Faith in the jury system is the cornerstone of our legal system. The faith is that American juries are comprised of solid, decent, law-abiding citizens with common sense and the …
Asking the “Why” Question: A Simple Fix for Voir Dire
Ineffective voir dire is a problem in courtrooms all over the country – a problem so obvious that it encourages reformists to make suggestions for sweeping change that would do …
Mastering Voir Dire in State or Federal Court
Picking a jury is one of the most important and often neglected part of trial preparation. Rather than rely on hunches and stereotypes, lawyers need a systematic approach with clear …
Meaningful Jury Selection with Short Questionnaires
The Problem In most voir dires, attorneys are forced to ask jurors – as a group – only the most basic questions about controversial issues. Since most people aren’t willing to …
Jury Selection the “Write” Way
This article compares two high profile criminal cases: In one case, the judge and attorneys had no advance plan for jury selection. In the other case, a request for a …
Spinning Straw Into Gold: Maximizing Voir Dire
Jury selection is often a dismal experience wherein the name of efficiency, time is wasted while lawyers learn nothing about jurors. At a minimum, as an advocate, lawyers need to …
Mock Trials as a Risk Tool
Trial lawyers have a secret weapon that lets them to know – before trial – the true value of a case and its likelihood of success or failure in front …
Making the Most out of Group Voir Dire
Group voir dire is a tricky business – it’s not easy to get a court-roomful of jurors to speak up and readily disclose the biases that will hurt you. Despite …
An Unbeatable Combination: Mock Trials and Written Questionnaires
There have been numerous articles throughout the years about the importance of using a written questionnaire in white-collar criminal cases during jury selection. The various authors cover important issues including …
Capturing Jurors’ Attention with Trial Exhibits
1000 grains of sand or one shining piece of sea glass? What would capture your attention when standing on the beach? This is the challenge of preparing exhibits for trial. …
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