Top Lawyers: Darrell Cochran On The 5 Things You Need To Become A Top Lawyer In Your Specific Field of Law

An Interview With Chere Estrin

Imbalance is the secret to greatness. It is critical to accept the fact there is imbalance in your life — you must devote yourself to the law. Live the life of a lawyer, think of everything through a lawyer’s lens, and commit to the fact that you are going to be a lawyer nonstop.

The legal field is known to be extremely competitive. Lawyers are often smart, ambitious, and highly educated. That being said, what does it take to stand out and become a “Top Lawyer” in your specific field of law? In this interview series called “5 Things You Need To Become A Top Lawyer In Your Specific Field of Law”, we are talking to top lawyers who share what it takes to excel and stand out in your industry.

As a part of this interview series, I had the pleasure of interviewing Darrell Cochran.

Darrell Cochran’s record speaks for itself. As a partner at Pfau Cochran Vertetis Amala, he has won hundreds of millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements for his clients in some of the most daunting cases. His opponents are powerful and include some of the country’s largest corporations and government agencies. Darrell’s goal is to take down these Goliaths and make them pay for the wrongs they have committed against the injured.

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series. Before we dig in, our readers would love to get to know you a bit more. What is the “backstory” that brought you to this particular career path in Law? Did you want to be an attorney “when you grew up”?

I gravitated toward becoming a lawyer at a young age. Starting in kindergarten, every report card and teacher comment referred to me as a lawyer battling in the sandbox because I was known for standing up for others, like helping students who just got beaten up. Later on in grade school, I was often sent to the library to keep myself occupied after I ripped through assignments. I read books about everything from history to baseball to polygraph tests. I was most interested in the books about F. Lee Bailey, a famous criminal defense lawyer, and Richard “Racehorse” Haynes, a Texas criminal defense attorney. I knew then that I wanted to help people through the law. I became specifically interested in personal injury law after watching a 60 Minutes package about the Ford Pinto gas tank explosions. I knew right then that I wanted to sue corporations for making bad products.

Can you tell us a bit about the nature of your practice and what you focus on?

My clients are ordinary people — men, women and children who have suffered physically and mentally, and deserve restitution. My case work covers a range of personal injury claims, from catastrophic injuries arising from trucking accidents and defective products to severe emotional damage from sexual abuse. The bonds I create with those I represent are strong, sometimes lasting years beyond their cases. I listen to the stories of hardship my clients have faced, while confidently shepherding them through the often-intimidating legal process. I have appeared before the U.S. Supreme Court and argued in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, as well as the Washington State Supreme Court and all of its appellate divisions. Many of my jury verdicts have prompted important changes in Washington State law.

You are a successful attorney. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? What unique qualities do you have that others may not? Can you please share a story or example for each?

The three character traits instrumental to my success are being dauntless, dynamic and driven. Showing courage and being relentless are critical for a trial lawyer, and even more essential in personal injury matters where you are up against multiple defense law firms and insurance companies with limitless resources. By dynamic, I mean that I am always excited, enthusiastic and willing to adapt, change and develop new ideas as necessary. And my drive is reflected by my goal to always beat the opponent. The defense bar does not expect these characteristics on the plaintiff’s side. They are used to seeing lawyers who are quick to reach a settlement rather than mobilize and fight face-to-face as much as I have in my career.

One unique quality I have that has helped me elevate my game is my memory. I have an uncanny ability to process and absorb information quickly. Because of this, I never use notes or paper in a trial — from my opening to my closing to cross-examination, which allows me to really listen. When arguing about evidence, I can recall a case from 40 years ago, which has proved extremely useful. In one instance, I was heading to a trial related to the tragic deaths from the Oso landslides. There was a pool of 650 potential jurors, and in one night, I memorized the basic characteristics of each to the extent that I was able to conduct jury selection knowing all of their names and basic information. This is advantageous when attempting to establish credibility.

Do you think you have had luck in your success? Can you explain what you mean?

As a lawyer, you will have high points in your legal career and think how lucky and fortuitous you are. But when you really analyze your success, you’ll see that most of it can be attributed to the fact that you were prepared and took advantage of opportunities that presented themselves.

Do you think where you went to school has any bearing on your success? How important is it for a lawyer to go to a top-tier school?

Attending law school at the University of Michigan was instrumental in establishing the degree of confidence I had early in my career. It has a stellar reputation and was a fabulous school from an instructional standpoint. In the trial and personal injury world, my legal education created a level of fear and respect that has paid dividends. When people found out I went to the University of Michigan Law School, they knew they were in for a fight.

Based on the lessons you have learned from your experience, if you could go back in time and speak to your twenty-year-old self, what would you say? Would you do anything differently?

After law school, I came back home to the Puget Sound because I didn’t have connections in any other city. If I could talk to that younger version of me, I would tell him to push himself harder, to believe that the qualities he has will translate onto a bigger stage.

This is not easy work. What is your primary motivation and drive behind the work that you do?

I am driven because I know the work I do is relevant to society. We don’t make buildings or bridges as trial lawyers, but we are contributing to the world. I want to continue to be of value to people. Lawyers who retire at 70 sit there for the next 10 years questioning why they ever stopped practicing. I don’t see that happening to me. I know that I have a tremendous opportunity to contribute at a higher level as I continue to get better with collective knowledge.

What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?

I do a lot of work representing people who have suffered unspeakable abuse within Washington State group homes. These people have suffered terrible atrocities that have been kept relatively secret for upwards of 40 years. Our work gives survivors a voice and sheds light on these facilities and their horrific practices.

Where do you go from here? Where do you aim to be in the next chapter of your career?

The next chapter will be on a bigger stage and attacking bigger institutions and social issues that need change. I would also like to spend more time as a trial advocacy teacher, specifically at the University of Washington Law School.

Without sharing anything confidential, can you please share your most successful “war story”? Can you share the funniest?

I have a funny story. I started adding movie quotes into arguments early in my legal career. I was working on a discrimination case, and I knew the judge was probably going to stick it to us, so I decided to work in lines from “Team America,” which was made by the same people behind South Park. I got into an argument during summary judgement debating intent and used the line, “You cannot discriminate if they were from Dirka Dirka.” Days later, the transcript court reporter called to confirm the spelling of Dirka Dirka and if it is a real country!

Ok, fantastic. Let’s now shift to discussing some advice for aspiring lawyers.

Do you work remotely? Onsite? Or Hybrid? What do you think will be the future of how law offices operate? What do you prefer? Can you please explain what you mean?

I prefer to be in the office because I enjoy the synergy of being with my colleagues and the opportunity to support each other. Mentoring is easier in person, and the lawyers and staff at our firm enjoy being together. Also, the work of a trial lawyer is intense, and occupying the same office is like being in a foxhole preparing for battle together. On the other hand, the hybrid work environment has created opportunities. I can take a deposition in Seattle or New Jersey from Tacoma, providing cost savings and efficiency.

How has the legal world changed since COVID? How do you think it might change in the near future? Can you explain what you mean?

Most court systems now realize the incredible efficiency of doing aspects of the trial remotely, especially jury selection, where you allow people to stay home or in an office to make initial determination of whether they are qualified or capable of being on a jury. The federal and state court systems can save millions of dollars by conducting jury selection this way. COVID has also helped courts realize the effectiveness of remote testimony. The technology infrastructure has been laid, and it is here to stay.

We often hear about the importance of networking and getting referrals. Is this still true today? Has the nature of networking changed or has its importance changed? Can you explain what you mean?

Networking is critical for every business, but how we network has changed. The COVID environment provided new opportunities through remote technologies, but it is challenging to establish a level of trust in the virtual world. There is no substitute for face-to-face interaction.

Based on your experience, how can attorneys effectively leverage social media to build their practice?

I just started to dive into social media, and I’m still figuring out how to best use it for networking. Social media platforms are dependent on content being produced by the minute and provide an opportunity for attorneys to distribute materials and messaging. It’s also a space that brings people together for discussion, including discussions of the types of situations in life that require lawsuits.

Excellent. Here is the main question of our interview. What are your “5 Things You Need To Become A Top Lawyer In Your Specific Field of Law?” Please share a story or an example for each.

1. Imbalance is the secret to greatness. It is critical to accept the fact there is imbalance in your life — you must devote yourself to the law. Live the life of a lawyer, think of everything through a lawyer’s lens, and commit to the fact that you are going to be a lawyer nonstop.
2. Constantly move, adapt and bring energy to your practice
3. Competitiveness is essential to being a great trial lawyer. Everybody loves to win, but it is the people who hate to lose that you want on your team.
4. Creativity is a huge component to being good at catastrophic personal injury law, because you always need to consider what hasn’t been thought about.
5. Fearless courage.

We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might see this. :-)

I would say Elon Musk because he is creative and relentless — a true genius moving society into the next phase of human development.

This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for the time you spent with this. We wish you continued success and good health!