From Intake to Verdict: Designing Cases That Win | Attorney Dan Schaar | S5 Ep. 14

How do great trial lawyers build cases that resonate with jurors from the very first conversation? In this season-closing episode of Best Practices with Kenny Berger, Kenny sits down with California trial lawyer Dan Schaar to break down the full arc of trial preparation, starting at intake and carrying all the way through opening, closing, and rebuttal.

Dan shares the systems and strategies he uses to design winning cases: identifying the human story early, reframing bad facts, uncovering defendant “choices” rather than “accidents,” and empowering jurors to return the right verdict for the right reasons. 

They discuss:

— Starting trial prep at intake and organizing facts into a working trial framework
— How to build the human story and gather authentic, powerful testimony
— Reframing defense themes
— Structuring openings, closings, and rebuttals as a unified, jury-empowering narrative

Whether you're preparing for your first trial or refining your next opening, this episode is packed with practical insights you can apply immediately in your next case.

 Hosted by South Carolina Injury Lawyer Kenny Berger | Best Practices with Kenny Berger