |
|---|---|
|
Mental Health and Burnout in Trial Law
|
Apr 29, 2026 |
|
The Need to Take Care of Yourself in the Practice of Law
|
Apr 22, 2026 |
|
Lemon Pound cake and Afroman
|
Apr 15, 2026 |
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Why AI is not your lawyer
|
Apr 08, 2026 |
|
Establishing Vicarious Liability Against Amazon in Delivery Driver Lawsuits
|
Apr 01, 2026 |
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When Clients Google Their Lawsuit and It Backfires
|
Mar 18, 2026 |
|
To Take or Not to Take A Case
|
Mar 11, 2026 |
|
Sanctions, Sexism, and Gender Bias in the Courtroom
|
Mar 04, 2026 |
|
What Legal Dramas Get Wrong About Real Trials
|
Feb 25, 2026 |
|
Renée Good ICE Shooting and Independent Autopsy Developments
|
Feb 18, 2026 |
|
When Defense Surveillance Crosses The Line
|
Feb 11, 2026 |
|
The ACLU Lawsuit Challenging ICE’s Operation Metro Surge
|
Feb 04, 2026 |
|
The Reality of Work-Life Balance for Trial Lawyers
|
Jan 28, 2026 |
|
Power: Who Holds It And Who Doesn’t
|
Jan 21, 2026 |
|
Legal Breakdown of the ICE Minnesota Shooting
|
Jan 14, 2026 |
|
Preparing for Trial
|
Jan 07, 2026 |
|
Decoding Voir Dire Part 4 | The Jury Selection Series
|
Dec 31, 2025 |
|
Decoding Voir Dire Part 5 | The Jury Selection Series
|
Dec 31, 2025 |
|
Decoding Voir Dire Part 3 | The Jury Selection Series
|
Dec 24, 2025 |
|
Decoding Voir Dire Part 2 | The Jury Selection Series
|
Dec 17, 2025 |
|
Decoding Voir Dire Part 1 | The Jury Selection Series
|
Dec 10, 2025 |
|
The Velvet Hammers’ Journey through Bias, Marginalization, and Systemic Inequities
|
Dec 03, 2025 |
|
The Privilege of Sacrifice as a Trial Lawyer
|
Nov 19, 2025 |
|
Mansplaining, Mo-Splaining, and the Space Between Talking and Listening
|
Nov 12, 2025 |
|
Anticipating the Loss - When Trial Lawyers Feel It Coming
|
Nov 05, 2025 |
|
Misogyny, Patriarchy, and the Pain of “Mean Girls”
|
Oct 29, 2025 |
|
Confronting the "Let Them" Philosophy: Trial Lawyers Debate Self-Help Culture
|
Oct 22, 2025 |
|
When Zoom Replaces Rooms – Navigating the Post-Pandemic Legal Practice
|
Oct 15, 2025 |
|
Sticks, Stones, and Strategic Responses: How We Handle Being Insulted
|
Oct 10, 2025 |
|
Crossing the Moat - Building Trust Between Attorneys and Clients
|
Oct 09, 2025 |
|
Unbound: A Woman’s Guide to Power Book Review
|
Sep 17, 2025 |
|
Keeping Up with Karen
|
Sep 10, 2025 |
|
The Rise of AI: Adapt or Die
|
Sep 03, 2025 |
|
How to Interview Clients and Win Juries
|
Aug 27, 2025 |
|
Protesting in America: Your Legal Rights Explained
|
Aug 20, 2025 |
|
Placing a Monetary Value on the Loss of a Good Life
|
Aug 13, 2025 |
|
The Penis Restraining Order
|
Aug 06, 2025 |
|
DEI, WAMs, and Legal Power Plays
|
Jul 30, 2025 |
|
Mo Tais in Maui - Hosting the 2025 WTLA Reception
|
Jul 23, 2025 |
|
Mastering the Art of Direct Examination
|
Jul 16, 2025 |
|
Amazon's Dirty Discovery Tactics
|
Jul 09, 2025 |
|
Sean Combs on Trial: Jury Out For Deliberation
|
Jul 01, 2025 |
|
Confronting the Money Taboo in Plaintiff Work
|
Jun 25, 2025 |
|
Post-Settlement Syndrome
|
Jun 18, 2025 |
|
The Archetypes That Drive Us in Life and Law
|
Jun 11, 2025 |
|
Karen Koehler on Leadership Challenges in Managing a Law Firm
|
Jun 04, 2025 |
|
The Punk Move: When Abusers Use SLAPP Suits to Silence Survivors
|
May 28, 2025 |
|
The Art of Driving Defense Lawyers Crazy
|
May 21, 2025 |
|
Goal Setting, Dreams, and the People Who Shape Them
|
May 14, 2025 |
|
In Defense of Flip-Flopping: Why Adaptability Matters in Law
|
May 07, 2025 |
|
Why We Suck at Celebrating Wins
|
Apr 30, 2025 |
|
Why Trial Lawyers Must Talk About Money (Even When It’s Uncomfortable)
|
Apr 23, 2025 |
|
Karen’s Journal Entry at 19: Crisis is Perpetual
|
Apr 16, 2025 |
|
What Compels Us to Become Lawyers
|
Apr 09, 2025 |
|
The Unlikeable Client
|
Apr 02, 2025 |
|
Sanctions, Sanctions, Sanctions - Read All About It
|
Mar 26, 2025 |
|
Responding to Listener Feedback That Took Us by Surprise
|
Mar 19, 2025 |
|
The Worst Arguments We’ve Ever Made (And What We Learned) - Part 1
|
Mar 12, 2025 |
|
The "Prototype Lawyer" and Losing Identity in Law | Part 2
|
Mar 05, 2025 |
|
The "Prototype Lawyer" and Losing Identity in Law | Part 1
|
Feb 26, 2025 |
|
When Defense Lawyers Weaponize Discovery Requests
|
Feb 19, 2025 |
|
Sexism In the Legal Field
|
Feb 12, 2025 |
|
Introducing Mo – From Public Defender to Stritmatter Lawyer
|
Feb 05, 2025 |
|
Finding Humor in the Hardest Cases
|
Feb 05, 2025 |
|
Misconceptions, Control, and Breaking the Mold
|
Feb 05, 2025 |
|
Finding Free Time: The Unfamiliar Territory of a Trial Lawyer
|
Oct 21, 2024 |
|
Waiting for a verdict.
|
Sep 20, 2024 |
|
Talking about me behind my back.
|
Jun 17, 2024 |
|
Meandering thoughts on the joy of starting trial again
|
Mar 29, 2024 |
|
Framing the media message to honor and protect your clients
|
Jan 26, 2024 |
|
Life on overdrive: won’t stop can’t stop. Can she slow down?
|
Oct 09, 2023 |
|
Why I let sexual microaggressions slide – and wish I hadn’t.
|
Jul 10, 2023 |
|
Karen Gets Coached. Lesson #1 - Acknowledgment.
|
Jun 23, 2023 |
|
Dear big bad defense lawyer. Bring it on.
|
Jun 15, 2023 |
|
Drunk Driver Horror Stories
|
May 17, 2023 |
|
Lame late tactical apology - not accepted
|
Apr 13, 2023 |
|
Money: the impact of how plaintiff lawyers are paid.
|
Feb 15, 2023 |
|
On aggressiveness: a mandatory trial lawyer trait
|
Feb 07, 2023 |
|
The grief of losing a trial
|
Jan 04, 2023 |
|
The human toll of being in trial a lot
|
Nov 14, 2022 |
|
S3 Episode 12: Nasty Defense
|
Oct 26, 2022 |
|
S3 Episode 11: Mad at the Judge
|
Aug 26, 2022 |
|
S3 Episode 10: Bad Mediation
|
Jul 18, 2022 |
|
S3 Episode 9: From Autopsy Photos to Ghosts of Clients Past
|
Jun 15, 2022 |
|
S3 Episode 8: What a Mess: a Postscript on Depp v Heard
|
Jun 06, 2022 |
|
S3 Episode 7: Fake Gross Lawyer Awards
|
May 16, 2022 |
|
S3 Episode 6: Warning – may be approaching burnout: a discussion and therapy session with law clerk (daughter) Alysha
|
May 04, 2022 |
|
S3 Episode 5: Civil Murder Trial Debrief Part 2: McNamara v. Nessl $3.327M Verdict
|
Mar 29, 2022 |
|
S3 Episode 5: Civil Murder Trial Debrief Part 1: McNamara v. Nessl $3.327M Verdict
|
Mar 29, 2022 |
|
S3 Episode 4: On Flubbing - the good, the bad, the embarrassing
|
Feb 28, 2022 |
|
S3 Episode 3: Am I too busy? Yes, and I like it.
|
Feb 08, 2022 |
|
S3 Episode 2: Why I Like to Sue: Case Studies
|
Jan 19, 2022 |
|
S3 Episode 1: The importance of being ruthless: lessons from the defense
|
Jan 06, 2022 |
|
S2 Episode 34: The trial lawyer who got COVID.
|
Dec 29, 2021 |
|
S2 Episode 33: Have you had an affair - furious thoughts about “civility”
|
Nov 18, 2021 |
|
S2 Episode 32: Master No More: on re-examining our language
|
Nov 05, 2021 |
|
S2 Episode 31: Dear Judge Make Her Stop - Stories of Defense Lawyers Trying to Shut Down Plaintiff Counsel
|
Oct 22, 2021 |
|
S2 Episode 30: Standing Up To Bullying - My Ongoing Fight with JHB
|
Sep 28, 2021 |
|
S2 Episode 29: Going up against the state - a zoom motion story
|
Sep 13, 2021 |
|
S2 Episode 28: Single parent lawyer dating
|
Aug 02, 2021 |
|
S2 Episode 27: Should I start dating - Alysha ponders my lack of love life.
|
Jul 29, 2021 |
|
S2 Episode 26: Mean girl - thoughts on cancel culture
|
Jul 19, 2021 |
|
S2 Episode 25: The all white male club part 2
|
Jul 14, 2021 |
|
S2 Episode 24: The all white male club - a rant
|
Jul 13, 2021 |
|
S2 Episode 23: New Lawyer podcast 2- prepare or risk the big choke.
|
Jun 25, 2021 |
|
S2 Episode 22: Do I really talk too much - on the struggle to have a voice
|
Jun 01, 2021 |
|
S2 Episode 21: On breakups and grieving as a trial lawyer - thoughts on how to not fall apart at work and life
|
May 25, 2021 |
|
S2 Episode 20: My law school was held in an old department store - thoughts on the elitism of the institution.
|
Apr 26, 2021 |
|
S2 Episode 19 - New Lawyer podcast 1: Do you have the personality to be a plaintiff trial lawyer.
|
Apr 15, 2021 |
|
S2 Episode 18: Thank you mom for causing us so much embarrassment: a trial lawyer’s journey from shame to resilience
|
Apr 05, 2021 |
|
S2 Episode 17: On being competitive - the good, the bad, and oooh the jealousy
|
Mar 30, 2021 |
|
S2 Episode 16: Judicial smack downs
|
Mar 18, 2021 |
|
S2 Episode 15: How not to do a terrible direct exam
|
Mar 08, 2021 |
|
S2 Episode 14: The wreckage they leave behind: Drunk and high drivers
|
Mar 04, 2021 |
|
S2 Episode 13: How to tell a story - on themes and fairy tales
|
Dec 30, 2020 |
|
S2 Episode 12: The braggy lawyer
|
Dec 23, 2020 |
|
S2 Episode 11: Real versus fake vulnerability
|
Dec 08, 2020 |
|
S2 Episode 10: Bad things zoom does
|
Dec 01, 2020 |
|
S2 Episode 9: An inside look at our first Covid trial Part 1
|
Nov 02, 2020 |
|
S2 Episode 8: Do not interrupt me: why following the rules and being polite doesn’t always work
|
Oct 09, 2020 |
|
S2 Episode 7: Don’t poop in the zoom – a cautionary tale.
|
Sep 28, 2020 |
|
S2 Episode 6: Goodbye to an Icon: RBG
|
Sep 21, 2020 |
|
S2 Episode 5: Big Time Wrestling with Words: Aggressiveness as an essential trial lawyer trait
|
Sep 03, 2020 |
|
S2 Episode 4: How to prepare a treating doctor for deposition and trial: don’t waste their time and other tips
|
Aug 17, 2020 |
|
S2 Episode 3: Zoom UIM Arbitration: a trial lawyer arbitrator panelist comes in handy
|
Aug 10, 2020 |
|
S2 Episode 2: The women’s recession: here we go again.
|
Aug 04, 2020 |
|
S2 Episode 1: The mouse who stole our popcorn and other lawyer convention travel tales.
|
Jul 31, 2020 |
|
S1 Episode 56: How does she do it: on being a super busy person all the time no matter what.
|
Jul 24, 2020 |
|
S1 Episode 55: Justice Faith Ireland, Ret. an original glass ceiling breaker Part 2 – reaching the top.
|
Jul 20, 2020 |
|
S1 Episode 54: Justice Faith Ireland, Ret. an original glass ceiling breaker Part 1 – early years.
|
Jul 20, 2020 |
|
S1 Episode 53: To Mom on her birthday
|
Jul 15, 2020 |
|
S1 Episode 52: Self Proclaimed "Dumb White Person" blows it in Bar Association Board meeting
|
Jul 01, 2020 |
|
S1 Episode 51: The vehicle that was doomed - and other site investigation takes.
|
Jun 29, 2020 |
|
S1 Episode 50: Don't get mad be happy - fun ways to deflect deposition objections.
|
Jun 26, 2020 |
|
S1 Episode 49: Proud to be a lawyer...a female lawyer - a history lesson
|
Jun 25, 2020 |
|
S1 Episode 48: Toppling monuments - a trial lawyer’s perspective
|
Jun 24, 2020 |
|
S1 Episode 47: Zoom COVID depositions and other random thoughts.
|
Jun 23, 2020 |
|
S1 Episode 46: A new line in the sand - quitting groups that are not diverse
|
Jun 09, 2020 |
|
S1 Episode 45: Un-diversity in the legal profession - Stop talking. Do something.
|
Jun 09, 2020 |
|
S1 Episode 44: George Floyd's Killing and The Protest Movement - SKKM Civil Rights Lawyers Speak Out
|
Jun 01, 2020 |
|
S1 Episode 43: Confronting racism - the aftermath of the killing of George Floyd.
|
Jun 01, 2020 |
|
S1 Episode 42: Time to Rant - from insurers taking advantage of covid to further harm plaintiffs, closed courthouses, and racist acts caught on cellphones.
|
May 27, 2020 |
|
S1 Episode 41: He pushed me forward - the story of my partnership with Pat LePley.
|
May 26, 2020 |
|
S1 Episode 40: Quick as lightening or slow as a slug .
|
May 22, 2020 |
|
S1 Episode 39: Our fear of failure – one big reason why plaintiff lawyers don’t try more cases.
|
May 14, 2020 |
|
S1 Episode 38: Our new normal - from arguing motions to kitchen rule making.
|
May 05, 2020 |
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S1 Episode 37: Post-Covid19 Jury Trials - : thoughts on why and how we should save them
|
May 05, 2020 |
|
S1 Episode 36: On not being of the majority - Are you the Court Reporter and other stories.
|
Apr 30, 2020 |
|
S1 Episode 35: Vulnerability - The Scam
|
Apr 29, 2020 |
|
S1 Episode 34: The meaningless inconvenience of Nala's vomit - when compared to the story of Auntie Helen's death
|
Apr 17, 2020 |
|
S1 Episode 33: Shutdown(ish) week 4
|
Apr 03, 2020 |
|
S1 Episode 32: The diary of Klaus Jimmy Kohler
|
Apr 03, 2020 |
|
S1 Episode 31: The tale of the little treadmill fairy
|
Apr 01, 2020 |
|
S1 Episode 30: The Great Enforced Pause
|
Apr 01, 2020 |
|
S1 Episode 29: Enter coronavirus – how everything in our law firm has changed
|
Mar 18, 2020 |
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S 1 Episode 28: Yes…we fight. When we enjoy the constant battle involved in litigation…and when we don’t.
|
Feb 28, 2020 |
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S1 Episode 26: From being a baby to having a baby - a chat with Cristina my eldest child.
|
Feb 26, 2020 |
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S1 Episode 27: Why the phrase “I don’t see color” is a false narrative - thoughts about the lack of progress in diversifying our bar associations and law firms.
|
Feb 26, 2020 |
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S1 Episode 25: Fight or Flight response to the Emotional Practice of Law – the importance of breaking barriers that prevent us from humanly connecting to our clients and witnesses
|
Feb 10, 2020 |
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S1 Episode 24: Ode to Tom Chambers – remembering a great trial lawyer, supreme court justice, mentor and friend.
|
Feb 05, 2020 |
|
S1 Episode 23: Fighting Civilly or Not - Thoughts about trying to be nice in litigation.
|
Jan 30, 2020 |
|
S1 Episode 22: Mary Fung Koehler - Lessons from the absolutely most unique and fiery trial lawyer mommy ever
|
Jan 28, 2020 |
|
S1 Episode 21: Life with mommy lawyer - Alysha Koehler talks frankly about lack of work/life boundaries, bad cooking, and growing up as a trial lawyer’s daughter.
|
Jan 10, 2020 |
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S1 Episode 20: Mediation games - the bane of a trial lawyer’s existence.
|
Jan 02, 2020 |
|
S1 Episode 19: Defense Deposition tactics that drive me nuts
|
Dec 18, 2019 |
|
S1 Episode 18: Seattle Children’s Hospital Aspergillus - an intro to the case.
|
Dec 09, 2019 |
|
S1 Episode 17: Birth of a Lawsuit
|
Dec 06, 2019 |
|
S1 Episode 16 Exploring the myth - can lawyer parents of young children have it all.
|
Nov 26, 2019 |
|
S1 Episode 15: Burning Questions from a recent law school grad
|
Nov 16, 2019 |
|
S1 Episode 14: Mean - Cross examination of the plaintiffs Pt. 2
|
Nov 12, 2019 |
|
S 1 Episode 13: Mean - Cross examination of the plaintiffs Pt. 1
|
Nov 11, 2019 |
|
S 1 Episode 12: Paul “The Lion Heart” Stritmatter Pt.2
|
Nov 04, 2019 |
|
S 1 Episode 11: Paul “The Lion Heart” Stritmatter Pt.1
|
Nov 04, 2019 |
|
S1 Episode 09: If I’m forceful does that make me histrionic.
|
Oct 31, 2019 |
|
S1 Episode 10: Bloopers
|
Oct 31, 2019 |
|
S1 Episode 08: The Toad
|
Oct 28, 2019 |
|
S1 Episode 07: Real Reporter Real News
|
Oct 24, 2019 |
|
S1 Episode 06: The Haters
|
Oct 15, 2019 |
|
S1 Episode 05: Meet Ryan the Tech Guy
|
Oct 14, 2019 |
|
Sitting Down With An AAJ Past President
|
Oct 08, 2019 |
|
S1 Episode 03: I hate getting ready for vacations
|
Oct 01, 2019 |
|
If You Knew Then What You Know Now (Part 2)
|
Sep 24, 2019 |
|
If You Knew Then What You Know Now (Part 1)
|
Sep 17, 2019 |
|
Once Upon a Time
|
Sep 10, 2019 |