"The community at the time was just furious with me for charging any of the counter-protestors with anything. And I was very sympathetic to the ideology of the counter-protestors, and was mortified by some of the viewpoints of the alt-right individuals. But I said, 'I have to prosecute conduct, not content,' and if you start picking sides, that's a scary thing."

Joe Platania, the Commonwealth’s Attorney for Charlottesville, joined us for a candid conversation about what it truly means to serve as a prosecutor.

From starting as a public defender to leading the prosecution of high-profile cases—most notably those arising from the 2017 Unite the Right rally—we explored the immense power and responsibility of prosecutorial discretion, the balance between victim advocacy and fairness to the accused, and the importance of proactive engagement with the communities prosecutors serve.

It was a privilege having Joe join us.

Courtroom Stories & Tactics | RVA Trial Lawyers
Available on Spotify, Apple, YouTube, and at RVATrialLawyers.com

Based out of Richmond, Virginia, Courtroom Stories & Tactics by RVA Trial Lawyers exists for lawyers who try cases to juries on behalf of people. Through our podcast, we hope to learn from them, support them, connect them, inspire them, and preserve their work for future trial lawyers.

If you are willing, we would greatly appreciate it if you left us a 5-Star Google Review by clicking here. Your review will help people find us.

Also, if you would like to subscribe to the RVA Trial Lawyers Newsletter, you can do so here.

Thank you!

Sharif Gray and Nael Abouzaki

"The number one takeaway is trust yourself. Because we know our stuff. We are better than them. They are inundated with so much work, and they're doing the same old stuff. We're going to conferences and learning cutting edge technology. So believe in yourself."

Tarun Rana of Rana Law Group in St. Louis, MO joined us for a conversation about learning, improving, and working alongside other trial lawyers. Tarun shared his approach to trial preparation, his insight on building a successful practice, and his experience in utilizing big data and focus groups.

Tarun and Sharif met in the first place thanks to our common friend Chris Finney ("Trying Cases the Right Way," Episode 21, April 2025), further proof of the power of networking and sharing knowledge and resources.

It was a privilege having Tarun join us.

Courtroom Stories & Tactics | RVA Trial Lawyers
Available on Spotify, Apple, YouTube, and at RVATrialLawyers.com

Based out of Richmond, Virginia, Courtroom Stories & Tactics by RVA Trial Lawyers exists for lawyers who try cases to juries on behalf of people. Through our podcast, we hope to learn from them, support them, connect them, inspire them, and preserve their work for future trial lawyers.

If you are willing, we would greatly appreciate it if you left us a 5-Star Google Review by clicking here. Your review will help people find us.

Also, if you would like to subscribe to the RVA Trial Lawyers Newsletter, you can do so here.

Thank you!

Sharif Gray and Nael Abouzaki

"So in listening to this, whomever wants Syria to be unified, maybe the solution is to listen to this petition, to consider it, and to work really, genuinely, on reaching a peaceful solution to the Syrian crisis." - Firas Alchoufi

In this special episode, international lawyer, arbitrator and humanitarian Firas Alchoufi joins us to bring awareness to the humanitarian crisis that is impacting his home province of Suwayda, in the southern part of Syria.

The recent regime change in that country has brought about a targeted campaign that aims to irradicate the Druze people, whose presence in the Levant dates back over 1,000 years. Brutal atrocities are not only being documented but seemingly celebrated on social media.

Firas is a leading voice bringing a petition before the United Nations, asking it to supervise a referendum in Suwayda, where the questions would be:

1) Suwayda to stay within unified Syria without any change,
2) Suwayda to seek a form of self-governing autonomy, or
3) Suwayda to declare its full independence.

Lawyers have been the catalyst for change when change has been the vehicle for justice. And justice isn't just in the courtroom. It's also a commitment for doing what's right as a human being.

We are deeply appreciative of this platform that allows us to shed light on this humanitarian crisis, and it was a privilege having Firas join us.

To learn more:

People of Suwayda collect signatures demanding the right to self-determination

Syria: Sweida Counters Roadmap with Self-Determination Petition Campaign

Bin Sevan Advocates & Legal Consultants

Courtroom Stories & Tactics | RVA Trial Lawyers
Available on Spotify, Apple, YouTube, and at RVATrialLawyers.com

Based out of Richmond, Virginia, Courtroom Stories & Tactics by RVA Trial Lawyers exists for lawyers who try cases to juries on behalf of people. Through our podcast, we hope to learn from them, support them, connect them, inspire them, and preserve their work for future trial lawyers.

If you are willing, we would greatly appreciate it if you left us a 5-Star Google Review by clicking here. Your review will help people find us.

Also, if you would like to subscribe to the RVA Trial Lawyers Newsletter, you can do so here.

Thank you!

Sharif Gray and Nael Abouzaki