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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.
ThemeVision’s Nationwide SurveyThemeVision is a litigation consulting firm that counsels clients on jury decision making and conducts jury research in cases around the country. We obtained a diverse, national sample of responses from 532 U.S. adults (locations shown above). Our questions fell into several buckets: Demographics, Health-related behaviors and contracting COVID, Willingness to serve as … more »
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.
Video Series for Litigation Professionals New data reveals meaningful differences of opinion between lawyers and judges about jury trials. Many lawyers and judges have lamented the decline of jury trials over time. But, nobody has really answered the question of exactly why it’s happening. New survey data shows lawyers and judges don’t necessarily agree on … more »