The Velvet Hammer™ Podcast

Hosted by Karen Koehler and Mo Hamoudi

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Episodes

201

Latest episode

Aug 2026

Language

EN-US

About the show

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.

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60 recent

September 9, 2026Episode 421 min

What Happens When A Law Firm Adds Another Powerhouse

A new partner walks in and you can feel the room change. That’s what it’s like when Elizabeth Hanley joins us, and we’re not going to pretend we can introduce her without telling the Maui story first: a big convention crowd, a poolside setup spiraling, a missing bartender, and Liz showing up injured and still asking one simple question, “What can I do to help?” That’s the kind of attitude you can’t train, and it’s exactly what we want in a trial team. From there, we get into the craft. We talk about what we’ve seen from Liz in the courtroom and why “command” matters as much as intelligence. We break down presence, emotional control, and knowing the rules of evidence cold, plus the subtle skills that separate good litigators from lawyers who truly occupy the space. If you care about trial advocacy, personal injury litigation, and what makes a modern law firm culture work, this one is packed with real, unfiltered detail. We also zoom out to leadership and the bigger shift happening inside our firm: three strong women trial attorneys at the top, each with a different style, and what that means for the future. And we don’t dodge the hard part, either the guilt, the missed moments, and the real tradeoffs of parenting while trying big cases. Subscribe so you don’t miss what’s next, share this with a lawyer who cares about craft and culture, and leave a review with your take: what matters more in a great trial lawyer, presence or preparation? Stay Connected with The Velvet Hammer™ Podcast Hosted by Karen Koehler and Mo Hamoudi, trial lawyers at Stritmatter Law , a nationally recognized plaintiff's personal injury and civil rights law firm based in Washington State. Featuring Mike Todd, producer, audio engineer, and the Disembodied Voice of Wisdom & Reason. Produced by Mike Todd and Kassie Slugić. New episodes every Wednesday. The Velvet Hammer™ Podcast is where trial law meets real life. Trial stories, hard lessons, unexpected laughs, and honest conversations about life inside and outside the courtroom. Podcast Hub: https://thevelvethammer.buzzsprout.com Karen Koehler https://karenkoehler.com https://www.instagram.com/k3thevelvethammer/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-koehler-thevelvethammer/ Mo Hamoudi https://www.instagram.com/mo.hamoudi/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/mo-hamoudi-77a38733/ Stritmatter Law https://www.stritmatter.com

September 2, 2026Episode 329 min

The Dark Side of Child Stardom: Hayden Panettiere and the Price of Fame

A four-year-old can’t cross the street alone, can’t understand contracts, and can’t grasp what fame costs, yet our culture keeps placing kids into adult rooms with adult incentives. We sit with a recent tragedy as a starting point and then zoom out to the bigger pattern: child actors, child musicians, and now child influencers being turned into products long before they can choose a life. We talk honestly about responsibility and we don’t let the industry off the hook. Parents make the initial decision, but producers, studios, advertisers, and platforms create the demand, set the pace, and collect the profits. That leads to hard questions about child labor in entertainment, financial control of a minor’s earnings, the real role of unions, and why “they had tutors” doesn’t fix the loss of routine, friendships, and safety. We also dig into what makes acting especially complicated for a developing brain. Performing intense emotions on command, living inside realistic storylines, and spending formative years around rotating adults can blur boundaries and increase vulnerability to exploitation, addiction, and long-term mental health struggles. We discuss why independent child advocates and meaningful on-set protections matter, why mandatory reporting is necessary but not sufficient, and how the sexualization of minors becomes “acceptable” when it sells. If you care about Hollywood, pop culture, and child welfare, this conversation will stick with you. Subscribe for more, share this with someone who needs to hear it, and leave a review with your take: what protections should be non-negotiable for child performers? Stay Connected with The Velvet Hammer™ Podcast Hosted by Karen Koehler and Mo Hamoudi, trial lawyers at Stritmatter Law , a nationally recognized plaintiff's personal injury and civil rights law firm based in Washington State. Featuring Mike Todd, producer, audio engineer, and the Disembodied Voice of Wisdom & Reason. Produced by Mike Todd and Kassie Slugić. New episodes every Wednesday. The Velvet Hammer™ Podcast is where trial law meets real life. Trial stories, hard lessons, unexpected laughs, and honest conversations about life inside and outside the courtroom. Podcast Hub: https://thevelvethammer.buzzsprout.com Karen Koehler https://karenkoehler.com https://www.instagram.com/k3thevelvethammer/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-koehler-thevelvethammer/ Mo Hamoudi https://www.instagram.com/mo.hamoudi/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/mo-hamoudi-77a38733/ Stritmatter Law https://www.stritmatter.com

August 26, 2026Episode 226 min

Why Mean Lawyers Lose: Trial Tactics That Backfire

A trial can turn ugly fast when the other side decides “mean” is a strategy. We talk through what it feels like to face a hostile, snide defense team, how that negativity shows up in depositions and at counsel table, and why we refuse to let it control our courtroom presence. The surprising part is how often that kind of lawyering backfires, not because jurors are naïve, but because they’re looking for something simpler than legal combat: a clear story they can trust. We dig into practical trial lawyer tactics for staying steady under pressure, including how we use optimism as a real plaintiff attorney skill, not a personality quirk. We also unpack the difference between performative energy and authentic credibility, and why internal team humor can be a healthy way to manage the grind of objections, motions in limine, and constant friction. Along the way, we reflect on how gender expectations still shape what juries “allow” from a lawyer, and how that reality changes smart courtroom strategy. Then we switch perspectives and talk defense trial strategy. If you’re defending a case, being defensive is often the fastest way to lose the room. We explain why juries don’t think like lawyers, why attacking experts can read as insecurity, and how a defense team can miss its best chance by failing to humanize the client and frame responsibility with honesty. The big takeaway for trial practice and jury persuasion is simple: storytelling beats nastiness, and the velvet hammer is more dangerous than the blunt one. If this helped you think differently about litigation tactics, courtroom storytelling, and closing argument choices, subscribe, share this with a trial lawyer friend, and leave a review with the most “mean lawyer” moment you’ve ever seen. Stay Connected with The Velvet Hammer™ Podcast Hosted by Karen Koehler and Mo Hamoudi, trial lawyers at Stritmatter Law , a nationally recognized plaintiff's personal injury and civil rights law firm based in Washington State. Featuring Mike Todd, producer, audio engineer, and the Disembodied Voice of Wisdom & Reason. Produced by Mike Todd and Kassie Slugić. New episodes every Wednesday. The Velvet Hammer™ Podcast is where trial law meets real life. Trial stories, hard lessons, unexpected laughs, and honest conversations about life inside and outside the courtroom. Podcast Hub: https://thevelvethammer.buzzsprout.com Karen Koehler https://karenkoehler.com https://www.instagram.com/k3thevelvethammer/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-koehler-thevelvethammer/ Mo Hamoudi https://www.instagram.com/mo.hamoudi/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/mo-hamoudi-77a38733/ Stritmatter Law https://www.stritmatter.com

August 19, 2026Episode 125 min

Why Trial Lawyers Hate Jury Verdicts — Even When They Win

The jury is filing in, the verdict form is in hand, and suddenly the loudest feeling is not victory. It’s relief. We talk candidly about what verdict day does to trial lawyers and why even a “good” jury verdict can feel heavy, tense, and strangely joyless. We break down the real-time experience of listening to a verdict being read: negligence, proximate cause, damages, and then the gut-punch question of comparative fault. One percentage can reshape a client’s recovery and their future, so we’re doing mental math while also watching the client absorb it all. We also get into why the verdict is the one moment we truly cannot influence, and why that lack of control hits harder than any cross-exam or closing argument. From there, the conversation widens into what closure actually means in civil litigation and personal injury cases. A verdict can close the case and lift years of pressure, but it doesn’t restore health or bring someone back. What it can do is offer validation: a public acknowledgment that the harm mattered and the person mattered. Finally, we wrestle with the emotional survival skills that make this work possible, including “empathy gates,” vicarious trauma, and the constant tension between mission-driven law and the business realities that shape career choices. If you connected with this, subscribe, share the episode with a friend, and leave a review. What do you think a verdict is really worth? Stay Connected with The Velvet Hammer™ Podcast Hosted by Karen Koehler and Mo Hamoudi, trial lawyers at Stritmatter Law , a nationally recognized plaintiff's personal injury and civil rights law firm based in Washington State. Featuring Mike Todd, producer, audio engineer, and the Disembodied Voice of Wisdom & Reason. Produced by Mike Todd and Kassie Slugić. New episodes every Wednesday. The Velvet Hammer™ Podcast is where trial law meets real life. Trial stories, hard lessons, unexpected laughs, and honest conversations about life inside and outside the courtroom. Podcast Hub: https://thevelvethammer.buzzsprout.com Karen Koehler https://karenkoehler.com https://www.instagram.com/k3thevelvethammer/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-koehler-thevelvethammer/ Mo Hamoudi https://www.instagram.com/mo.hamoudi/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/mo-hamoudi-77a38733/ Stritmatter Law https://www.stritmatter.com

August 12, 2026Episode 3126 min

Crying in Court? Trial Lawyers Debate the Unwritten Rules

Courtroom culture loves control and punishes messiness, and nothing reveals that faster than tears. We start with the joke everyone knows, “There’s no crying in baseball,” then follow it into a much sharper reality: for generations of lawyers, “no crying” has been treated like a rule of professionalism, especially for women and anyone who already feels out of place in the room. Karen Koehler shares what it was like to come up in a world where crying could cost you credibility, a case role, or respect, and why that pressure can feel tied to gender, race, and the constant sense of being watched. We get practical and psychological about what tears actually are: a physical response to emotion, not a character flaw. Then we ask the uncomfortable questions juries force on trial lawyers every day. When does crying create connection, and when does it trigger annoyance, suspicion, or that “I don’t want to be here” feeling? We talk about the kind of witness jurors often reward, stoic, composed, almost breaking, and why fully grief-stricken testimony can get judged unfairly. We also discuss what lawyers do to manage the moment, from compartmentalization and “poker face” masking to finding safer outlets outside the jury’s view. The conversation goes deeper into empathy, aging, and the way repeated exposure to horrific facts can desensitize anyone, including experienced litigators. We close on a simple challenge: stay clear enough to be heard, human enough to be trusted, and honest about the biases that shape how emotion is received. If you’ve ever swallowed tears to be taken seriously, you’ll feel this one. Subscribe, share with a friend in a high-pressure job, and leave a review with your take: when does showing emotion build credibility, and when does it cost it? Stay Connected with The Velvet Hammer™ Podcast Hosted by Karen Koehler and Mo Hamoudi, trial lawyers at Stritmatter Law , a nationally recognized plaintiff's personal injury and civil rights law firm based in Washington State. Featuring Mike Todd, producer, audio engineer, and the Disembodied Voice of Wisdom & Reason. Produced by Mike Todd and Kassie Slugić. New episodes every Wednesday. The Velvet Hammer™ Podcast is where trial law meets real life. Trial stories, hard lessons, unexpected laughs, and honest conversations about life inside and outside the courtroom. Podcast Hub: https://thevelvethammer.buzzsprout.com Karen Koehler https://karenkoehler.com https://www.instagram.com/k3thevelvethammer/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-koehler-thevelvethammer/ Mo Hamoudi https://www.instagram.com/mo.hamoudi/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/mo-hamoudi-77a38733/ Stritmatter Law https://www.stritmatter.com

August 5, 2026Episode 3023 min

The Case Against Overthinking

Your mind hits rewind and suddenly you’re back in a meeting from last week, a mistake from ten years ago, or a conversation you wish you could redo. We dig into why rumination feels so convincing, how it differs from real reflection, and what it costs when the replay becomes a nonstop soundtrack of regret, second-guessing, and anxiety. We talk through two very different coping styles. One of us can process hard events intensely for a short stretch and then “put it on a shelf,” which sounds simple until you realize it can be a trauma response and not a one-size-fits-all fix. Another one of us leans into rumination as a memory bank: a way to store emotional nuance, learn patterns, and predict what’s likely to happen next in people and situations. That can be useful in high-stress work and decision making, but it can also turn everything into threat scanning. Along the way, we get real about mental health, ADHD-like fast thinking, and why rumination becomes unhealthy when it shows up as exhaustion, physical stress, or lost sleep. We also land on a surprisingly hopeful takeaway: different brains bring different strengths, and teams work better when we stop expecting one person to do every kind of thinking. If you’ve ever asked yourself, “Is this processing or is this obsession?” you’ll feel seen here. Subscribe for more honest conversations, share this with someone who lives in their head, and leave a review with the one thought-loop you’re ready to break. Stay Connected with The Velvet Hammer™ Podcast Hosted by Karen Koehler and Mo Hamoudi, trial lawyers at Stritmatter Law , a nationally recognized plaintiff's personal injury and civil rights law firm based in Washington State. Featuring Mike Todd, producer, audio engineer, and the Disembodied Voice of Wisdom & Reason. Produced by Mike Todd and Kassie Slugić. New episodes every Wednesday. The Velvet Hammer™ Podcast is where trial law meets real life. Trial stories, hard lessons, unexpected laughs, and honest conversations about life inside and outside the courtroom. Podcast Hub: https://thevelvethammer.buzzsprout.com Karen Koehler https://karenkoehler.com https://www.instagram.com/k3thevelvethammer/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-koehler-thevelvethammer/ Mo Hamoudi https://www.instagram.com/mo.hamoudi/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/mo-hamoudi-77a38733/ Stritmatter Law https://www.stritmatter.com

July 29, 2026Episode 2928 min

She Married Her Uncle. Then Killed Him.

You can feel it before the first question is even finished: the witness is about to lie. The problem is not whether you can prove it. The problem is when you should prove it. We talk through real deposition strategy and trial lawyer decision-making for dealing with false statements in sworn testimony, including the risk of confronting a lie too early and watching it get “fixed” the moment opposing counsel calls a break. From police reports signed under penalty of perjury to high-stakes civil cases where self-preservation is the motive, we explain how we build a clean foundation, lock in testimony, and then decide whether the best impeachment moment belongs at trial in front of a jury. We also get into the mechanics of questioning liars without getting hypnotized by theater: drilling into time, place, sensory details, and sequence, and recognizing how made-up stories often lack the texture of real memory. We shift to expert witnesses and the credibility landmines that come with them, from exaggerated credentials to omissions that can blow up an entire opinion. And we tackle a classic modern fact pattern: traffic camera footage contradicting a “green light” story, plus how false memory can be used to soften what still functions like a lie. We close with a blunt truth from our own practice: plaintiffs have to be honest with us, or the case is over. If this helped you think differently about deposition prep, cross-examination, and witness credibility, subscribe, share the episode with a lawyer friend, and leave a review. What’s your rule for when to confront a lie? Stay Connected with The Velvet Hammer™ Podcast Hosted by Karen Koehler and Mo Hamoudi, trial lawyers at Stritmatter Law , a nationally recognized plaintiff's personal injury and civil rights law firm based in Washington State. Featuring Mike Todd, producer, audio engineer, and the Disembodied Voice of Wisdom & Reason. Produced by Mike Todd and Kassie Slugić. New episodes every Wednesday. The Velvet Hammer™ Podcast is where trial law meets real life. Trial stories, hard lessons, unexpected laughs, and honest conversations about life inside and outside the courtroom. Podcast Hub: https://thevelvethammer.buzzsprout.com Karen Koehler https://karenkoehler.com https://www.instagram.com/k3thevelvethammer/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-koehler-thevelvethammer/ Mo Hamoudi https://www.instagram.com/mo.hamoudi/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/mo-hamoudi-77a38733/ Stritmatter Law https://www.stritmatter.com

July 22, 2026Episode 2819 min

Everything Is Marketing Now

A single celebrity at courtside can flip a playoff game into a culture argument. We start with Taylor Swift, loop back to Madonna as a blueprint for modern pop fame, and then follow the real thread: why people get so defensive about who “belongs” in sports arenas and why cameras keep choosing celebrities over the action. From Dave Portnoy’s complaints about fair-weather fans to the very real pull of seeing famous faces in the crowd, we talk about the power of celebrity culture and the attention economy. That turns into a blunt look at influencer marketing, social media performance, and the uncomfortable feeling that the feed is one long advertisement. We also admit the contradiction: we use podcasts and online visibility too, because in a crowded world even professionals need trust, content, and discoverability. Then we go deeper into what’s changing right now with SEO and Google as AI reshapes search, and what that means for anyone trying to be found online. We also touch the darker side of chasing attention, including the pressure on younger influencers and the mental health toll that comes with living on feedback loops. If any of this hits home, listen through and tell us where you land: are celebrities ruining sports, or just revealing what sports has already become? Subscribe, share the show with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find us. Stay Connected with The Velvet Hammer™ Podcast Hosted by Karen Koehler and Mo Hamoudi, trial lawyers at Stritmatter Law , a nationally recognized plaintiff's personal injury and civil rights law firm based in Washington State. Featuring Mike Todd, producer, audio engineer, and the Disembodied Voice of Wisdom & Reason. Produced by Mike Todd and Kassie Slugić. New episodes every Wednesday. The Velvet Hammer™ Podcast is where trial law meets real life. Trial stories, hard lessons, unexpected laughs, and honest conversations about life inside and outside the courtroom. Podcast Hub: https://thevelvethammer.buzzsprout.com Karen Koehler https://karenkoehler.com https://www.instagram.com/k3thevelvethammer/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-koehler-thevelvethammer/ Mo Hamoudi https://www.instagram.com/mo.hamoudi/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/mo-hamoudi-77a38733/ Stritmatter Law https://www.stritmatter.com

July 15, 2026Episode 2732 min

Madonna And The Double Standard

People love to say they’re fine with aging right up until an older woman refuses to disappear. We start with Madonna, her decades-long career, and the noise surrounding her new music, then we get honest about what the backlash is really signaling: ageism, sexism, and a deep discomfort with women who stay powerful past the age society “assigns” them. If you’ve ever heard someone judged for how they look instead of what they built, you’ll recognize the pattern immediately. Stay Connected with The Velvet Hammer™ Podcast Hosted by Karen Koehler and Mo Hamoudi, trial lawyers at Stritmatter Law , a nationally recognized plaintiff's personal injury and civil rights law firm based in Washington State. Featuring Mike Todd, producer, audio engineer, and the Disembodied Voice of Wisdom & Reason. Produced by Mike Todd and Kassie Slugić. New episodes every Wednesday. The Velvet Hammer™ Podcast is where trial law meets real life. Trial stories, hard lessons, unexpected laughs, and honest conversations about life inside and outside the courtroom. Podcast Hub: https://thevelvethammer.buzzsprout.com Karen Koehler https://karenkoehler.com https://www.instagram.com/k3thevelvethammer/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-koehler-thevelvethammer/ Mo Hamoudi https://www.instagram.com/mo.hamoudi/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/mo-hamoudi-77a38733/ Stritmatter Law https://www.stritmatter.com iew with your take: where have you seen age shape who gets listened to? Stay Connected with The Velvet Hammer™ Podcast Hosted by Karen Koehler and Mo Hamoudi, trial lawyers at Stritmatter Law , a nationally recognized plaintiff's personal injury and civil rights law firm based in Washington State. Featuring Mike Todd, producer, audio engineer, and the Disembodied Voice of Wisdom & Reason. Produced by Mike Todd and Kassie Slugić. New episodes every Wednesday. The Velvet Hammer™ Podcast is where trial law meets real life. Trial stories, hard lessons, unexpected laughs, and honest conversations about life inside and outside the courtroom. Podcast Hub: https://thevelvethammer.buzzsprout.com Karen Koehler https://karenkoehler.com https://www.instagram.com/k3thevelvethammer/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-koehler-thevelvethammer/ Mo Hamoudi https://www.instagram.com/mo.hamoudi/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/mo-hamoudi-77a38733/ Stritmatter Law https://www.stritmatter.com

July 9, 2026Episode 2629 min

What Happens When You Pick the Wrong Lawyer After an Accident

When someone suffers a catastrophic injury, choosing the right attorney can be one of the most important decisions they'll ever make. But how do you know who to trust? In this episode of Velvet Hammer, Senior Managing Partner Karen Koehler and Senior Partner Mo Hamoudi join Mike Todd to walk through a realistic personal injury scenario—from the moments after a serious collision to hiring a lawyer, dealing with insurance companies, and understanding contingency fees. Along the way, they pull back the curtain on how plaintiff's firms operate, what separates trial lawyers from high-volume settlement firms, and why insurance companies pay close attention to the attorney representing an injured client. Stay Connected with The Velvet Hammer™ Podcast Hosted by Karen Koehler and Mo Hamoudi, trial lawyers at Stritmatter Law , a nationally recognized plaintiff's personal injury and civil rights law firm based in Washington State. Featuring Mike Todd, producer, audio engineer, and the Disembodied Voice of Wisdom & Reason. Produced by Mike Todd and Kassie Slugić. New episodes every Wednesday. The Velvet Hammer™ Podcast is where trial law meets real life. Trial stories, hard lessons, unexpected laughs, and honest conversations about life inside and outside the courtroom. Podcast Hub: https://thevelvethammer.buzzsprout.com Karen Koehler https://karenkoehler.com https://www.instagram.com/k3thevelvethammer/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-koehler-thevelvethammer/ Mo Hamoudi https://www.instagram.com/mo.hamoudi/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/mo-hamoudi-77a38733/ Stritmatter Law https://www.stritmatter.com

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