by Christine | May 6, 2016 | Eminent Domain, Jury Research & Jury Selection, Witness Preparation
Eminent domain litigation is unique in that prior to trial, the parties know the range of values for the property in dispute that jurors are likely to award. This certainty about damages is unlike many other types of cases in that it allows attorneys to evaluate the...
by Christine | Apr 6, 2016 | Witness Preparation
We have studied more than 150 cases and interviewed over 1,000 jurors. The following juror comments excerpted from post-trial interviews illustrate factors which routinely affect the effectiveness of expert witness testimony. Over-Rehearsed Testimony Testimony that...
by Christine | Mar 6, 2016 | Jury Research & Jury Selection, Trial Themes & Strategy, Witness Preparation
Although the American public is more sophisticated today about jury trials than it was ten or even five years ago, damage awards continue to be an issue about which the public is unsure. The amount of damages to award in many cases fits all of the characteristics of...
by Christine | Jan 6, 2016 | Jury Research & Jury Selection, Voir Dire, Witness Preparation
Judges typically do not like to grant cause challenges. This fact, coupled with the burden of uncovering juror bias, makes it increasingly difficult for attorneys to have jurors excused for cause. There are numerous techniques that attorneys can utilize to assist them...
by Christine | Sep 6, 2015 | Bad Faith, Witness Preparation
It is often remarked that at heart, trial attorneys are storytellers. While that remark contains an important grain of truth, trial attorneys work under severe constraints compared to a Balzac, Shakespeare, or Dickens. Trial attorneys don’t have freedom to create...
by Christine | Aug 6, 2015 | Jury Research & Jury Selection, Personal Injury, Voir Dire, Witness Preparation
Anxiety, fear, and nervousness about different aspects of everyday life seem endemic among the American public. While most people have learned to cope with their anxieties and fears under the normal demands of their life, few are adept at coping with these anxieties...
