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January 2026
The New Era for Robert James Trial Attorneys SCALING WITH INTENTION
As we step into 2026, it truly feels like a new beginning for Robert James Trial Attorneys, 404 Lawyers. The firm is in the middle of a major transition, one that reflects not just growth in numbers but growth in purpose. Over the last couple of years, we’ve scaled significantly; however, this past year, the intensity of that scaling has accelerated substantially. We’ve added several new team members, and when I pause to take stock, I can’t help but think back to where it all started. When Karria and I began this journey, there were only three of us: her, me, and one associate we brought with us after splitting from a larger firm. That was it. Now, beginning Jan. 1, we’ll have more than 20 team members. That is significant growth by any measure. But for us, the “why” behind the growth has always been simple: We want the opportunity to serve more people. People sometimes assume scaling is about money. It isn’t. When you’re small, you can physically only help a limited number of clients. Because my background is in prosecution and Karria’s is in social work and family and child therapy, helping people is what we have both devoted most of our lives to. What we’ve designed and built, truly, is an engine that helps people and engages in crisis to provide support when people need it most. However, to maximize that mission, you must grow and scale intentionally. What we’ve learned, though, is that scaling isn’t just about hiring more people. Scaling involves adapting your process, mindset, and systems.
It’s building a foundation that can support more team members internally and more clients, our “new family members” externally. That’s why 2026 marks the launch of a fully developed leadership structure. For the first time, we have a marketing director, a director of operations, and a chief operating officer, roles we did not have before. Karria stepping into the COO position is a major milestone. We’ve also added a manager of customer outreach to lead intake and transitions, as well as a client concierge, our “chief smiles officer,” whose job is to ensure every client feels supported and valued from their very first call until their case is complete. Beyond people, we’re transforming our processes. As our volume has grown, we’ve embraced automation and integrated ethical, responsible artificial intelligence into our workflows. AI isn’t here to replace our people. AI helps us to be more efficient, ensure timely updates, and eliminate the old bottleneck where eight staff members had to keep 400 clients consistently informed. It’s just a math problem. With new case managers, a concierge, and automation working together, clients will now receive regular, accurate updates without delays. Soon, clients will have access to a branded Robert James Trial Attorneys app. Through the app, they’ll be able to communicate with us, receive updates, send and receive messages, and upload photos and documents. Everything will be in one streamlined place. We’ve leaned into scaling and automation for one purpose: to help more people and to do it better. Our goal is to provide the best customer experience in Georgia and, ultimately, in the United States. We want clients who come to us during a difficult or even tragic time to leave feeling like we’ve made their life better, while helping to improve their situation with great results and an excellent experience. It’s not about chasing a monetary goal. It’s about serving more people and serving them better. That’s the new look. That’s the new beginning. That’s what 2026 and beyond represent: the next chapter for Robert James Trial Attorneys. The new 404 Lawyers.
–Robert D. James
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HOW TO MODEL CONFIDENT CARE FOR KIDS The Power of Hearing in Healing
No matter what station of life someone is in, they deserve to feel safe. Of course, physical safety is always paramount, but what about emotional safety? In our often busy and complex lives, ensuring our loved ones feel safe on the inside can be overlooked. This is especially true if you’re a working parent, juggling obligations to your young ones and your own sense of stability and peace of mind.
Here are two quick but valuable tips for making the journey emotionally safer for you and them. Not every problem requires a solution. We’ve all had days when we need to vent to someone close to us. While the recipient of our woes may immediately start suggesting ways to solve the problem, all we really want is for someone to hear and understand us. It’s the same with children, who sometimes just crave the security of someone who listens to them. In these instances, saying, “Wow, you’ve had a tough day,” may be more helpful than proclaiming, “Here’s what you’re doing wrong and how to fix it.” Of course, adding something that elicits a smile or chuckle from a stressed child never hurts. Above all, be sure to validate their emotions. Even if their negative
situation seems minuscule by adult standards, acknowledging it may still mean the world to them in that moment. Calm can be found in chaos. It’s a Monday morning. Everyone is running late, the toast is burnt, a glass of orange juice has just spilled all over the kitchen table, and your little ones are talking a mile a minute. While these moments may make you want to shout on the inside, keeping a calm, gentle demeanor outside will help reduce tension for your kids before they head off to school and set a strong example of how to react under pressure. Frustrating situations are inevitable, but how we respond to them is our choice. By remaining calm and showing compassion even in challenging times, we comfort our children as much as we show them how to comfort themselves.
Despite his rightful place in history books as one of the world’s greatest minds, legendary inventor Thomas Edison was a consistent failure … and that was a great thing. By the time Edison died in 1931 at 84, he had experienced a life steeped in as many devastating defeats as world-changing ambitions. That he’s remembered today for his scientific milestones and not his epic misfires represents the spirit of “failing forward,” the concept of embracing failure as an opportunity to pursue new ideas and directions for success. EDISON’S IRON WILL From Rock Bottom to Reinvention
“I have not failed,” Edison famously insisted. “I have just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”
Here’s one example of how he turned a significant misfire into an unmitigated triumph.
From Iron to Insolvency Edison held more than 1,000 patents in his lifetime, and many of his inventions toward the end of the 1800s relied heavily on iron as a source material. When the cost of the metal began to rise, he attempted to address the problem by investing more than 10 years and $2 million in his own iron mining operation in northern New Jersey. Unfortunately for the maverick inventor, several other iron plants launched around the same time, which caused the value of iron to drop considerably and led to severe financial losses. Cement Seals Success Instead of accepting defeat when his iron operation went under, Edison turned his attention to another critical material: cement. While running his iron mine, he regularly sold waste sand to cement makers for additional revenue. Seeing an opportunity to expand further into this market, he launched the Edison Portland Cement Company, repurposing
equipment and technology he had used for iron mining. The venture was a huge success, allowing Edison to pay off his massive debts and become one of the leading forces behind the use of cement in American infrastructure. While the catastrophic failure of his iron mining endeavor would have crushed most entrepreneurs, Edison thrived by pivoting to new ventures. He never gave up. His inventions proved his brilliance, but his fearlessness in the face of failure demonstrated his resilience.
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There are several ways to become a millionaire in this country, but suing a fast-food chain over a napkin isn’t one of them. In 2014, a McDonald’s restaurant in Pacoima, California, became the focus of a national discussion on how the legal system addressed frivolous lawsuits. It all started with a customer named Webster Lucas, who complained to the manager when he discovered that he had been given only one napkin with his meal. Lucas claimed the manager had “developed a nasty attitude and mumbled a few words” before cursing at him. He also alleged that the manager’s behavior was racially motivated. The verbal altercation prompted Lucas to file a $1.5 million suit against the McDonald’s Corporation and the Pacoima store’s manager and general manager for (as reported by NBC News at the time) mental anguish, emotional distress, and discrimination. Despite being offered free food from the corporation to make things right, Lucas moved forward with his litigation. Interestingly, this wasn’t the first time Lucas had sued a major restaurant for an unsatisfactory experience. According to court documents obtained by NBC News, he had previously filed two separate suits against Jack in the Box without receiving an award for his claims. Additionally, he filed suits against Denny’s and Walmart, which were ultimately dismissed. Fast-Food Folly A Napkin Sparks a Legal Storm
TAKE A BREAK
SLOW COOKER BIRRIA TACOS
Due to his habitual
• 3 dried guajillo chiles • 2 dried ancho chiles • 1 medium onion, chopped • 4 garlic cloves • 1 (14.5-oz) can diced tomatoes • 3 lbs beef chuck roast • 2 cups beef broth • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar Ingredients
use of the California legal system, Lucas became known as a “vexatious litigant.” To earn this dubious designation, one has to file a minimum
• 1 tbsp dried oregano • 2 tsp ground cumin • 2 bay leaves • 1 tsp salt • Pepper, to taste • Corn tortillas • Fresh cilantro and diced onion for garnish
of five non-small claims suits that have been settled against them or have been pending for at least 24 months without a hearing or trial. Additionally, an individual can be deemed a “vexatious litigant” by repeatedly filing or relitigating meritless cases. Despite online reports to the contrary, court documents confirm that Lucas’ case against McDonald’s was dismissed by the end of 2014. Unsurprisingly, little has been heard of him in the California legal system since.
Directions 1. Soak dried chiles in hot water for 15 minutes.
2. Process chiles, onion, garlic, and tomatoes in a blender until smooth. 3. Place beef in a slow cooker and pour the chili mixture over it. 4. Add beef broth, vinegar, oregano, cumin, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. 5. Cook on low for 8–10 hours or until the beef is tender. 6. Shred the beef using forks, then mix back into the sauce. 7. Fry tortillas in oil until crispy, then assemble tacos as desired.
Inspired by SimpleWhisk.com
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404.891.0977 AttorneyRobertJames.com 233 Peachtree St. NE Suite 1200 Atlanta, GA 30303 INSIDE THIS ISSUE
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The Next Chapter for Robert James Trial Attorneys
Parenting to Empower Emotional Calm in Kids
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Cement Saves a Scientific Legend
Slow Cooker Birria Tacos
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A Laughable McLawsuit Misfire
The Legal Minds Behind Moon Missions
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Who Makes the Rules in Space? COSMIC COUNSEL
The phrase “space lawyer” may conjure images of an intergalactic courtroom setting in a “Star Trek” film, but the term and profession are rooted in reality here on Earth. Simply put, space lawyers are legal professionals specializing in international law and drafting agreements between countries regarding their activities throughout our galaxy. Instead of brokering peace treaties between humans and Klingons, these attorneys work to establish policies that outline rules and obligations nations must follow when conducting themselves beyond our clouds. For example, treaties negotiated by space lawyers were instrumental in getting the Soviet Union to spend millions to clean up radioactive debris deposited over northern Canada by its Cosmos 954 satellite in the late 1970s. Utilizing Article 7 of the Outer
Space Treaty (via the 1972 Space Liability Convention), the Canadian government argued that the Soviet Union was on the hook to cover the majority of the cost of Operation Morning Light, an extensive cleanup operation by the U.S. and Canada
to remove nearly 50,000 square miles of hazardous material dropped from space.
Thanks to space lawyers, no nation can claim ownership of Earth (or any other planet), the moon, or any other entity discovered in the galaxy. However, recent debates have raised an intriguing question: Who would own the resources derived from the moon or another planet? If Russia were to one day discover a life-saving nutrient on the moon’s surface, would it have the right to claim exclusive ownership of this medical marvel? Would this discovery need to be shared with other nations involved in space-related treaties? While it may take years (or the invention of a good time-traveling warp drive) for us to resolve these questions, it’s clear we need space lawyers to tackle these and other questions in a legal frontier that no Earth- bound lawyer has pondered before!
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