Legal News Reporter Rene Perras with Coffee With Q News interviews Christopher Nace, a Washington, DC trial lawyer, at the 2026 AAJ Winter Convention. Perras covers Nace’s family legacy, national leadership, and why jurors drawn from the community in U.S. civil jury trials remain essential to delivering justice and fairness for everyday Americans.
Coffee with Q has released a new installment of its Legal Professional series featuring Christopher Nace, current Secretary of the American Association for Justice (AAJ) and a Washington, DC catastrophic injury trial lawyer. Host Rene Perras, legal news reporter for Coffee with Q, recorded the conversation at the historic Hotel del Coronado during AAJ's Winter Convention.
Watch or read the full episode here: https://www.coffeewithq.org/christopher-nace-on-catastrophic-injury-law-and-justice/
What the episode covers
- Nace's leadership role inside AAJ, the largest trial bar of plaintiffs' lawyers in the country, with more than 20,000 members. AAJ holds its 2026 annual convention in Chicago.
- His approach to catastrophic injury cases includes how trial lawyers prepare complex medical and technical evidence for everyday jurors.
- Why, he believes the Seventh Amendment and civil jury trials are the strongest checks on consolidated wealth and corporate influence.
- Practical guidance for injury victims on choosing a lawyer who is prepared to take a case to verdict from day one.
A family rooted in plaintiffs' law
Nace comes from a well-known plaintiffs' law family. His late father, Barry Nace, served as a past president of AAJ. Chris now sits on the leadership track inside the organization, with the secretary post being one of seven national officer roles. He recalls attending AAJ conventions as a ten-year-old and listening to clients describe how trial lawyers changed the course of their lives.
Preparation is the foundation of catastrophic injury work
In the interview, Nace describes preparation as the single biggest predictor of courtroom success. He tells Perras that a trial lawyer should know the underlying medicine, trucking regulation, or safety standard well enough to teach the material to a jury. He frames the trial lawyer's role plainly: be a teacher first, an advocate second.
His advice to anyone hurt by negligence is direct: choose a lawyer who plans to try the case from day one, even if the matter later settles. According to Nace, this mindset shapes everything from discovery strategy to settlement leverage.
The Seventh Amendment as the great equalizer
Nace's central message lands on the civil justice system itself.
“The civil justice system and trial by jury is the number one way to level the playing field right now, in particular,” Nace said. He points to juries of six, eight, or ten everyday citizens as the body holding influential corporations, institutions, and insurance companies accountable.
Perras tied the conversation back to the Seventh Amendment, calling the right to a civil jury trial the foundation of American accountability and the reason ordinary people still have a venue to be heard against larger interests.
Quote from the host
“Coffee with Q runs as an educational platform. Chris Nace gave our audience a clear look at what trial lawyers do every day, why preparation wins cases, and why the Seventh Amendment still protects ordinary people,” said Rene Perras, host of Coffee with Q. “This is the kind of conversation we want viewers to share with friends, family, and anyone who has ever wondered how the civil justice system works.”
Watch the full episode
The full interview is available on the Coffee with Q website: https://www.coffeewithq.org/christopher-nace-on-catastrophic-injury-law-and-justice/
About Coffee with Q
Coffee with Q is a legal news show hosted by reporter Rene Perras. The program features subject matter experts in law, civil justice, and public policy through long-form interviews designed to inform a general audience. Episodes are published at coffeewithq.org.
Media Contact
Coffee with Q, Legal News Reporter, Rene Perras
Email: [email protected]
Web: coffeewithq.org
