You arrive at 8:00 AM and sit in the audience like any other CLE attendee. You watch the morning sessions. You take notes. You blend in completely. Nobody in the audience knows you are part of the cast.
After the Meeting 3 blow-up — when both clients have stormed out and the collaborative process appears to be falling apart — Carol Mapp mentions that a litigation consultant has been engaged. She turns toward the audience: "And she happens to be in the room."
You stand up. You walk to the front. You do not sit at the collaborative table — you are a visitor, not joining the team. You deliver the unvarnished truth about what happens if this family goes to court. Then you walk back to your seat. Done.
| Time | What | You |
|---|---|---|
| 8:00 – 9:00 | Breakfast + Registration | In the audience. Blending in. |
| 9:00 – 10:30 | Meeting 2: Financial Walk-Around | Watching from the audience. |
| 10:30 – 10:50 | Break | In the audience. |
| 10:50 – 12:30 | Meeting 3: Blow-Up | Watching the collapse from the audience. |
| 12:30 – 1:30 | Lunch | Mingling like a regular attendee. |
| ~1:30 PM | Litigation Consult | Carol calls you up. Your scene. ~10 minutes. |
| ~1:40 onward | Rest of afternoon | Back in your audience seat. Done. |
Carol says "And she happens to be in the room." You stand from your audience seat. Walk to the front. Don't rush. The surprise is the moment — let the audience register it. You don't sit at the table. You're standing or leaning. You're a visitor, not a team member.
Don't be theatrical. Be factual. The scariest thing about litigation is how ordinary and grinding it is. You've had this conversation a hundred times. Deliver it like you have. Numbers first, then the human cost. End with the Neiman Marcus line or the net-result summary — whichever feels right in the moment.
When you're done, walk back to your seat in the audience. No fanfare. The point has been made. One scene, massive impact.
This scene teaches the audience how a litigation consultation can be used strategically in collaborative practice — not as a threat, but as a reality check that reinforces collaborative commitment. The audience just watched the process nearly fall apart. Your cold-water delivery is what makes Meeting 4 possible.
This is a cameo with enormous impact. You are the cold water. The audience has just watched an hour of collaborative negotiations collapse. They're rattled. Then you stand up from among them.
Don't be dramatic. Be matter-of-fact. The scariest thing about litigation is not the yelling — it's the grinding, expensive, soul-crushing ordinariness of it. Discovery requests. Depositions. Continuances. A year of your life in a conference room being asked about receipts.
Deliver it like you've said it a hundred times, because a real litigation attorney has. The power is in the casualness. These numbers roll off your tongue. That's what makes them terrifying.
After your scene, you're done. Walk back to your seat and enjoy the rest of the CLE. One scene, and it changes the entire trajectory of the case.