Before Trial
We help you determine what story to tell the jury and how to tell it
Jurors process information by remembering bits and pieces of testimony. At deliberation jurors recall what they can remember and then fill in the rest to form a coherent story. Research shows that jurors don’t remember the same information. The result can be devastating. We specialize in constructing the right “story” to tell, knowing how to tell it, and how to get the jury to remember it. Often this is the difference between winning and losing.
Witness Preparation
Similar to casting a play, telling a story to a jury requires the right cast of witnesses and making sure they perform to the best of their ability. We specialize in helping prepare witnesses, laypersons and experts alike, to testify at trial, depositions, and mediations. A mistake made during a deposition or selecting the wrong expert can torpedo a case. We provide each witness the psychological preparation needed to thrive and excel through the challenges he/she will face during litigation.
Determining what story to tell by knowing what pieces of testimony jurors find important
Jurors will often focus on a piece of information or a witness that could easily be perceived as inconsequential during trial preparation. These surprises can be avoided by using mock trials and focus groups to discover the “hot spots” in the case material. With mock trials we can use the results to eliminate any risk of unknown misperceptions or pitfalls in how the case is perceived, and to determine how jurors will react to the case presentation.
Maximizing juror comprehension
Often jurors are confused about the nature of the testimony or how it fits in the overall case theory. Jurors often don’t understand the relationship among the various witnesses in a case. We help draw a road map by developing direct and cross examination questions, designing demonstrative exhibits, suggesting the order of the witness presentation, that create a clear and compelling story that can be easily understood by the jury.
Change of Venue Studies
We conduct change of venue studies in cases that receive high levels of publicity or where a client has high visibility in the area where a case is to be tried. By conducting community surveys, we can test for the presence of a potential bias against our client, and then testify as an expert during a motion hearing for a change of venue.
Assisting with Daubert and or McDaniel Hearings
We offer 50 years of combined experience as highly trained research psychologists with a proven track record of publishing in top level peer reviewed journals. That training allows us to help our clients with dealing with scientific issues that arise during litigation. We assist our clients with selecting the proper expert witness for a case, writing Daubert Motions and making sure that they maximize the use of the scientific standards used by the Court to evaluate the admissibility of scientific testimony.
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