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Jury selection is one aspect of trial practice that seems to strike fear into the hearts of many attorneys. For many reasons, voir dire is often an anxiety-provoking situation for both the attorney and potential juror. One of the golden rules we all learn in law school is not to ask questions we don’t already know the answer to – especially during cross-examination. Well, in jury selection this rule does not apply. You don’t have any idea what anyone might say at any given time and this uncertainty creates a lot of anxiety and concern for many attorneys.
Most trial attorneys will agree that voir dire is one of the most important events in any given trial – and probably one of the most stressful.
In this course trial consultant Bryan C. Edelman, Ph.D., uses his background in social psychology and the law to offer you a glimpse into the mind of the jury so that you conduct a more effective voir dire. Dr. Edelman demystifies the jury selection process by analyzing the courtroom experience from the perspective of the juror, providing tips & strategies for conducting a successful voir dire and teaching attorneys how to score jurors on important attributes so that they may more efficiently exercise peremptory challenges and select a jury. To access the course please click here: Psychology of the Jury: Conducting a Successful Voir Dire.
Further topics of discussion in this CLE course:
- The story model
- Filters of human perception
- Personal experiences & jury deliberation
- Disconfirmation bias
- Obstacles to a successful voir dire
- Social pressure in the courtroom
- Comments from silent jurors
- Voir dire tactics
- Getting quiet jurors to talk
- Asking questions
- Identifying the pseudo-expert
- The minimization effect in high profile cases
- Sculpting your audience
- Leadership
- Developing a scoring system
- The wish list
- The strike list
- The scoring chart
- The final review of your challenge decision
The co-founder of Trial Innovations, Bryan C. Edelman, Ph.D., began working as a trial consultant in 1998 and he has worked on numerous criminal and civil cases. As a consultant, he applies his training in social psychology, persuasion, group dynamics and social cognition to the courtroom. His particular area of expertise is in complex litigation where jurors are most likely to rely on their prior attitudes, life experiences and heuristics to process evidence and reach conclusions. Dr. Edelman has served as a presenter at national and international conferences and has published a book on the impact of race and empathy on sentencing in capital cases and articles on the influence of graphic images on perceptions of liability and damages.
This CLE course is offered in the following states:
- Alaska (AK)
- Arizona (AZ)
- California (CA)
- Connecticut (CT)
- District of Columbia (DC)
- Illinois (IL)
- Maryland (MD)
- Massachusetts (MA)
- Michigan (MI)
- Missouri (MO)
- New Hampshire (NH)
- New Jersey (NJ)
- New York (NY)
- North Dakota (ND)
- Pennsylvania (PA)
- South Dakota (SD)
Attorney Credits offers continuing legal education (CLE) for attorneys in California and around the country. For more information about CLE in California please click the following link: CA CLE.