Legal cases are largely about good narratives

I'm convinced human beings respond to compelling stories. We like stories. It's just how our minds operate. Why else would we spend so much time binge-watching Netflix, reading books, going to movies, and attending plays? Therefore, the most effective lawyering, in my humble opinion, requires discovering your case's narrative arc. And that involves understanding what makes a good story. You can't do that if you don't learn about your client, the facts of the case, and learn how to put all of that together into a story that moves some sort of decision maker--be it a jury, the person on the other side, or a person you are trying to make a deal with. Doesn't matter who. You need to convince them. And you can't do that without a narrative you create. Sometimes it's very short. Sometimes it's long. But it has to be persuasive, and it can't be if it isn't a good story, compelling, or both.