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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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In-Person Vs. Virtual Trials During COVID-19

In-Person Vs. Virtual Trials in Times of COVID-19 COVID-19 has completely changed the way we do nearly everything in life. From going to the store to family gatherings, things are different. The effect of COVID-19 is especially salient in the court system. In the United States, our court system provides justice in both criminal and […]

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Jury Diversity and its Impact on Case Outcomes

Jury diversity has been an often-discussed problem in many legal cases for decades. Prior to the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s, jury diversity did not exist. Juries were almost entirely composed of white Christian males. Racial minorities, women, and non-Christians were never given a jury of their peers. Instead, these groups had a jury […]

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Best Voir Dire Questions

Having the best voir dire questions goes a long way to ensuring higher verdicts. By employing the best voir dire questions, you reward yourself and your client with the most advantageous jury possible. The more advantageous the jury is, the better your chances of winning larger awards will be. That’s why jury selection is so […]

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Jury Selection Myths

Busting Old World Myths About Jury Selection   Jury selection is the most important part of a trial! If you don’t have a completely fair and impartial jury panel, you may have already lost your case.   The purpose of voir dire and the jury selection process is two-fold:   To facilitate the identification and […]

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Jury Selection Preparation

Plan Your Playbook for Voir Dire and Jury Selection   In preparing for voir dire and jury selection it is vitally important that you have a plan. The plan I follow I call my “playbook.” —Robert Eglet   Preparing Your Playbook: Initial Steps I prepare a playbook for each and every case. It’s a very specific […]

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