Best Velvet Hammer™ Podcasts (2025)

1
Sean Combs on Trial: Jury Out For Deliberation 26:43

5d ago26:43

26:43

Episode 24: Sean Combs on Trial: Jury Out For Deliberation As the jury deliberates in the explosive federal case against Sean “Diddy” Combs, attorneys Karen Koehler and Mo Hamoudi break down the charges, evidence, and legal strategies that make this trial a pivotal moment in shaping our understanding of consent, power, and accountability. Behind th…

1
MURDERLAND-Caroline Fraser 58:53

7d ago58:53

58:53

Caroline Fraser grew up in the shadow of Ted Bundy, the most notorious serial murderer of women in American history, surrounded by his hunting grounds and mountain body dumps, in the brooding landscape of the Pacific Northwest. But in the 1970s and ’80s, Bundy was just one perpetrator amid an uncanny explosion of serial rape and murder across the r…

1
Confronting the Money Taboo in Plaintiff Work 38:33

12d ago38:33

38:33

Episode 23: Confronting the Money Taboo in Plaintiff Work What happens when you’ve spent your whole life avoiding money, and now your entire job is to ask for it in the name of justice? In this episode, Mo Hamoudi opens up about how childhood poverty and betrayal shaped a deep discomfort with money. He was taken advantage of by people who claimed t…

1
DOWN TO THE BONE—Caitlin Rother 57:20

14d ago57:20

57:20

A twisting, deeply engrossing investigation into the many lingering questions surrounding the sudden disappearance of the McStays, a family of four who vanished from their suburban San Diego home without a trace—until their skeletal remains were found in the Mojave Desert nearly four years later—from New York Times bestselling author Caitlin Rother…

1
Post-Settlement Syndrome 25:29

19d ago25:29

25:29

Episode 22: Post-Settlement Syndrome In this episode of The Velvet Hammer™, Karen and Mo talk about the emotional crash that hits when you’re “all dressed up and nowhere to party.” Karen calls it post-settlement syndrome. The adrenaline is still pumping, but there’s no fight. They unpack what it feels like when justice is close enough to taste, but…

1
ANATOMY OF A COVERUP-Paul Palango 1:26:10

21d ago1:26:10

1:26:10

FOLLOW-UP TO THE #1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER 22 MURDERS The truth about the deadliest criminal incident in Canadian history has remained untold—until now. Investigative journalist Paul Palango’s 22 Murders examined the April 2020 shooting spree committed by Gabriel Wortman that began in Portapique, Nova Scotia, and ended thirteen and a half hours later …

1
The Archetypes That Drive Us in Life and Law 38:20

26d ago38:20

38:20

Episode 21: The Archetypes That Drive Us in Life and Law Have you ever noticed how you show up differently depending on the room you're in? In this episode, Karen, Mo, and Mike explore the inner archetypes that shape our thoughts, work, and connections, particularly in the world of trial law. Karen reflects on her transformation from Disco Karen to…

1
PROJECT MIND CONTROL-John Lisle 1:17:13

28d ago1:17:13

1:17:13

The inside story of the CIA’s secret mind control project, MKULTRA, using never-before-seen testimony from the perpetrators themselves. Sidney Gottlieb was the CIA’s most cunning chemist. As head of the infamous MKULTRA project, he oversaw an assortment of dangerous―even deadly―experiments. Among them: dosing unwitting strangers with mind-bending d…

1
Karen Koehler on Leadership Challenges in Managing a Law Firm 21:29

1M ago21:29

21:29

Episode 20: Karen Koehler on Leadership Challenges in Managing a Law Firm Can being too humble hold you back? Karen opens up about her leadership style, one that prioritizes team praise over personal recognition, and the unintended downside of deflecting credit. Mo and Mike delve into how humility, when taken to an extreme, can blur the lines betwe…

1
CHASSON'S RUN-Daniel Zimmerman 1:17:55

1M ago1:17:55

1:17:55

On September 6, 1982, convicted murderer Leroy James Chasson made a daring break for freedom from the Massachusetts Correctional Institute-Walpole—one of the most infamous, escape-proof prisons in the country. But this wasn't just any prison break. It was a meticulously planned, five-year effort, made possible by an unlikely accomplice—Kathleen Mac…

1
The Punk Move: When Abusers Use SLAPP Suits to Silence Survivors 26:57

1M ago26:57

26:57

🎙️ Episode 19: The Punk Move: When Abusers Use SLAPP suits to Silence Survivors What happens when the accused turns around and sues the person making the accusation? Karen and Mo dive into the disturbing rise of SLAPP suits — lawsuits filed by powerful defendants to intimidate, drain, and silence sexual abuse survivors. These lawsuits are calculate…

1
A SECOND SHOT-Michael F. Weisberg 1:20:49

1M ago1:20:49

1:20:49

In 1971, Montgomery County Deputy Sheriff James Tappen Hall was gunned down outside a Maryland country club. The case went cold—no suspect, no answers, no closure. But his daughter never gave up trying to find her father's killer.Fifty years later, cold case detectives finally reopened the investigation and identified a suspect whose shocking confe…

1
PDRC 2025 Episode 5 "That's Not My Job" 1:10:25

2M ago1:10:25

1:10:25

Ever hear this? Or worse...say it? "That's not my job!" Let's jump into personal responsibility and how that translates to PDR, plus Keith adds jibber-jabber and pirate jokes per Shane's request

1
The Art of Driving Defense Lawyers Crazy 32:26

2M ago32:26

32:26

Episode 18: The Art of Driving Defense Lawyers Crazy In this episode of The Velvet Hammer™ podcast, Karen Koehler and Mo Hamoudi break down the tactics that send defense lawyers into a spiral and explain why that’s not only strategic but also necessary. Welcome to the “Flim Flam Sauce”, the unapologetic art of getting under opposing counsel’s skin …

1
MURDER IN A SMALL TOWN-Larry Scheckel 53:07

2M ago53:07

53:07

"It was the most horrific crime ever to come before this Court,” said the Judge. A renowned forensic pathologist shouted from the witness stand, “Torture!” when describing the beating three-year-old Kyson Rice took at the hands of a 6-foot 3-inch, 240-pound monster. Read the account of an ambulance team desperately trying to keep a badly beaten boy…

1
Goal Setting, Dreams, and the People Who Shape Them 42:58

2M ago42:58

42:58

Episode 17: Goal Setting, Dreams, and the People Who Shape Them In this episode of The Velvet Hammer™ podcast, Karen, Mo, and Mike dive into the raw, reflective, and often uncomfortable goal-setting process. What is the real difference between a dream and a goal, and what happens when your deepest values get in the way of both? Karen shares the per…

1
PDRC 2025 Episode 4 What is Possible with PDR ? Are you limiting your own success? 34:15

2M ago34:15

34:15

Shane & Keith discuss limiting beliefs in our mindset that prevent us from progressing professionally in the dent repair field and beyond.

1
THE RULE OF CRIME AND ME-Anne Jaeger 1:25:56

2M ago1:25:56

1:25:56

Anne JaegerFrom her small-town Michigan roots to becoming a New York Times bestselling author, Ann Rule’s life journey is as fascinating as the cases she covered. Discover how she revolutionized crime writing, influenced FBI profiling, and Rule's fateful encounter with a murderer at just nine years old.Go behind the scenes of Rule’s most infamous c…

1
In Defense of Flip-Flopping: Why Adaptability Matters in Law 34:09

2M ago34:09

34:09

Episode 16: In Defense of Flip-Flopping: Why Adaptability Matters in Law Karen Koehler opens up about her so-called "flip-flopping," her tendency to change her mind, and reframes it as one of her greatest strengths. From trial tactics to law firm management, she explains how adaptability and quick pivots are crucial in high-stakes litigation. Mo Ha…

1
PDRC 2025 Episode 3 The Bandwagon Effect 58:12

2M ago58:12

58:12

Long lines sell food. How do we tap into the "Bandwagon Effect" for our PDR Companies? Let's hop in and discuss it!

1
THE PEEPSHOW—Kate Summerscale 1:12:07

2M ago1:12:07

1:12:07

London, 1953. Police discover the bodies of three young women hidden in a wall at 10 Rillington Place, a dingy terrace house in Notting Hill. On searching the building, they find another body beneath the floorboards, then an array of human bones in the garden. But they have already investigated a double murder at 10 Rillington Place, three years ag…

1
Why We Suck at Celebrating Wins 20:08

2M ago20:08

20:08

Episode 15: Why We Suck at Celebrating Wins It’s been a week of big wins. Sanctions against Amazon. Settlements in multiple cases. Momentum heading into trial. And yet, instead of celebrating, Karen and Mo are back in the office...working? In this episode, Karen and Mo (and Mike) talk honestly about the emotional highs and nonstop pressure of doing…

1
DEPRAVED OBSESSION-Rod Sadler 1:17:50

2M ago1:17:50

1:17:50

What drove the inconspicuous sociopath to become a ruthless killer? During his nearly fifteen-year reign of terror, Ronald Lloyd Bailey’s depraved obsession with sexual sadism held communities across southeast Michigan in a shroud of fear. From the early 1970’s to the mid-1980’s, the former patient at one of Michigan’s foremost psychiatric hospital…

1
Why Trial Lawyers Must Talk About Money (Even When It’s Uncomfortable) 46:42

2M ago46:42

46:42

Episode 14: Why Trial Lawyers Must Talk About Money (Even When It’s Uncomfortable) Is money the most uncomfortable topic in the courtroom? For many trial lawyers, yes. But when it comes to representing injured clients, avoiding money talk is not an option. In this candid episode, Karen Koehler and Mo Hamoudi talk about what it really means to ask f…

1
L.A. CORONER-Anne Soon Choi 1:15:47

3M ago1:15:47

1:15:47

L.A. Coroner is a gripping true crime biography of Dr. Thomas Noguchi, the controversial “Coroner to the Stars,” who performed the autopsies of Marilyn Monroe, Robert F. Kennedy, Sharon Tate, Natalie Wood, and hundreds of other notable personalities. Choi, an award-winning historian and professor, deftly blends Los Angeles history, death investigat…

1
Karen’s Journal Entry at 19: Crisis is Perpetual 42:53

3M ago42:53

42:53

Episode 13: Karen’s Journal Entry at 19: Crisis is Perpetual At 19, Karen wrote a stream of consciousness that no one had ever read. Until now. In this episode, she shares that handwritten journal entry and opens up a conversation with Mo about identity, ambition, burnout, and what it means to be a lawyer who feels deeply. They talk about the press…

1
IRMA GRESE—Becoming The Hyena of Auschwitz-Judith A. Yates 1:14:30

3M ago1:14:30

1:14:30

Irma Grese “The Hyena of Auschwitz” entered Adolph Hitler’s concentration camps at the age of 18 as one of the most feared females in Nazi Germany. Before she was 20 years old, Grese became legendary for her insatiable cruelty and salacious liaisons, an alleged predator and sadist. Even Nazi supervisors were forced to curtail her brutal behavior. I…

1
What Compels Us to Become Lawyers 38:41

3M ago38:41

38:41

Episode 12: What Compels Us to Become Lawyers Content note: This episode includes discussion of domestic violence, trauma, and mental health challenges, including suicidal ideation. Please take care while watching. Karen reads a college essay she wrote at 18, predicting her future as a civil rights lawyer. Mo shares his contrasting journey through …

1
PRESSED TO KILL-Tom Marquardt 1:03:45

3M ago1:03:45

1:03:45

For all Tom Marquardt knew, Capital Gazette just had an unhappy reader. What he didn’t know was that the unhappy reader was about to become a mass murderer. Marquardt, the former editor of Capital Gazette newspapers in Annapolis, MD, was a target of a 38-year-old loner who sought to avenge a 2011 article that reported the reader’s conviction of sex…

1
The Unlikeable Client 39:48

3M ago39:48

39:48

Episode 11: The Unlikeable Client Trigger Warning: This episode contains discussion of domestic violence, including descriptions of abuse. Please listen with care. What happens when your client isn’t someone a jury might naturally root for? In this episode, Karen and Mo dive into one of the hardest parts of plaintiff law: working with clients who t…

1
THE SCIENTIST AND THE SERIAL KILLER—Lise Olsen 58:19

3M ago58:19

58:19

The true story of how one dedicated forensic scientist restored the long-lost identities of the teenaged victims of the “Candy Man,” one of America’s most prolific serial killers. Houston, Texas, in the early 1970s was an exciting place—the home of NASA, the city of the future. But a string of more than two dozen missing teenage boys hinted at a da…

1
Sanctions, Sanctions, Sanctions - Read All About It 46:14

3M ago46:14

46:14

Episode 12: Sanctions, Sanctions, Sanctions – Read All About It In this episode of The Velvet Hammer™, Karen and Mo dive into the wild world of sanctions. What they are, why they matter, and how defense firms push the limits. Karen starts with her first sanctions victory in the 90s, then they walk through three recent cases. They also break down ho…

1
SCOUT CAMP-James Renner 51:59

3M ago51:59

51:59

Acclaimed journalist, author, and creator of the True Crime This Week podcast, and former Boy Scout James Renner, explores the dark side of an American institution, its pervasive culture of sexual abuse, and the traumatic—even deadly—repercussions of its long-buried secrets. In the summer of 1995, at the largest Boy Scout camp in Ohio, a night of s…

1
Responding to Listener Feedback That Took Us by Surprise 35:07

4M ago35:07

35:07

Episode 9: Responding to Listener Feedback That Took Us by Surprise Karen Koehler and Mo Hamoudi planned to revisit their worst courtroom arguments, but listener feedback completely changed the conversation. Some reactions were protective, some were critical, and all were thought-provoking. Was it a power move? Was Mo being shut down? Karen and Mo …

1
THE CRACK CITY STRANGLER-B.R.Bates 1:01:52

4M ago1:01:52

1:01:52

THE CRACK CITY STRANGLER: The Homicides of Serial Killer Benjamin Atkins offers a chilling, in-depth account of the horrifying crimes committed by one of America’s most notorious serial killers. Award-winning journalist B.R. Bates delves into the twisted life of Benjamin “Tony” Atkins, whose reign of terror in Detroit spanned less than a year in th…

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