The Future of Litigation: Adapting to the Era of Nuclear Verdicts
How Do Litigators Build the Perfect Jury in a Polarized World? – Speaking of Litigation Video Podcast
Podcast - Think Outside the Script
Targeting Safetyism in Defense Voir Dire | Episode 71
Openings of Openings
Why Demonstrative Aids Are Critical in Every Case
How Safetyism Is Driving High Plaintiff Verdicts - IMS Insights Podcast Episode 68
How Voir Dire Fits with Appellate Practice | Robert Swafford | Texas Appellate Law Podcast
In this episode of TortsCenter, hosts Carla Varriale-Barker and Courtney Dunn sit down with Segal McCambridge Shareholder Paul Motz to discuss the escalating trend of nuclear and thermonuclear verdicts—and how defense...more
What makes a jury work—and what earns their trust? Dive into the nuanced world of jury selection with Epstein Becker Green attorneys Eric Neiman, Teddy McCormick, and Jonathan Brollier. This episode unpacks the art of voir...more
When I received my jury summons a month or so ago, I was elated. But the feeling was brief, as I quickly concluded my service would likely end as quickly as it would begin. I’m a Litigation Consultant, I work for a law firm,...more
Picture this: defense counsel sits at the ready, voir dire gameplan in hand—a list of 40+ questions and their follow-ups—to identify the worst jurors and maximize cause challenges. It is a very plaintiff-friendly venue; they...more
Explore how safetyism drives high jury verdicts and how defense teams can effectively navigate this evolving mindset in the courtroom. In this episode, IMS Senior Jury Consulting Advisor Dr. Jill Leibold and Senior Jury...more
As we speak, plaintiff attorneys are leveraging the spread of safetyism—a widespread expectation of 100% safe, 100% of the time—to obtain nuclear verdicts. This is not just another “reptile” strategy that preys on their fear...more
The literal translation of the French phrase voir dire is “to speak the truth.” In law, it’s the process of questioning an individual prior to jury duty or witnessing to determine their suitability....more
Law students spend years training to evaluate details and learn procedures that don’t always fall under the umbrella of common sense to laypersons. The most important issues that seem obvious to attorneys can be ignored by...more
As the historic first (but not last) criminal trial of a former U.S. President was kicking off last week, Mr. Trump commented, “Jury selection is largely luck,” before moving on to his more familiar complaints about the...more
Misinformation "poses an unprecedented threat in 2024," according to NBC News. No matter which side of the many social divides someone stands on, they can find a readily available source to support their opinion—and a...more
Our podcast guests IMS Senior Jury Consulting Advisor Dr. Jill Leibold and Senior Jury Consultant Dr. Nick Polavin share their newest safetyism research and how safetyist beliefs are driving high plaintiff verdicts—especially...more
The court’s purpose in voir dire is to use the time to identify and eliminate those jurors who would have the hardest time giving the case a fair hearing. But layered onto that purpose is the advocate’s goal of working toward...more
As a national trial consulting firm, we are often asked to assist with jury selection in jurisdictions where lead counsel has been admitted pro hac vice and may not be closely familiar with the standards and procedures for...more
Recent years’ events have inspired experiential and attitudinal changes among jurors across the board. The 2016 presidential election and the COVID-19 pandemic fostered a shift in attitudes about corporations, governmental...more
As most litigators know, jurors’ attitudes and opinions often influence how they filter the facts of a case. It is through these lenses that jurors develop their perceptions of the parties and their corresponding motives,...more
We have all shared this experience. Jury selection is at 9:00 a.m. on Monday. It is now Sunday night and the national trial team—led by an attorney from out of town—is convening to discuss voir dire and jury selection. A jury...more
David F. Johnson co-authored a paper entitled “Voir Dire (In a Post Covid World)” with Jason Smith of the Law Offices of Jason Smith for the State Bar of Texas’s Business Disputes Course, held in Austin, Texas, on September...more
SAN DIEGO (March 14, 2022) – The inaugural Nuclear Verdicts Defense Institute will take place June 23-26, 2022, in San Diego, led by an esteemed faculty of legal defense experts, including top trial attorneys, a specialist in...more
Imagine you’re currently a citizen of the Russian Federation. The telephone rings, and the person on the other end of the line identifies themselves as a public opinion researcher, and they’re conducting a poll. “How do you...more
The core of most determinations of negligence is the question, “What would a reasonable person have done?” And, at least in theory, this “reasonable person” isn’t supposed to be an actual person whose deeds are recorded in...more
The voir dire process has got to be one of the most complex, information-rich, and high-stakes communication settings. To someone unfamiliar with the rituals, it won’t always be clear what is going on or why. For new...more
How likely is it that a corporation’s competitor could come up with a parallel product without infringing a patent? How common is it for someone to get injured on an amusement park ride? How normal would it be for someone who...more
The setting of an in-court oral voir dire can be seen as a “perfect storm” of information. Data about your panel and your potential future fact-finders is coming at you from all directions. You may have responses from a...more
As you’re waiting your turn for voir dire, you notice that plaintiff’s counsel is getting a fair number of potential jurors to admit that they might have a bias — against lawsuits, against plaintiffs’ attorneys, against...more
I came across a recent article in the publication Raw Story with the intriguing title, “There’s a big problem in opinion polling that mainstream media is missing” by Matt Robison. While not an academic piece, the article does...more