Courtney Tharp, CRP

Happy New Year 2024 from your friends at ThemeVision

It can be a factor in big verdicts in many types of cases, but can emotion and how jurors feel about the parties tip the scales in family disputes? In this ThemeVision Focus video, ThemeVision turned to Barnes & Thornburg Chicago partner and veteran trial attorney David Ritter (David Ritter on LinkedIn) for his thoughts on jury trials in family disputes and a recent case. Here’s some perspective on the unique trial strategy and storytelling that goes into jury trials involving family disputes.

Trial graphics, also known as courtroom graphics or legalvisual aids, often play a crucial role in presenting complex information in a visually compelling and easily understandable manner during legal proceedings. These graphics, which can include charts, diagrams, timelines, animations, and 3D models, have a significant impact on the effectiveness and persuasiveness of arguments presented in court.
Here are five reasons why trial graphics are so impactful:…

A few months ago, my colleague Dennis Devine wrote about the bad rap jury service seems to have, and how so many folks want to get out of it. It got me thinking – are there trends in who even shows up for jury service? The quick answer to that is, yes! Tons of evidence … more »

Over 25 years of studying juries, I’ve noticed many people don’t think too highly of serving as a juror. They believe jury duty is a waste of time, something to be dodged by skipping outright or showing up and saying something outrageous to get booted. And many people would probably say jury decisions are influenced … more »

Attitudes about science have become part of a national conversation. We are regularly barraged with all sorts of “scientific” findings that have implications for our physical and mental well-being as well as our behavior as consumers. And nearly every U.S. adult has had to make a decision about getting vaccinated for COVID. The flurry of health and safety-related recommendations flowing from scientific research has triggered a loud and at times rancorous public dialog about the value of science. This raises an overarching question: Do people trust science?

A Schematic is a visualization of information in simplified or symbolic form that can help jurors understand complex processes. ThemeVision has found schematics to be an important communication tool in a wide variety of case types and whether the audience is a judge or a jury.

ThemeVision Welcomes New Research and Project Coordinator, Courtney Tharp. As ThemeVision’s Research and Project Coordinator, Courtney Tharp will works closely with clients and the research team to design, plan, coordinate, and seamlessly execute jury research projects ranging from surveys to full mock trials

Spring is here. For many sports fans, that means one thing in particular: Play ball! The other day I watched a good “spring” movie—Moneyball. If you’re a fan of Brad Pitt or Jonah Hill, you would like it. If you follow baseball at all, you should see it. And if you’re a fan of winning … more »

Hillary has been ThemeVision’s project coordinator for the past year, but she brought to the team a strong multidisciplinary research background that tapped in to individual and collective perceptions over a range of topics – exactly what is needed for quality jury research. We are thrilled she’s continuing to apply her knowledgeand experience in the … more »

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.

All mock juror research involves asking a sample of people to think like real jurors and share their beliefs and opinions about a case. This research takes many forms – surveys, focus groups, mock trials, and targeted studies on opening statements, closing arguments, or witness perception – to name a few. But the underlying goal … more »

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 »

Telling your client’s story at trial in a compelling and persuasive way is what trial lawyers do. While the pandemic has delayed most jury trials, the courts are opening up and many trials have moved forward in the last year, some virtually and some with a virtual/in-person twist. How can you still be effective and engage with the jury when trial doesn’t look like it used to? In this ThemeVision Focus video, watch Trisha Volpe’s interview with top Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani, LLP trial attorney Nancy Erfle who conducted a recent jury selection via Zoom and was part of the team trying the case in person. Here’s her perspective on trial storytelling during the pandemic and whether some aspect of the virtual trial is here to stay.

A Schematic is a visualization of information in simplified or symbolic form.

May 2021 Lists of evidence are often persuasive in the courtroom, but can also be difficult for decision-makers to remember. A Demonstrative Checklist is a great way to summarize lists of items/criteria/requisites and at the same time make those lists vivid and memorable. Use checklists to engage the audience with your case facts. A checklist can … more »

If the case is about money, it’s helpful to know what the case is worth to those who will eventually decide the issue at trial. Most attorneys probably use reasoned logic in conjunction with the facts of the case to decide this question. Maybe the result is tempered by personal history for those with trial experience. But relying on these things is risky.  

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.

By Dennis Devine, Dennis Stolle, Trisha Volpe, & Hillary Abraham Jury trials are starting up again—but the world has changed. ThemeVision recently conducted a national survey of 532 U.S. adults to assess the impact of COVID and other 2020 events on civil juries. We previously reported that about half the people we surveyed said they … more »

Telling your client’s story at trial in a compelling and persuasive way is what trial lawyers do. While the pandemic has delayed most jury trials, the courts are opening up and many trials have moved forward in the last year, some virtually and some with a virtual/in-person twist. How can you still be effective and engage with the jury when trial doesn’t look like it used to? In this ThemeVision Focus video, watch Trisha Volpe’s interview with top Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani, LLP trial attorney Nancy Erfle who conducted a recent jury selection via Zoom and was part of the team trying the case in person. Here’s her perspective on trial storytelling during the pandemic and whether some aspect of the virtual trial is here to stay.