Category: Jury Consulting Articles
Jury Consulting for High-Value Cases
Preventing Nuclear Verdicts with Jury Consulting
When your case has millions on the line, jury consulting can be instrumental in preventing your case from exploding.
What are some factors which can cause a nuclear verdict?
- A case that makes jurors upset – either fearful, angry, or both
- Highly sympathetic plaintiffs, or an entire family
- A case involving gruesome injuries (such as burns) or particularly sensitive injuries – physical or mental/emotional
- Bad company documents, internal memos
- Bad optics surrounding company conduct
- The appearance that a corporate defendant does not prioritize safety or puts profits over people
- Evidence that a company violated its own policies
What does a Jury Consultant do?
A jury consultant assists parties during all phases of litigation to ensure they are presenting the most effective, compelling position possible given the available evidence and witnesses and considering the eventual audience – the jury.
Jury Consulting & Research Exercises for
High-Value Cases
A jury comes with a set of opinions, biases and prior knowledge of the parties that will no doubt influence their conclusions, even if they are advised to put those notions to the side.
The trial team must build their case strategy and construct their arguments with their audience in mind.
Early-Intervention Jury Research
Early-intervention jury research will answer:
- Where do we stand?
- What are the strengths and weaknesses of our position as well as our adversary’s position?
- How do we need to develop the case and build out our narrative?
These early-intervention exercises will take place during (and even pre-) discovery. They can include:
- Exploratory Focus Groups (online or in-person)
- Damages Assessment Surveys
- Community Attitude / Perception Studies
- Witness Preparation
Witness Preparation
Witness training prior to key depositions as well as in preparation for trial is crucial to keep the case contained.
Prepare your key witnesses prior to their depositions to make sure they stay on message, remain faithful to their side of the story, and not fall prey to reptile tactics.
Preparing for Trial
When discovery is nearing an end or is closed, the trial team will benefit from more adversarial testing such as single or multi-day mock trials (online or in-person).
During the trial, Magna’s consultants can assist the trial team with:
- Voir Dire & Jury Selection Consulting
- JuryScout: prospective juror background and social media searches
- Shadow Jury
- Trial Monitoring & Consulting
- Witness Preparation
Getting Started
Our experienced jury consultants use a multi-phase jury research methodology to ensure the statistical reliability and robustness of our findings
Request a free case consultation with Magna today to see how we can assist you in providing the best possible representation for your clients.
Request a Complimentary Case Consultation
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Modern Jury Research Technology: Online Solutions for Increased Reliability & Convenience
Both modern and traditional jury consulting practices can help attorneys gain insight into how jurors are likely to respond to case facts before entering the courtroom. However, powerful advances in technology make jury research more statistically reliable, easier to conduct and more cost-effective than ever before.
In this article, we’ll break down how modern jury consulting services work and how they may benefit you ahead of your next big trial date.
Benefits of Using Modern Jury Consulting Technology
Advanced technology in jury research increases the reliability and understanding associated with potential juror decisions.
These solutions offer huge benefits when dealing with complex, high-value cases, so it is imperative attorneys understand every tool at their disposal.
Benefits include:
- Larger data pools
- Increased statistical reliability
- Robust findings
- Convenient & time-efficient sessions
- Quick turnaround of analysis
- Cost-effective
- Real-time polling
- & more
Advanced Data Analysis with Modern Jury Research Solutions
With modern jury research, attorneys are able to access larger pools of data for analysis with increased convenience and efficiency.
This benefits legal teams looking to:
- Gauge a reliable range of potential damages if the case went to a jury trial
- Test themes, storylines & venue climate in order to prepare the most effective trial strategy
- Use jurors’ social media & online activity backgrounds to discover potential biases & past experiences during jury selection and throughout the trial
A standard trial jury comprises individuals with diverse backgrounds and views, most without legal expertise. As such, they can be unpredictable. Technical consulting solutions provide a wide range of insights at every stage of the trial process.
Online Tools for Reliable Jury Research
There are several solutions that offer powerful insight into potential jury outcomes ahead of an important trial date:
Online Focus Groups & Mock Trials with JuryConfirm
Featuring Evidence Analyzer Powered by AI
JuryConfirm is a highly comprehensive virtual jury research platform. Attorneys present their cases to jurors in their trial venue. Jurors then deliberate at length in the virtual courtroom, displaying their video feeds to preserve the ability to read emotions & body language. The Evidence Analyzer uses AI technology to assess juror reactions and provide related insights on your case presentation.
Evidence Analyzer Powered by AI
Automatically takes notes & monitors jurors reactions & feedback to the presentations
Live Attorney Presentations with Limitless Capabilities
Display & annotate exhibits, videos & other visual aids in real-time
Simulated Courtroom Environment
Interactive juror profiles & live video feed of juror deliberations and attorney presentations
Real-Time Results
Fully customized questionnaires, polling & presentation feedback
Detailed Reporting
Featuring strategic recommendations and key take-aways
This comprehensive, technologically advanced framework provides all the benefits of both remote and in-person mock trials.
Damages Assessment with JuryEvaluator
Magna’s patent-pending case valuation tool, JuryEvaluator®, offers a scientific and statistically significant damages assessment for your actual case from your actual jury pool.
This research considers the effect of current media climate to provide insight into your case risk, exposure & value.
- Research conducted in your case venue using your actual case facts
- Research captures present-day surrogate juror attitudes and biases
- Statistical analyses provide a reliable range of potential damages if the case went to a jury trial (economic, non-economic & punitive)
Damages Assessment Report includes:
- Methodology & Respondent Demographics
- Juror Questionnaire Responses
- Jury Simulation Data Analyses: Traditional & Pro-Plaintiff
- Case Script
- Juror Open-Ended Responses & Analysis with Key Takeaways
- Damages Analysis & Allocation of Fault
Social Media Surveillance for Jurors with JuryScout
Interpret a juror’s or potential juror’s online activity to discover any past experiences or biases which can affect their perception of your case with JuryScout.
JuryScout uses include:
- Jury Selection:
As courts are limiting access to jurors during jury selection, online activity reports can provide additional information to show past experiences, political and religious affiliations & more. - Predicting Juror Behavior:
By creating a personalized matrix of information for each potential juror, JuryScout provides insight into whether a juror has attributes that lead to bias. - Post-Verdict:
Here’s an example: Following an unfavorable verdict on a high-profile case, JuryScout found cached information which located four jurors who violated the court’s instructions. Counsel was able to use this information as part of the appeal.
Which Jury Consulting Method is Right for Your Case?
Be confident in knowing how a jury is likely to approach your case.
Magna Legal Services offers a full array
of litigation consulting services, including risk assessment & strategic recommendations.
Our experienced jury consultants use a multi-phase jury research methodology to ensure the statistical reliability and robustness of our findings
Request a free case consultation with Magna today to see how we can assist you in providing the best possible representation for your clients.
Request a Complimentary Case Consultation
"*" indicates required fields