Any Good Lawyer Is a Storyteller
(Don’t Let Anyone Tell You Differently)

Ironically, most lawyers are surprisingly poor communicators. Most of them lose their communication skills during a torturous process called… law school.

In law school, you have to read volumes of case decisions filled with pretentious multi-syllabic words and hyper-formalized sentence structures. What does that do to your mind? It numbs it. It desensitizes it. Your mind becomes wrapped up in rules and procedures. You lose your humanity. The fire goes out.

But I’m lucky – I had my humanity revived. In 1998, I was invited to attend Trial Lawyers College – not a university, but a month-long workshop conducted by Gerry Spence, a litigator from Jackson Hole, Wyoming. There were 50 of us, from around the country. What we learned reignited that spark of humanity. The fire was lit again.

That August, I rediscovered who I was – and I discovered the art of Psychodrama.

Utilizing the services of mental health professionals trained and certified in the discipline, Mr. Spence recontextualized the practice of law. We were law students again; we learned that our purpose was to help clients heal wounds and damaged relationships. To do this correctly and meaningfully, we needed to be ourselves. We needed to know our clients personally and affirm their humanity in each relationship.

Mr. Spence simply advised us: If you cannot love your client, then you should not be representing your client.

He talked about Story – the importance of narrative in presenting a case to a jury. Before recorded history, people learned and conveyed wisdom through Story. We are still captivated by stories. Whenever anyone says “Once upon a time,” others will fall silent and listen. When you say “Let me tell you a story,” you see a similar effect.

After leaving Mr. Spence’s ranch, I continued to pursue the idea of Story. In 2002, I enrolled in a storytelling class at a local university. There were 9 of us in the class, and most of us became friends. In fact, 7 of us continued to meet after the class ended, and soon we started putting on story concerts at public venues. I no longer am a member of this story telling troupe, but the experience helped solidify my storytelling skills.

Today, I think that a good lawyer has to be a good communicator, and care deeply for his or her client. If I can powerfully express my client’s story, then jurors can personally relate to my client and his/her experience. If I can communicate how much I care for my client and move or rouse those present with his or her Story, we are on our way to Justice

The youngest need justice, and an advocate who cares.

Many people profess to help children.

Maurice Abarr makes helping children the passion of his professional life.

An injury to a child can result in a particularly devastating and sensitive case. Maurice Abarr has worked with injured children and their families and understands the special needs and tactics that such cases require.

Personal injury cases involving children can result from malpractice issues during birth, auto accidents, product malfunctions, and daycare or playground injuries. Whatever the circumstance, you need expert advice. Mr. Abarr and his associates can provide their expertise and the expert opinions of other lawyers, doctors, product engineers, and other professional specialists who could help determine if negligence occurred. (While not all birth-related injuries or deaths can be traced to malpractice, families should consult an experienced lawyer to determine this possibility, and not simply accept a hospital’s explanation.)

Maurice Abarr has represented families of many injured children and newborns. While aggressively pursuing a verdict or settlement, his calm demeanor helps a family through this traumatic period. Mr. Abarr is a veteran lawyer in the field of personal injury-related claims and settlements, and has practiced law in Orange County, Los Angeles, San Bernadino, and Riverside for more than 30 years. In each case, he performs a thorough investigation and strives to see that justice is served and that a family is compensated accordingly.

Maurice Abarr cares about your child.

“I truly enjoy representing children. My enthusiasm is heightened when I represent an injured child because they are truly victims and deserve the highest levels of protection. Through my work I hope to increase an awareness of safety issues relating to children, including improved product safety and regulations for daycare centers. I believe settlements and trials involving injured children can help bring the dangers to children to light, and effect change.”

I’ll be frank: my knowledge and reputation are my most valuable assets.

Legally, I live in a very small world. I know the “players” in injury litigation in Southern California. When a Personal Injury or Workers’ Compensation case goes to trial, I recognize the names of the lawyers, judges and doctors involved.

If you’re a plaintiff in this little world, you’re only as good as your attorney.

Over time, you learn things. Certain judges you want; others you don’t want. Certain doctors lack credibility with judges. Some defense attorneys lean heavily on surveillance film investigation in cases (or cases with special facts).

All this knowledge makes me a valuable advocate for an injured person.

Then there’s the matter of reputation.

My reputation has been built from 30 years of practice in the fields of Personal Injury and Workers’ Compensation. It opens doors barred to less experienced lawyers. It provides the injured person I represent with a built-in advantage in certain courtrooms. I’ve dealt with these doctors, lawyers, and judges on a daily basis. They respect me; they know my quality and my character.

If you’re incompetent within this little world, you can’t hide. Bad news travels at the speed of gossip. Good news moves about as fast as the Pony Express. You can’t instantly gain a sterling reputation. You have to prove yourself daily, as I have.

As decades go by, you accumulate experience, education, and a thorough understanding of the pressures, priorities and major players within Southern California’s Personal Injury and Workers’ Compensation arena. This knowledge isn’t free. It is shared only in the smallest of circles. I travel in some of those small circles.