Monthly Archives: May 2013
Voir Dire: Where the Mind Meets the Mouth
Job Number One of any lawyer conducting voir dire is lowering the barriers to communication. What are the barriers that jurors might have to opening up to you? Being in an unfamiliar building and room, but more powerfully, being in … Continue reading
The Five Do’s and 12,000 Don’ts of Opening Statements
I sat through some opening statements the other day, and can only just now talk about it. Even now, at some points in the story, I feel like pointing to a doll to communicate exactly where and how the two … Continue reading
More On Jury Selection (Don’t Read That Aloud Too Quickly—Sounds Insulting)
I found a couple more notes from the jury pick I mentioned in the May 5 post. The big themes: in jury selection, keep your language simple and clear, and keep your questions open. When Lawyers Talk Like Lawyers, It … Continue reading
Obligatory Jodi Arias Commentary
I have not been following the trial very closely and I don’t really care about it— I feel like this Phoenix production is programming for Nancy Grace’s audience, and I’m really more of a ‘Mad Men’ guy. But I caught … Continue reading
Juryology: Art & Science of Jury Persuasion 