Jury Psychology
Overcoming the Death of Facts at Trial
During a recent mock trial, when a juror expressed an opinion that was directly refuted by the evidence in the case and a few other
Jill Schmid, Ph.D.
October 7, 2020
Jury Decision Making
Defense Strategies for Effectively Anchoring Damages
The concept of anchors for damage awards at trial is nothing new. The research on the importance of anchors goes back decades. Numerous studies have
Thomas O'Toole, Ph.D.
September 30, 2020
Jury Decision Making
Smarter Jurors Might Not Be The Answer You Are Looking For
In all of my days working predominantly for the defense in civil cases, my clients have openly longed for “intelligent” jurors who they believed would
Thomas O'Toole, Ph.D.
September 22, 2020
Current Affairs
Dealing with Juror Fatigue in Zoom Trials
“Six months into the pandemic, trial-by-video-jury – at least in the civil context – is beginning to morph from experiment to expectation. And while lawyers
Jill Schmid, Ph.D.
September 15, 2020
Jury Psychology
The Role of Defensive Attribution in Jury Verdicts in Traumatic Injury Cases
One of the first memorable studies that I read about jury psychology in graduate school was the 1997 study by Neil Feigenson and colleagues on
Thomas O'Toole, Ph.D.
September 10, 2020
Jury Psychology
3 Key Strategy Insights from a Debate Coach
By Scott Herndon, M.A. When I joined Sound Jury Consulting 5 years ago, I entered with a unique background – I am a college debate
Scott Herndon, M.A.
September 2, 2020
Mock Jury
Rethinking Your Takeaways from Mock Trials and Focus Groups
With every project, I’m reminded of the power of a mock trial to effectively and efficiently inform one’s litigation strategy. Too often I think attorneys
Jill Schmid, Ph.D.
August 27, 2020
Jury Selection
Jury Selection During COVID: Tips for Creating Useful Supplemental Juror Questionnaires
This past week, King County Superior Courts in Seattle, Washington laid out their plans for the resumption of civil jury trials. In an effort to
Thomas O'Toole, Ph.D.
August 6, 2020
Jury Selection
The Myth of Juror Rehabilitation
Protests, COVID, health care, stimulus package, Trump, news (fake or otherwise), monuments, and on and on and on. This country is more divided than ever
Jill Schmid, Ph.D.
July 29, 2020
Jury Selection
Recognizing the Emotional Volatility of Your Jurors
Yesterday, Seattle Public Schools announced that remote learning will continue indefinitely, meaning public school kids are not going back to school in the fall. A
Thomas O'Toole, Ph.D.
July 23, 2020
Current Affairs
The Pandemic Highlights the Power of Personal Experience in Persuasion
“I don’t think it would make a difference at all. I’m not even convinced this whole coronavirus thing is real. I don’t know anyone who’s
Thomas O'Toole, Ph.D.
July 16, 2020
Current Affairs
Research Shows COVID-Related Opinion Shifts in Nationwide Jury Pools
For the past couple of years, we’ve been conducting national surveys on a variety of subjects in order to find out what kinds of
Jill Schmid, Ph.D.
July 1, 2020
Jury Psychology
Understanding Heightened Juror Emotions During the Pandemic
Traumatic national events, like the COVID-19 pandemic elicit a broad range of emotions in potential jurors. Jurors, like all of us, worry about the safety
Scott Herndon, M.A.
June 16, 2020
Current Affairs
Defund the Police: How Flawed Framing Undermines the Persuasive Effect
I, like most of you, have probably been having some difficult conversations lately. The most difficult, though, are not just steeped in real ideological differences,
Jill Schmid, Ph.D.
June 10, 2020
Current Affairs
Above the Law Interview with Sound Jury Consulting
This week, I had the privilege of being interviewed by Above the Law about the research we have been conducting on how the pandemic impacts
Thomas O'Toole, Ph.D.
June 4, 2020
Current Affairs
Success! One of the First In-Person Mock Trials in the Age of COVID
It was awesome to get back to conducting in-person mock trial research this past weekend! While things looked a bit different, it still checked off
Jill Schmid, Ph.D.
June 1, 2020
Current Affairs
What’s Your Superpower? Barriers for Attorney Presentation in Zoom Depositions
For years, I’ve successfully avoided Facetime calls and most video conferences. However, around 9 weeks, 2 days, 13 hours, and 42 minutes ago, that all
Jill Schmid, Ph.D.
May 27, 2020
Current Affairs
WARNING: Be Wary of Research About How the Pandemic Impacts Jury Decision-Making
It is the question on every litigator’s mind: What impact, if any, will the pandemic have on jury decision-making once trials resume? Will there be
Thomas O'Toole, Ph.D.
May 20, 2020
Current Affairs
The Important Connection between September 11, COVID-19, and Jury Decision-Making
As the country starts to re-open and jury trials resume, it is our job to research and understand what impact the pandemic and the stay-at-home
Thomas O'Toole, Ph.D.
May 14, 2020
Current Affairs
How Does The COVID Pandemic Impact Mock Trials and Focus Groups?
We have officially entered the eighth week of the stay-at-home order in Washington State. Six days ago, our governor announced there would be no jury
Thomas O'Toole, Ph.D.
May 7, 2020
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