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On this episode of The Dirty Verdict, Kyle Herbert and Bill Ogden sit down with attorney and mediator Sherra Gilbert for a wide-ranging conversation about the experiences that shaped her career, what she has learned from practicing on both sides of the courtroom, and why preparation can make or break a case long before anyone gets to trial.

Sherra shares her journey from growing up in Laredo, Texas, to attending the University of Texas and eventually earning her law degree from Thurgood Marshall School of Law. She discusses beginning her legal career in immigration law, where removal proceedings gave her valuable bench trial experience, before moving through plaintiff-side personal injury, workers’ compensation, insurance defense, commercial litigation, and ultimately mediation.

The conversation dives into Sherra’s years with Farmers Insurance, where she deliberately pursued as much trial experience as possible and developed an appreciation for the ethical responsibility defense attorneys owe to the insured—not simply the insurance carrier. After nearly a decade of insurance defense work and additional experience handling commercial and trucking cases, Sherra transitioned toward mediation, becoming board certified and beginning her mediation practice in 2019.

From there, the group gets into the realities of modern personal injury litigation: attorneys arriving at mediation unprepared, cases sitting unresolved because nobody has properly evaluated them, unrealistic expectations about case value, and the importance of understanding a case from both the plaintiff and defense perspectives. Sherra explains why a mediator’s outside perspective can expose weaknesses the lawyers handling a case every day may no longer see.

They also discuss the increased pressure Texas courts are putting on attorneys to move cases toward trial, how aggressive trial settings are changing settlement dynamics, and why attorneys who prepare their cases early may actually benefit from the faster pace. Sherra explains how looming trial dates are creating urgency around mediation and forcing both sides to take a hard look at the strengths and weaknesses of their cases.

As always, the legal discussion comes with plenty of Dirty Verdict detours, courtroom stories, friendly shots at fellow attorneys, and the kind of unscripted conversation that happens when Kyle and Bill are left mostly unsupervised.

Main Highlights

03:27 — Growing Up in Laredo & Learning Spanish

12:42 — From UT to Law School

19:34 — Thurgood Marshall & Breaking Into Immigration Law

24:59 — Moving From Immigration to Personal Injury

28:20 — Farmers Insurance & Learning to Try Cases

33:05 — The Ethical Duty of Insurance Defense Lawyers

35:42 — Becoming a Mediator

36:37 — How Lawyers Sabotage Their Own Cases

39:09 — Why Sherra Still Tries Cases

41:35 — Catastrophic Injuries vs. Everyday PI Cases

42:48 — Courts Are Pushing Cases to Trial Faster

46:21 — Why Trial Dates Make Mediation More Effective

47:45 — Mediator’s Proposals & What a Case Is Really Worth

On this episode of The Dirty Verdict, hosts Peter Taaffe and Kyle Herbert welcome attorney and mediator Leigh Lewis to discuss her transition from a successful insurance-defense practice to full-time mediation.

Leigh reflects on growing up in Midland, Texas, studying environmental management at Duke University, attending the University of Texas School of Law, and building a litigation career that included approximately 30 jury trials and 16 years with Walters, Balido & Crain.

The conversation includes some of Leigh’s most unusual product-liability cases, the realities of preparing unpredictable clients for trial, and what plaintiff attorneys can do to improve their chances of reaching a favorable settlement at mediation. Leigh also offers a behind-the-scenes perspective on how defense attorneys and insurance carriers evaluate claims, witnesses, medical records, experts, venues, opposing counsel, and potential jury verdicts.

The episode concludes with a discussion about overwhelmed court dockets, Leigh’s decision to leave litigation for mediation, and the growing opportunities and privacy concerns surrounding the use of artificial intelligence in legal cases.

Major Topics Discussed

00:00 — Introducing Leigh Lewis and Her Move to Mediation

03:34 — Growing Up in Midland and the Path to Law School

10:04 — Building a Career in Insurance-Defense Litigation

12:18 — Leigh’s Most Unusual Product-Liability Cases

19:18 — Jury Trials, Client Preparation, and Unpredictable Witnesses

25:21 — How Plaintiff Attorneys Can Prepare for a Successful Mediation

37:01 — How the Plaintiff and Defense Bars Share Information Differently

47:26 — Leaving Litigation, Becoming a Mediator, and the Use of AI in Legal Cases