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​​Avoiding Groupthink in the Jury Room: Using Psychometrics to Predict Group Dynamics

Juries play a critical role in the justice system, tasked with making decisions that have life-changing consequences for the accused, victims, and their families. The ideal jury should be composed of individuals who are impartial and unbiased in their decision-making. However, the reality is that group decision-making in the jury room is a complex process, […]

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What makes a good Case Summary

If you’re planning a mock jury/ focus group big data research study, the first thing you need to do is sit down and prepare a “case summary” for each of your four or six key issues that will be addressed in the focus group. In today’s podcast, Russell Nicolet and I take a look at […]

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Focus Group Samples Are Not All Created Equal

As previously discussed online focus groups can play a major role in whether or not you will win your case. Of course, attorney skill and the strength of a case are of great importance, focus groups can help drive new attorneys and even weak cases to a win if used correctly. Focus groups, both quantitative and […]

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The Impact of Juror Biases

Every law student learns about Batson v. Kentucky, the landmark 1986 U.S. Supreme Court case that held that a prosecutor cannot strike potential jurors based on race in a criminal trial.  That principle was later extended to civil litigation, with the Supreme Court saying in Edmondson v. Leesville Concrete Company that racially discriminatory criteria may […]

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Types of Focus Groups and Their Purpose

Focus groups are a valuable tool in trial law to learn how citizens in a particular venue perceive a civil lawsuit. Focus groups provide valuable information on the strengths and weaknesses of arguments presented by both the Plaintiff’s and Defendant’s perspectives, perceptions of liability, and range of awards. Traditional focus groups, which provide both qualitative […]

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