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"Basically, jury consulting is applied psychology" - Thomas Diamante

Behind jury selection lies a jury consultant.  There has been an increasing demand for jury consultation, but what is it and is it actually effective?

Jury consultants use their backgrounds in psychology to help lawyers pick jurors who are most likely to side with their client.  During jury questioning, if lawyers suspect any bias in any of the potential jurors, they can challenge them and may eventually be excused by the judge, but the catch is, this is only allowed so many times.  After those times are used, lawyers may turn to consultants (who may come from many different areas of study, but primarily psychology) to help pick jurors.

Trial consultants start the process of jury selection months prior to trial.  Random people are selected to take part in focus groups where the are exposed to the lawyers arguments.  Consultants look to their reactions and deliberation to see what characteristics are important in a particular trial.  Based on these findings, consultants develop questionaires and strategies to select jurors most appropriate for the side they are working on.

Jurors are usually scrutinized based on their personalities, past experiences, and attitudes toward certain situations.  Other characteristics such as leadership potential and how likely they are to conform also get examined.  Consultants also judge the potential jurors by their voice (confident, passive, etc.), how they interact with others during break periods, as well as body language.  

Consultants also work to weed out the potential jurors that may have a bias toward the situation.  For example, the website talks about a potential juror sitting on a case of medical malpractice who has been a victim of one and how it would be difficult for them to just be reminded of the law and not make judgment based on prior experiences. 

Lastly, the website talks about whether or not jury selection even works.  Since it is difficult to really assess the success of jury selection, some may doubt its effectiveness.  Whether or not it is effective, the industry of trial consultation is a thriving business. 


Here is a link to the source of the above information.     

 

This website provides case details and asks you to act as jurors and render a verdict. It was designed to allow attorneys to test their theories prior to trial to see how potential jurors might react. It appears to be defunct, as the three cases posted, are the only one ever available. However, it is a useful exercise to review and render a verdict for the three cases that are there.

http://www.legalvote.com/

UPDATE: It used to be that even though the cases were closed, you could still review the case summaries and evidence. It looks like they've taken that down. There is still one case left to evaluate:

http://www.legalvote.com/worth/worth11139.phtml 

http://www.jurysync.com/

JurySync helps litigators connect with fact finders in jury trials, bench trials and alternative dispute resolution.  We are an experienced team of litigation consultants specially trained in communication strategy and the psychology of jury decision-making.  As social scientists, we help bridge the gap between law and fact finders' perceptions of justice by translating complex evidence into messages that resonate and persuade.

http://www.juryresearchinstitute.com/

Founded in the early 1980's by pioneers in what was then the new business of trial consulting, Jury Research Institute is one of the oldest and most respected firms in the field. We rely upon science and experience to help you develop, test and implement winning trial strategies.

http://www.njp.com/

National Jury Project® is a professional trial consulting firm with offices in Oakland, California; Minneapolis, Minnesota; and Madison, New Jersey. In the early 1970's, our founders pioneered the use of social science research to improve jury selection and case presentation in jury trials. Established in 1975, the National Jury Project is the nation's first trial consulting firm.

http://www.doar.com/

http://www.trialbehavior.com/

Litigation always involves risks. With the right trial & jury consultants, it doesn't have to be a gamble. At Trial Behavior Consulting, our mission is simple: To provide you the best jury research, jury consulting and strategy advice in the business.

http://www.slrinc.net/

Strategic Litigation Research, Inc. provides a full range of trial and jury consulting services nationwide, from mock jury and mock bench trial research to venue studies, assistance with witness preparation and jury selection. SLR also provides graphics for the courtroom. In addition, SLR has available a "real-time" electronic response system for your research. The SLR professional staff is centrally located to conveniently serve our clients.

http://www.krollontrack.com/jury-consulting/

Compelling strategies win cases. Apart from knowing the legal and factual background of a case, litigators should also be aware of significant and persuasive case themes, jury and judge perceptions, traits of hostile jurors, key concepts and terms, what drives verdict and damage decisions, and potential verdicts. A tactical approach to litigation and voir dire can mean the difference between a favorable outcome and a loss.

 

http://henningtonand.reachlocal.net/

Hennington and Associates is the leading Trial and Jury consulting firm in the nation. We are a full service firm that specializes in winning cases.

http://www.theadvocates.com/

We are the nation's most experienced and successful team of professional trial consultants and jury consultants. Our firm offers you a powerful array of resources that can insure your best chance to prevail in litigation regardless of the venue or issues involved. We offer you the assistance of more than 40 highly skilled professional people, including 23 jury consultants and trial consultants in 17 office locations in major cities within the United States.

 

http://www.decisionquest.com/

At DecisionQuest, trial research is more than picking jurors. It's about how jurors think. Our job is to arm you with an understanding of what, why and how the decision-makers are thinking as your case evolves.