Explore every episode of the podcast Fight Giants and Win! (Formerly the Athena in the Well -- Find Your Inner Trial Goddess Podcast)

Hillary Walsh -- a renowned immigration lawyer in Phoenix and owner of New Frontier Law -- and I talked on June 2, 2025 about practicing one of the hottest areas of law.   Hillary shares her powerful story of finding her purpose and surviving in a harsh system.  She also offers practical suggestions of how to prepare for the worst case scenario -- practical advice not only for immigration clients, but also for all of us.

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OOPS!  New sound editing software has a steep learning curve.  This is a re-issue of January 22, 2025's podcast.  Apologies for the goofy editing in the original.  

As for the substance -- and there's A LOT to discuss -- for all that commentators talk about immunity, few address legal immunity's nuances.  This podcast is designed to help understand a rapidly changing, tricky area of law.  (And, yes, we will discuss presidential immunity and He Who Most Needs It.)

 

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Being a master strategist requires a command of your practice area.  In criminal defense, understanding Brady and while it can't be fixed with a claim of "harmless error" is critical to how you plan your case -- from investigation to post-conviction.  

Here, we have a brief summary of what happened in the Baldwin/Rust trial, with cameo appearances by members of my menagerie. 

If you prefer video -- here's a YouTube link:

https://youtu.be/hy7FOkjc9Jc

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My former legal assistant and right-hand-man, Jeff Seward, was called for jury duty in a Washington State criminal case.  

(And -- gentle warning -- there's a short deviation to discuss jury selection in the Trump criminal trial.   And a couple of swear words littered within that discussion. . .)

Biggest take away -- LISTEN to the answers your jurors give you!  Ignore them at your own risk!

And -- for the lawyers -- juror research is the standard of practice.  And so, so few lawyers do it.  If you'd like help on how to do that research respectfully and ethically, email me and we can set up a consult:  joy@joybertrandlaw.com.

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Hey, Friends!  

We're back and getting down to the nitty gritty -- trials!   

The best firsthand juror experience most trial lawyers will get is *maybe* sitting on a venire panel before being struck.  

Often, trial lawyers do not have the ability to talk in-depth with jurors at the end of their trials, because jurors just want to go home or because court rules prohibit lawyers from contacting jurors about the trial.  

Imagine my delight when my friends and family were called to jury duty!  

Enjoy this interview, with my sister-in-law, Kate, who was quite generous with her take-aways from a recent criminal Cook County jury trial.  

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Hello!  

We're back!  

This episode talks about the three big lessons learned for Athenas after a year of . . . well. . . a lot:

How brutal this industry can be. 

The new,  developing medicine to treat brain injuries.  

How the Athena Shield quadrants worked in real life this past year.  

As my dear friend, Charlotte Benson, says, "Onward and Upward!"

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Athena in the Well is back!   

We return with this Facebook Live event last year, during the Chauvin trial.  

Which Athena Shield quadrant does witness preparation fall?   Creative Goddess.  Yep.  You read that correctly. 

The Creative Goddess quadrant includes preparation, discipline, and practice.  

Imagine the jury instructions, the rules of procedure, and the rules of evidence  are the framework of your trial.  The evidence is the threads you use to make your tapestry.    The more you prepare, the more powerful you are in using those threads of evidence at trial.  

Enjoy this discussion and ask yourself how you can develop your advocacy skills to  

Take Your Space.  
Find Your Voice.
Command the Courtroom. 

xoxo --

Joy

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Faith Kohler is a fiercely independent, multi-faceted powerhouse.

Attorney, former federal agent, Fortune 500 company alum, visual artist, and documentary film maker, Faith embodies the term “renaissance woman.”  

With confidence, humility and grace, Faith tells her story (and those of others) – strategically, convincingly, and with the gift of hindsight about making purposeful, courageous choices.  

Find Faith and her multi-faceted strength online at www.faithkohler.us, www.faithkohlerartist.com and in Instagram at #trueglue.

PS.  Still trying to get your Ethics CLE requirements for 2020?  The deadline is fast approaching.  Join us for our fun, and interactive Trial-Ready Client CLE where you will earn 1.5 hours of Ethics CLE all while learning 3 jury-tested strategies to develop a better narrative in less time with fewer client meetings.  Click here to LEARN MORE.  

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How can the practice of yoga help us in the practice of law?  Andrea Griego, yoga studio owner and body work specialist shares her perspective.  First, the confidence and the humility gained by getting really good at something really hard cannot be overstated.  Next, 80% of all doctor visits are stress-related.  Your body trying to tell you something.  But most of all?  We are students of our clients and of the law at exactly the same time: the most dangerous student is the one who has stopped listening. Yoga makes you strong – it also makes you listen.  To that voice that may start as a whisper, to that pain that won’t go away, and to that stress that seems to always be there. Yoga helps you find our own response to that voice – the one that is best for you and only you.  

Listen in on a conversation with Andrea Griego, a down-to-earth yoga instructor and licensed massage therapist who has dedicated her practice to helping you listen to your body and your mind, while gently encouraging you to find your own inner guru.  

Learn more about Andrea and how to reach her at https://www.andreahealingarts.com or speak with her directly at 602.625.1948.  She is currently seeing clients for private yoga instruction and massage/body work.  

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Fat is not a feeling.  

You cannot run from your fork.

Embrace the suck.

Hello, friends.  These are just a few words to live by from our guest, Trish Fleischer, an Arizona-based fitness trainer specializing in transforming the bodies and health of professional women. 

So here is the ironic thing:  we are all working from home, in various states of quarantine, to keep ourselves healthy.  At the same time, we are doing whatever it takes to earn our own version of the “Covid-15.”  Many of us are achieving a new level of mastery in stress, anxiety, depression, comfort-eating, and over-drinking during this time of compromised routine.

Trish is here to tell us how to reboot.  A tough love, honest-with-yourself, no-nonsense fitness trainer who believes in eating and showing you how to get started (and figuring out what is holding you back.)  No shakes, no juicing, and no messing around.  

Together we will get this done.

Let’s get our Athena back—

Joy Bertrand

PS.  You can connect with Trish by email at trishfit.fitness@gmail.com for a chat, a zoom workout, or a brainstorm about nutrition and fitness.  She is looking forward to hearing from you.  

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“Warrior” – a description that has become almost cartoon-ish.  

And hyper-masculine.  

The women warriors we see in popular entertainment often are also fetishized for their sexiness, at the cost of their intelligence and true strength.  

Lawyers are no different.  And we all know a lawyer (or two or three or a dozen), who go to battle for the sake of the argument: for bloodlust.  

That was Aries – Athena’s brother.  Mindless.  Jumping into any fight, with no respect for the risk of harm and the potential cost to others. 

Athenas are warriors, let’s be clear.  But Athenas fight with purpose and smarts – not for the sake of the fight.  And here is how we do it, whether we are aware of it or not: with discernment, with adaptability, and with physicality.  

Today’s podcast examines Athena’s Warrior traits, so you can focus on your strengths and areas for growth as you go to battle each day.

It will help you immeasurably to be able to follow along with the visual for the first few moments.  You can find it here – and while you are at it, join our tribe. 

I want to hear from you!  Like our Facebook page and join your fellow Athenas.  

We offer an understanding ear, no nonsense advice, and a soft place to land.  I hope you to see you soon.  

Sincerely,

Joy Bertrand

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Hello Friends,

So, here is the truth.

I have been extremely motivated since the shut down to use the gift of time that was bestowed on me – on us – on the world, to do work that was important and meaningful to me.  Namely, the Athena Project.  

And then….

Sometime around Mother’s Day, I got a little sideways.  And I struggled to make myself sit down and write.  I just could not make myself do the work I had longed to find time for under normal deadlines.  

And it made no sense to me.

This struggle – and what to do about it is the topic of our podcast.

It is Episode 3 of a 4-part series on Athena in the Courtroom.  There is a visual to help you follow along here.

As always, I am grateful for your attention and I want to connect with you.  Please like us on Facebook so that I can keep in touch with you and share all the tools and strategies that will help you evolve as a fellow Athena in the Well.

All my best,

Joy Bertrand

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What's Your Sign??  I know.  Cheesy.  But then.....what if what you thought was your astrological sign all your life was wrong?  And how could this have happened?  Well, the long and the short of it is that it is the Earth's fault.  The Earth's axis actually.  See, it wobbles a little and over the last 2000 years that has changed our planets' position by a little over 20 degrees.  What that means is: you might actually be a Virgo.  Or a Leo.  And knowing can help you plan better and be more aware.  Welcome Charlotte Benson, our guest for today, and a world renowned Vadic Consulting Astrologer.  Charlotte has consulted with everyone from police departments to policy makers.  And yes, to some very high-power trial attorneys who choose to remain anonymous.  Listen in and see if all this time, you have just been a little off your axis - and what a tiny change can mean for you. 

PS.  Join our tribe. First, Because I said so and because you will get to share ideas with some pretty amazing trial lawyers.....

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Eight years ago I made a fundamental shift around how I get unstuck when faced with a seemingly insurmountable challenge or circumstance in both my professional life and in my personal life.  I got out of my head and turned an intellectual exercise into a physical one and it made all the difference.  Shockingly, it also ushered in transformative change.  Allow me to introduce, Mike Traynor, one of my mentors and the secret weapon of trial lawyers throughout the US.  He is a self-professed simple man and a straightforward genius who guides you to breakthroughs through activity (don't worry, no marathons here).  Part therapist and all lawyer, Mike proves that sometimes the solutions to the biggest challenges have been with you all along.
 
 Get ready, you are about to get unstuck,
 Joy
 
 PS.  Mike Traynor is a referral-only practitioner helping attorneys across the country get out of their own way and move forward.  Literally.  If you are interested in learning more and joining our tribe, sign up here and I will share with you his unpublished contact information.  

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What differentiates the trial lawyer who appears to effortlessly go to battle with a clear head and a sharp wit?  A woman who says what she means in the moment and not two days too late when she is alone in her car? 

The key to finding courage when it seems elusive - for your clients and for yourself is firmly rooted in your value-system.  Clarity around your Non-Negotiable North Star is crucial to finding the bravery you need - exactly when you need it.  Getting there is more straightforward than you think.  And that is what we talk about today on the Athena in the Well Podcast. 

Follow along with the visual (helpful but not required) and join our tribe here.

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For many people, a "Tarot card reading" means a woman in flowing robes, leaning over a small table in a candlelit room, foretelling impending doom (or pure unadulterated bliss, one of the two...)

But that's not really what Tarot cards are about. In fact, they're not even really meant to tell your fortune or future. It has been said that the most powerful sources of information come from within; the Tarot aids in coming in contact with one's Higher Self. Woowoo Wednesday is for real.  As is our guest: Theresa Reed, aka The Tarot Lady, who believes that nothing is fated, that everything is fluid — and that the cards have the power to inspire courageous, life-affirming action. But only if you honor your emotional & intuitive reactions for what they really are — a quiet, guiding intelligence.

Join us as we get you the inside scoop on the Tarot and a no-nonsense roadmap to use it as a guiding force for your personal and professional lives.

PS.  Love Woowoo Wednesday?  We love you, too. Join our tribe and never miss an episode or precious nugget of "outside the box" wisdom.  

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Today's episode is a little outside the box.  But, let's face it, sometimes the box is a jerk.  Listen to the alternative wisdom of Deborah Garland - Ayurvedic Practitioner, Author, Yogi and Healer. Her profession is the knowledge and science of life and longevity.  Her specialty is assessing your current imbalance to help you make small, easy adjustments to achieve positive shifts in overall wellness. And you will never guess where to look first to find what is keeping you stuck and incapable of being your most balanced self. 

Be sure to join our tribe here - we want to know how you are doing - we will also send you the balancing and immune boosting tea recipe mentioned in this episode. 

Thinking of you,
Joy

PS. Discover more about how Deborah can help here - and check out our Facebook page for the promised recipe.

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Has anyone ever told you to "just be yourself?"  Did you fight the impulse to find a vase and hurl it at said person?  Did you think to yourself: why does it all of a sudden seem impossible to "just be myself?"

I admit that I have. I admit that I know my clients and my witnesses have, too. So...what are 3 things we can do -in real time- to re-train our brains to say what we know and not get distracted by the noise and need to be perfect?  Today we are talking about that with Dr. Kathleen Donaghy - a licensed psychologist and expert witness.  Kathleen is known for her ability to combine conventional and contemporary methods to help you co-create your life all while providing you tools you can use right now to overcome anxiety, overwhelm, and self-doubt.  There are little (and not so little) nuggets of wisdom that I have found myself thinking about and using since Kathleen and I had this conversation.  One in particular, was pretty life-changing.  I am curious and excited to see if you think so, too.

PS.  Want to connect with Dr. Donaghy?    You can reach her here  by phone, email, or to set up a skype call.  

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Welcome to Woowoo Wednesday!  Have you ever heard of the saying, "She is her own worst enemy?” When you think about it for a second, there is nothing more self-defeating.  Because as I am sure you are aware, wherever you go, you are there.  What would happen if you could make one adjustment to overpower this soul-crushing tendency? Like most things worth doing, it is straight-forward and makes all the sense of the world.  Easy, no.  Simple, yes, yes, yes.  This is something that I learned quite some time ago and I want to share it with you through an interview with my thought-mentor.  I hope you enjoy it and share with me what you think. 

To Your Inner Athena,
Joy
PS.  Please accept my invitation to join our tribe here - objectively the strongest group of trial lawyers on Facebook.  And I am not biased in the least....

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This is an introduction to the Podcast Episode:  The Transformative Strategist: 3 Mindsets of Stand-Out Legal Strategy.  In order to help you follow along, I have created a quick reference tool to the first cornerstone to evolving into an Athena Master Strategist.  I know that you will find looking at this visual aid for just a few seconds will be a good use of your time as you move through the episode that is to follow.  I will ask you for your name and email to prove that you are not a robot and then you will immediately directed to the tool.  Sometimes the simplest strategies are the best, don't you think?

Access this helpful visual here and I will be right here waiting for you.  

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This episode is the cornerstone of mastering the art and science of strategy.  Follow Joy Bertrand as she guides you through the theory behind her hard won success as an internationally recognized trial architect and reveals the 3 mindsets that can help you evolve into a commanding trial strategist. 

Want to make it easier to up your strategy game?  Employ this helpful illustration that bottom-lines the thought process and helps ensure your success with clients, opposing counsel, judges, and juries.

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Why is it that you can think of the perfect thing to say (and I mean perfect) when there is no one there to hear it?  Your reason why is bottom-lined in our Woowoo Wednesday Soundbite.  A short, concise solution to one of the most common frustrations in the legal profession: being able to think on your feet when it counts.  Discover why you do this and (only if you need it) receive 3 strategies to make sure it never happens again.  Ever.

Because after all, there is no point in offering the perfect solution to an empty room.....

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Join us each and every Wednesday, when we feature forward thinkers courageous enough to embrace a little woowoo to command the courtroom. 

Today, we will discover 3 strategies (that you can do in less than 3 minutes) to combat the newest form of Trial Lawyer Anxiety:  Practicing in the Pandemic.

Joy's very special guest is, Lexlee Overton. Lexlee is the founder of the legal consulting firm, Mind Over Law. 

Mind Over Law helps lawyers use scientifically proven techniques to train their minds to release stress, reduce anxiety, combat fear and become power-performers; and love what they do all at the same time...

You will be inspired!

PS.  Subscribe to the Athena in the Well Podcast and we will email you 3 - 3 minute strategies to combat the newest form of Trial Lawyer Anxiety:  Practicing in the Pandemic. 

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Welcome to Athena in the Well.  A Podcast for women trial attorneys designed to help you find your voice, take your space, and command the courtroom.  Make sure to join The Athena in the Well tribe to get resources that will make you stronger and the support of a community that will make you wiser.  

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This podcast is designed to embolden the inner Athena of women trial lawyers through the mastery of the goddess' timeless teachings. Together we will empower your master strategist, fierce independence, creative genius, and ferocious warrior.  And together we will help you find your voice, take your space, and command the courtroom.


PS. Be sure to subscribe to the Athena in the Well Podcast - your inner goddess will thank you for it..... 

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