MA, Social Psychology, University of Nevada, Reno

JD, Texas Tech University

BA, Psychology, University of Georgia

Certified Ipro Trial Director® Expert

American Society of Trial Consultants

American Bar Association

Amit Patel, JD, MA

Consultant, Indianapolis
317-231-7744 | patel@themevision.com
Amit Patel is a social scientist with a passion for the law. Or, if you prefer, a lawyer with a passion for cognitive science. As a trial consultant, he brings expertise in both fields to litigators who depend on case-specific research and evidence-based recommendations for case analysis.
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Alerts and Updates

Judge requires juror service despite admitted bias after unsuccessful efforts to rehabilitate

The civil jury trial in Guerrero v. Cardenas presents an extraordinary example of a judge not only trying to rehabilitate jurors who do not want to be jurors in a case but also requiring them to serve.  Following a defense verdict, plaintiff claimed the judge improperly required two jurors to serve on the jury despite one saying he would “never serve on a jury” and the other juror expressing reluctance to serve because of what happened to a family member in a jury trial.

Best Practices for Trial: Insights for Lawyers from Actual Juror Feedback

by: Amit Patel, Jury Consultant In our jury research studies, we have the opportunity to present facts, evidence, arguments, and witnesses to mock jurors and gather their feedback for analysis. While the conditions of a controlled study such as a mock trial can closely mimic those of an actual trial, differences remain and many mock … more »

Getting the Deal Done: Part III

As attorneys, we devote much our time to the substance of our arguments for persuasive presentation to opposing counsel, mediators, judges, and jurors. This is rightfully so as we persuade with facts. However, in this COVID era, many courts either remain closed or if open, are seriously backlogged with cases. This means that an increasing number of cases are likely to be decided via negotiation and settlement, rather than in the courtroom.

Arguments: Quality, Quantity, and the Persuasive Power of Three

we cannot truly know whether the spirit of holiday generosity resounded in the minds of jurors, whether consciously or not. Nevertheless even without the backing of hard science, there is the strong perception of a “holiday effect” upon jurors, and attorneys would be wise to contemplate it during this time of the year, lest they be left with a “Bah humbug!” of a verdict.

Holiday Jury Verdicts: ‘Tis the Season “ForGiving”

we cannot truly know whether the spirit of holiday generosity resounded in the minds of jurors, whether consciously or not. Nevertheless even without the backing of hard science, there is the strong perception of a “holiday effect” upon jurors, and attorneys would be wise to contemplate it during this time of the year, lest they be left with a “Bah humbug!” of a verdict.

Getting the Deal Done: Part II

In a previous article, “Getting the Deal Done: Cognitive Science in Negotiation,” I examined how strategic use of loss aversion and disaggregation of gains & aggregation of losses can bring persuasive punch to a negotiation. Can taking a page from a FBI hostage negotiator and getting someone to say “no” actually facilitate completion of a … more »

Principles of Persuasion in Legal Negotiations

By: Amit Patel & Dennis P. Stolle Researchers have been studying the factors that influence us to say “yes” to requests for decades. There is a science to how we are persuaded and a lot of the science is surprising. A key figure in persuasion research is Dr. Bob Cialdini, author of a book called … more »

Getting the Deal Done: Cognitive Science in Negotiation

Whether buying a car, haggling with a child over bedtime, or trying to lock down a big business deal, negotiation is a certainty in our lives, and for many of us, essential to our work. With so many driving factors, any appreciable edge can prove crucial to success. Where can we look to find that edge? Cognitive science studies provide guidance on how we can seal the deal. Here are a couple of tips informed by psychology to help you negotiate more effectively.

A Way With Words: Persuasive Legal Writing

With regard to legal writing, pleadings and briefs are among the first impressions you can make on a judge. Consider anecdotal evidence from Justice Antonin Scalia: “If [I] see someone who has written a sloppy brief, I’m inclined to think that person is a sloppy thinker. It is rare that a person thinks clearly, precisely, carefully, and does not write that way. Contrariwise, it’s rare that someone who is careful and precise in his thought is sloppy in his writing. So it hurts you … to have ungrammatical, sloppy briefs.” Thus, clean, precise, and well-constructed sentences and citations can correlate to sound legal arguments, but have the opposite effect with poorly constructed writing. On a larger scale, a positive first impression made via an initial pleading can parlay into elevated judgments of subsequent filings, and your case as a whole.

Amit Patel DTCI Presentation

Amit Patel of ThemeVision presented at the 25th Annual Conference of the Defense Trial Counsel of Indiana (DTCI) in South Bend, Indiana, held on November 15 and 16. Amit spoke with a panel of two other presenters regarding “Litigation Consulting Services, Including the Use of Focus Groups or Mock Trials for Trial Preparation.” His presentation … more »

Get to know the team

Trisha Volpe, JD

Hillary C. Abraham, MS

David C. Bartholomew

Courtney Tharp, CRP

Dennis P. Stolle, JD, PhD