Building the Case: Storytelling When Facts Are Fixed and Stakes Are High
“In a world where every case hinges on connection, every argument on emotion, and every verdict on belief... the story spine framework promises to change the game.”
Building the Case…
What it is:
Building the Case is a unique and insightful book that explores the art of storytelling and persuasion—particularly for lawyers, trial consultants, and professional communicators. It uses the story spine framework to help readers build compelling narratives that resonate deeply and drive action. This book combines storytelling, strategy, and success.
Who we are:
We are trial consultants, psychodramatists, storytellers, and strategists with a knack for turning complex information into impactful, winning stories. We help legal professionals and communicators connect with their audience in meaningful ways. The book Building the Case is a culmination of years of expertise, offering practical storytelling tools for high-stakes situations.
Audience
Lawyers, trial consultants, social workers, and mitigation specialists
Professional communicators (e.g., marketers, speechwriters)
Anyone who wants to master storytelling for persuasive impact
Audience Vibe: Smart, professional, and curious. They value clarity, strategy, and emotional connection.
About the Author
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.
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.
What we believe:
We believe that stories are the most powerful tool in advocacy—more powerful than facts alone. In the courtroom, in negotiations, and in life, the ability to tell a compelling story determines outcomes. Building the Case exists to teach legal professionals, advocates, and anyone fighting for justice how to transform raw facts into narratives that move hearts, shift perspectives, and inspire action.
Our mission goes beyond selling a book; we are revolutionizing the way legal professionals advocate for their clients, empowering those who feel voiceless, and reshaping justice through the power of storytelling.
Empowering Advocates with the Power of Storytelling
At Building the Case, we believe in transforming raw facts into compelling narratives that shift perspectives and inspire action. Our mission is to revolutionize advocacy through storytelling, teaching legal professionals and fighters for justice to engage, persuade, and win with the human connection at the heart of every story.
Who we serve?
We serve those who fight for others—lawyers, public defenders, social workers, mitigation specialists, activists, and professionals who advocate for justice.
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We serve the trial lawyer who knows that juries don’t remember statutes and legal codes—but they do remember the story of a single mother fighting for her rights.
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We serve the public defender standing beside a client whom the system has already judged, needing a way to humanize them beyond their worst moment.
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We serve the social worker who must convey a child's trauma in a way that policymakers will feel in their bones.
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We serve the mitigation specialist who needs to reframe a defendant’s life story to show the complexity behind their choices.
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We serve the advocate who understands that data and logic won’t create change until they are woven into a narrative people care about.
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Our audience isn’t just professionals in legal and advocacy fields—it is anyone who has ever had to fight to be heard and wants to tell their story more effectively.
What sets us apart:
What makes Building the Case different is that it isn’t just about legal strategy—it’s about the human connection that wins cases and changes minds.
Most legal training focuses on facts, evidence, and legal precedent. We focus on how to make those facts unforgettable. We teach legal professionals:
How to structure a legal argument like a compelling story (using the Story Spine).
How to use techniques from screenwriting, psychodrama, and narrative theory to make arguments more persuasive.
How to integrate emotion without manipulation—presenting facts in a way that resonates deeply with judges, juries, and decision-makers.
The unexpected element of Building the Case is that it applies storytelling techniques from entertainment, psychology, and performance to legal advocacy—creating a completely fresh approach to persuasion.
Juries, clients, and policymakers won’t just understand your case—they’ll feel it. This book isn’t just for lawyers. It’s for anyone who has ever needed to fight for justice—and wants to tell a story that cannot be ignored.
What People Are Saying
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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
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"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
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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
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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
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“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
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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