Meet the Author

Her journey is as unique as the strategies she employs. From managing communications in military combat units to controlling airspace as an air traffic controller, and even working in biotechnology, Leigh’s diverse experiences have shaped her unmatched ability to think creatively under pressure and frame the hidden elements of any story. A graduate and faculty member of Gerry Spence’s Trial Lawyers College, she has trained countless lawyers in the art of storytelling, psychology, and narrative structure.

In this book, Leigh shares the techniques and insights she has honed over decades—tools that empower professionals to create powerful, impactful stories, whether in the courtroom or beyond. Through her lens, storytelling becomes more than a skill; it becomes the bridge between facts and understanding, between strategy and victory.

Let Leigh be your guide as you explore the art and science of the story spine, a transformative framework that has shaped the outcomes of trials, leadership strategies, and lives.

Leigh E. Johnson – A Master of Storytelling in the Legal Arena

In the high-stakes world of trial law, where facts clash and narratives collide, Leigh E. Johnson stands out as a guide for crafting stories that win hearts, minds, and cases. As a trial lawyer and founder of Trial Whisperer, Law Focus Groups, and Lawyers and Leaders, Leigh has dedicated her career to transforming complex legal battles into compelling human stories that resonate deeply with juries and clients alike.

Leigh’s innovative approach is rooted in action methods, which she uses to uncover the emotional core of every case. By combining rigorous analysis with creativity and empathy, she helps legal teams transform raw evidence into narratives that transcend legal jargon, capturing universal truths and driving courtroom success.

Revolutionize Your Legal Storytelling

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Building The Case!

Discover how to transform facts into compelling narratives with the power of storytelling. Building The Case equips lawyers, consultants, and storytellers with tools like the Story Spine framework, emotional mapping, and psychodrama techniques to craft narratives that resonate and persuade. Whether in the courtroom or boardroom, this book will revolutionize the way you approach storytelling.

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Building The Case’ is a journey into the heart of what it means to be a trial lawyer. Leigh E. Johnson teaches us that to truly hold our audience, we must first listen deeply—not just to the facts, but to the human story behind them. This book masterfully uses psychodrama to explore how understanding your own story can empower you to effectively tell others’. It’s a crucial resource for any lawyer who seeks to transform their advocacy into a powerful narrative of justice and hope.

— Don Clarkson, Psychodramatist, Educator, and Pioneer in Trial Advocacy
Leigh E. Johnson’s ‘Building The Case’ masterfully combines trial lawyering with the transformative power of psychodrama and experiential methods. By integrating the Story Spine framework, this book shows how to turn dry facts into emotionally resonant narratives that connect with jurors on a human level. A must-have resource for trial lawyers and anyone committed to the art of impactful storytelling.

– Dr. Daniela Simmons, Trainer, Educator, and Leader in Experiential Methods
Leigh Johnson has written what I consider to be an essential book for all attorneys. As we have sadly learned from recent political debates, facts matter very little. Facts are boring, facts are confusing, facts are made up, etc.… But what Leigh points out is that a person who can tell a good story can sway jurors and judges, facts or no facts. So it is essential to learn how to tell a good story, and Leigh Johnson explains how to do that that very effectively in this book. A must read, I think.

–John Jacobsen, Writer/Director/Teacher
This isn’t just a book—it’s an invitation to rethink how you communicate. "Building the Case" turns every courtroom argument, every client’s struggle, and every personal experience into a story worth telling. The chapter on psychodrama is a revelation—it gave me tools to bring depth and emotion to narratives in ways I’d never considered. And "Juror as Hero"? Pure genius. It’s not just about winning cases; it’s about connecting, understanding, and ultimately transforming how we see justice. This book will inspire you to find the story in every moment.

– Charles Windon, Esq., 50+ Years of Fighting for Justice
Leigh’s book is a masterful work that would likely open up the emotions of any reader. Leigh is able to walk you through using the story spine from her own experiences as a human being and a lawyer. It is integrated into a cohesive narrative yet is also full of immediately effective tools. For a trial lawyer, her book led me to feel, immediately, like using the suggestions in the book to work on my cases. I wanted to stop reading the book and do the exercises; they were so clear and compelling, and I immediately knew they would make my work better, more meaningful, and more effective. This book will be a must-have for any trial lawyer or anybody facing any sort of life conflict be they a spouse, parent, child, colleague, or teammate. This book will change lives and storytelling forever.

– Tamara York, Marin County Public Defender
Leigh brilliantly constructed a method of creating narratives that permit the client’s story to resonate with all audiences in a courtroom. Her brilliance is that she digs deep into her own experiences and powerfully shares with humility her past triumphs and victories to unravel the journey of her expertise. It is this transparency that brings the reader/student to experience the lessons learned and now taught through a compellingly simple structure. The lawyer who embarks on the path of this method, forever committed to learning, and relearning the method that when ultimately mastered become second nature. The bonus is the individual evolves along with the mastery of the craft. Leigh does the superior job of simplifying and explaining the power of storytelling in a courtroom.

– Rosa Alexander Eliades, Emergence Consulting