Closing Argument: Opportunity and Challenge
Direct Examination: Looping and Bookending
Innovative Jury Strategies and the Power of Preparation — FCRA Focus Podcast
Opening Statements: Telling the Story
Openings of Openings
The Basics of Opening Statements
Effective Trial Language Part 3: Jargon
Podcast - Effective Trial Language Part 2: Legalese
Why Demonstrative Aids Are Critical in Every Case
Showing Exhibits to the Jury
Key Lessons and Takeaways for Jury Trials
Overcoming Safetyism & the Plaintiff Media Machine - IMS Insights Podcast Epsiode 66
Podcast - Basic Courtroom Etiquette
Podcast - The Five Most Common Faults of Trial Lawyers
Podcast - The “Five P’s” That Will Help Shape Jurors’ Emotions
The Strategic Advantages of Working with Jury Consultants – IMS Insights Podcast Episode 56
Uncovering Juror Bias, Counteracting Nuclear Verdicts, & the Future of Massive Damages – IMS Insights Podcast Episode 47
Integrated Case Themes & Nuclear Verdict Causes – IMS Insights Podcast Episode 46
An Inside Look as a Juror - FCRA Focus Podcast
In today’s legal landscape, the defense industry faces the unprecedented challenge of Nuclear Verdicts®. They pose a financial threat to businesses and individuals alike. It is vital for defense attorneys to embrace a...more
Sometimes in civil cases, the plaintiff’s liability claim is opportunistic, wishful, or factually weak. Other times, it is real. Someone didn’t do their job, a danger was missed, or — in that Olympic champion of passive-voice...more
In addition to making their views known at the ballot box, citizens can similarly broadcast their sentiments in the civil jury box. While they’re asked to merely make a factual finding limited to a specific dispute, the...more
All lawsuits start with the potential to someday reach the view of a jury. Yet, the jury’s perspective is often forgotten by attorneys preoccupied with discovery, motion practice, the preparation of witnesses, and the hiring...more
How many times have you heard that a jury — especially a jury that is deliberating about damages in a civil case — is about as predictable as the lottery? The broad perception is that as jurors arrive at figures in the...more
It is a common step in the plaintiff’s voir dire: Ms. Smith, if you are selected for this jury, and if the evidence proves to you that the damages to my client justify a high figure, like ten million dollars, would you...more
I remember a recent mock trial where a jury reached the point of considering damages, and one juror threw out a number to start the discussion: “Let’s just say five million.” When another juror challenged the basis for that,...more
It is an important debate, and one that is likely only going to be settled on a case-by-case basis: when addressing damages, does a civil defendant embrace the idea of a counter-anchor, take the small risk of appearing to...more
On the virtual pages of this blog, I’ve long been a proponent of the idea of treating audiences for legal persuasion as active, not passive. What I mean by that is that they’re not just receptacles for your arguments, they...more
During a particularly lengthy hardship and jury selection process in the New York City Asbestos Litigation (NYCAL) court, a client brought in some interesting research his firm had conducted over the past four years in that...more
IMS Strategy Consultant Dr. Clint Townson delves into jurors’ anti-corporate bias—including how to uncover biases through social media research and counteract them with an impactful company story—as well as ways to avoid...more
IMS Strategy Consultant Dr. Clint Townson discusses the benefits of early case theme development and the factors leading jurors to award massive damages....more
Lawyers are trained to think logically and analytically. So, if a category ABC includes A, B, and C, one would expect the total, ABC, to be the same as A, B, and C measured separately. But it isn’t always. When human...more
It is well known that some people have it in for corporations, especially when these large companies find themselves on the defense side in a courtroom. Our own research has shown that a negative attitude is very common, with...more
The record $185 million punitive damage award by a California jury in November 2014 against AutoZone has been widely reported. This huge verdict raises immediate questions: How did this happen? What circumstances led the jury...more