Letter from the Editor

My name is Chad Sands, and I am the VP of Marketing at CloudLex, Editor of the Trial Lawyers Journal, and host of the “Celebrating Justice” podcast. 

I am excited to share with you the print edition of TLJ, Vol. II. Inside, you will find over 130 pages filled with short stories, thought leadership articles, poetry, photography, art, and more.

Since my childhood, I have always loved producing things.

In elementary school, it was putting on plays during lunch and making home movies with friends. When I was a sophomore, my high school band released a self-produced EP, toured the West Coast in a rented RV during our spring break, and even recorded demos for Columbia Records in Pearl Jam’s studio. I had a unique experience seeing the music industry — as a teenager — before music streaming and social media changed it forever.

My love for “producing things” took me from Santa Barbara City College to USC School of Cinema-Television. I was part of the first class to shoot our school short films on “MiniDV” instead of Super 8mm, and we were the last class to edit our “16mm project” on a Kem flatbed editing machine, where I literally sliced and taped together the film negative. I focused on screenwriting and cinematography and after graduating, collaborated on dozens of projects over the years, including co-producing a Netflix movie and getting a screenplay optioned with Jack Nicholson attached to star.

What I didn’t see coming — what many people didn’t see coming — was the studios’ and Hollywood’s dramatic and swift adoption of “Reality TV.” Lower production costs, no actor residuals, no writers or development costs, quicker and easier production — it dramatically changed “The Business” and how stories, movies and TV would be produced… forever.

After leaving LA and moving back to Santa Barbara, I eventually took my first job in Legal Tech marketing in 2016. The world of legal was in the early years of cloud-based case management software adoption (still reluctant by most firms). My job as Content Marketing Manager involved creating assets like e-books, webinars, blog posts, and social media ad copy — all with the goal to get lawyers to fill out a form for a free trial or “Request a Demo.”

Outbound Sales Development Reps (SDR) operations were at full force, with a team of fresh college graduates eagerly smiling and dialing, calling into law firms with a peppy, “I noticed you downloaded our e-book on capturing more billable hours and was curious what you thought?”

Almost a decade later, I have seen the legal tech industry transform just like I saw the music industry and Hollywood. Over the years, there have been massive consolidations, acquisitions, and sell-offs. Artificial Intelligence has moved at ludicrous speed, both having lawyers frothing at the mouth for more “All things AI” and, at the same time, being sanctioned for misuse, making fools of themselves in the courtroom.

This all brings me to The Trial Lawyer’s Journal.

When I joined CloudLex in 2022, I envisioned producing something entirely different from anything out there (at least, in the world of legal). In an era saturated with AI-generated marketing materials (or demand letters designed to expedite settlement offers), questionable digital marketing practices, and unethical behavior by personal injury firms across the country — what could we do better and different to help tell the real story about personal injury law firms?

What if, instead of a disposable magazine printed on cheap paper (not that there is anything wrong with that), we could create something timeless and beautiful, worthy of a permanent place on your bookshelf?

What if, rather than overwhelming readers with countless full-page ads from law firms touting their latest verdict wins or vendors pushing their services (not that there is anything wrong with that), we limited advertising to just a few pages from founding partners so that our original, meaningful content could truly shine?

What if, instead of flooding the digital world with yet more generic e-books and AI generated blog posts by legal tech marketers (not that there is anything wrong with that… right?), we curated the very best insights, creativity, and wisdom the best the trial law community has to offer?

So that’s what we did.

With The Trial Lawyer’s Journal, Vol. II, we’ve chosen quality over quantity, authenticity over algorithms, and craftsmanship over convenience.

We believe in the value of storytelling, artistry, and thoughtful reflection — not just as an antidote to the rapid churn of modern marketing, but as essential nourishment for you: the dedicated professionals who tirelessly advocate for your clients and society every day.

I hope TLJ inspires, informs, and enriches your journey as you continue to fight the good fight.

Share it on social media, tell your colleagues and help spread the world.

If you haven’t already, please join our community and claim your complimentary copy of TLJ Vol. III, which will be released later this year, by going to our website and signing up as an Advocate with the code “CloudLex.”

And if you’re interested in contributing articles to future volumes or sharing your story about why you wanted to become a trial lawyer and the cases that matter most and join me on the “Celebrating Justice” podcast — or even if you just want to share your feedback (positive or negative, send me an email at chad@triallawyersjournal.com.

Because at the end of day, The Trial Lawyer’s Journal is about transforming the narrative about personal injury and trial lawyers and the work you do.

It is about you — your journey, your purpose, and your impact.

But only you can tell that story.

And we believe your story matters. 

Are you ready to share it?

//

Chad Sands
VP Marketing, CloudLex
Editor, Trial Lawyer’s Journal
chad@triallawyersjournal.com
(805) 451-7297