Meet Attorney Leigh E. Johnson of trialwhisperer

About me

Leigh E. Johnson is a practicing trial lawyer, and principal of “Trial Whisperer” Trial Consulting. Leigh is dedicated to assisting lawyers preparing for trial in both civil and criminal arenas. Her expertise is in developing an effective storyline that serves as the vortex for opposing counsel. She accurately identifies issues and reconstructs them to achieve positive outcomes within a variety of legal forums from arbitration to trial.

Leigh’s philosophy is that in order to obtain the best results regardless of forum, you should always prepare your case as if it were going to trial. Leigh’s passion and primary focus is in collaborating with other lawyers, where she is often asked to conduct focus groups, participate in jury selection, develop storylines, and craft case presentations for cases where there are difficult facts and complicated scenarios.

As a 2009 graduate of Gerry Spence’s Trial Lawyers College (TLC), Leigh was highly regarded by her peers for her depth of knowledge, attention to detail, compassion and integrity. She is currently on staff at TLC and teaches trial skills several times a year. In prior years she lectured on storyline development and focus group methods at Gerry Spence’s Death Penalty College. She has also presented at the Capital Defense College in Texas.

Leigh is the Leader and facilitator of the Bay Area Trial Skills Group. The organization’s mission is to teach trial skills and to provide local attorneys with comprehensive assistance in preparing for trial while focusing on storyline development. Leigh is an active member of several legal organizations and routinely attends seminars and gives presentations to Trial Lawyer Associations and groups in California and throughout the U.S.

“In order to achieve victory you must place yourself in your opponent’s skin. If you don’t understand yourself, you will lose one hundred percent of the time. If you do understand yourself, you will win fifty percent of the time. If you understand yourself and your opponent, you will win one hundred percent of the time.”

Tsutomu Oshima

Education

Doctorate of Jurisprudence, John F. Kennedy University School of Law, Orinda, CA
Bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences, California State University, Hayward, CA
Associate Degree in Social Work, Merritt College, Oakland, CA
Certificate in Substance Abuse Counseling, Merritt College, Oakland, CA
Certificate in Storytelling, The Film School, Seattle Washington
Certified Practitioner, Psychodrama, ABE
Numerous classes in psychology and human behavior

Legal Admissions

Attorney: The State Bar of California: 2003
Registered Patent Agent/Attorney USPTO: 2002

Build People's Trial Advocacy

15 years experience training attorneys in basic to advanced skills for court presentation, story discovery, and diversity in jury selection.
Ongoing training of monthly Bay Area trial skills group since 2010.
14 years experience in psychodrama and case reenactments.
12 years experience in conducting focus groups and preparing reports.
Certified Psychodramatist utilizing action methods to find and tell case stories.
Training in Storytelling & Storyline Development.

Court Licensing

All Superior Courts in the State of California
Northern District of the U.S. District Courts
Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
United States Patent and Trademark Office
United States Supreme Court

Background

Proven history of working under extreme pressure and in highly stressful conditions.

5 years in the United States Air Force as a Mobile Combat Specialist providing critical communications behind unfriendly lines.
12 years as Air Traffic Controller providing radar control for aircraft into and out of the three major Bay Area airports.
7 years as a Biological Scientist assisting in the production of high grade pharmaceuticals for people with congenital defects, such as Hemophilia and Alpha One deficiencies.
20 years as a trial lawyer fighting and winning justice for the people.