California MCLE |
Research, news and tips on
Twitter. |
Tammy speaks at law schools, national
legal conferences and via online presentations.
"Outstanding speaker. Inspirational… informative
and innovative…. Cutting edge methods for jury selection.…
Impressive insights into the makings of a good and bad jury. Could
listen to her all day." Lorraine Silvers, Asst. Prof. Trial Tactics,
Irvine University"
"Really important work... a real value. [Tammy
is] identifying and explicating the epiphenomenon of jury
decisions... with science and more than a little common sense.
Really nice work." Ted Ray, ExxonMobil
"The highlight of the conference." Vicki
Gilbreath, Harris Martin Publishing
California State Bar compliance deadline for Group 2 (H-M) for
period 2/1/15 - 1/31/18 is Feb 1, 2018.
Participatory credit available via CDs, DVDs,
streaming and downloadable videos and podcasts. Email embedded
codes to info@JuriSense.com for verification and to obtain your
Certificate of Completion (provider # 14856). Third parties
can also verify your participation via email. Please
call our Customer Service at 800-891-6592 if you have any questions.
10 Tips to Improve Jury Selection |
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Credits:
1.00 Participatory MCLE Credit |
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This CLE will help litigators learn the essentials of jury
selection: to build rapport, educate jurors about the issues in the
case and to eliminate unfavorable jurors. Advocates will
learn how to ask open-ended questions to identify jurors who are
likely to resist certain aspects of their message and to create a
group that will be receptive to their case.
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Who is the Ideal Juror? |
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Credits:
1.00 Participatory MCLE Credit |
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Focus groups, mock trials and other pre-trial research helps
attorneys understand juror attitudes, experiences and
characteristics that are associated with plaintiff & defense
verdicts and high & low damages. This CLE provides an overview
to help attorneys identify potential jurors who are likely to have
strong leanings and leadership potential so attorneys can
strike their riskiest jurors and quickly identify and protect their
best.
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Psychology of Settlement |
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Credits:
1.00 Participatory MCLE Credit |
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Psychological research on framing, anchoring effects and emotion
indicate that our inbuilt biases significantly impact our settlement
efforts and outcomes. These principles help litigators better
understand their own case weaknesses and value, as well as their
opponents' motivations, including the potential impact of a sincere
apology on settlement demands.
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Juror Decision-Making
Teach Jurors to Apply the Plain English Law |
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Credits:
1.00 Participatory MCLE Credit |
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This CLE focuses on juror decision-making and common
misunderstandings, even with California’s award-winning plain
language instructions. Emotions drive decision-making, which
usually works well in familiar situations. Jurors also use their
emotional, gut reactions in novel situations, such as a trial, which
commonly leads to predictable reasoning errors. Tammy provides
examples to demonstrate her points so that attorneys can teach
jurors to better apply the law.
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12 Steps to Happiness |
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Credits: 1 Detection/Prevention of Substance Abuse;
1.00 Participatory MCLE Credit |
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Introduces the 12-Steps program widely used by Alcoholics
Anonymous (AA) to prevent and treat substance abuse. Tammy and
George Speckart discuss how these steps can help anybody live a more
peaceful, successful and fulfilling life, free from substance abuse.
George Speckart is an acclaimed trial consultant with four decades
of trial consulting experience and has also conducted original
research on substance abuse. Tammy and George discuss research
that elucidates how these steps affect happiness and mental health,
as well as some trial applications.
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Managing Juror Bias
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Credits: 1 Elimination of Bias in the Legal
Profession;
1.00 Participatory MCLE Credit |
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Learn how to manage biases jurors are
likely to have against minorities, women, young people, the elderly,
gays, corporations, smokers and many others. Liking is a primary
component of decision-making and people tend to like those who are
similar to us. This talk will help you and your witnesses
connect with jurors and overcome their differences. Also, when
preconceived stereotypes hurt your case, present evidence that
challenges those biases. For example, jurors often assume that
young male drivers are less careful and at fault in auto accidents. So you may
need to talk about your client's good grades and other
responsible behaviors. This course will teach you how to
recognize the often unspoken assumptions that you need to address to
overcome bias.
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Witness Preparation
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Credits:1.00 Participatory MCLE Credit |
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Tammy interviews George Speckart, the acclaimed trial consultant who
has been prepping witnesses and helping attorneys with jury
selection for four decades. Normal communication rules
do not apply in court, which takes some training for lay and expert
witnesses to understand deeply enough to testify effectively.
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Plaintiff's Jury Selection |
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Credits:1.00 Participatory or Self-Study MCLE Credit
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This explains basic jury selection
principles, including how to discover jurors' biases, attitudes,
life experiences and characteristics that influence their verdicts.
It explains material in the
Plaintiff's Jury
Selection paper, which
Tom Girardi called the "Most concise explanation of how to conduct jury
selection." |
How Rules
and Reptile Methods Work |
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Credits: 1.00 Participatory or Self-Study MCLE Credit
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Trial consultants have known that angry jurors
are more punitive towards criminal defendants, and they return
larger verdicts in civil cases.
The
Rules
of the Road and
Reptile
are two, well-known, effective trial advocacy approaches that
activate cognitive appraisals for anger.
Tammy explains how
these and other trial advocacy techniques elicit subtle emotions that drive juror
decision-making, including how jurors perceive risk, causation,
blame and guilt.
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How Jurors Decide |
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Credits: 1.00 Participatory or Self-Study MCLE Credit
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Emotions drive decision-making, which usually
works well in familiar situations. Jurors also use their emotional,
gut reactions in novel situations, such as a trial, which commonly leads
to predictable reasoning errors. People usually make decisions
with far fewer facts than we realize. We tend to think we know
more and can attend to more information than is actually possible.
The "invisible
gorilla" video was shown at an American Association for Justice
meeting to demonstrate this concept, called inattentional blindness. |
Understanding Body Language |
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Credits: 1.00 Participatory MCLE Credit
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We all constantly broadcast and receive
information from others regarding our emotional states, through body
language, facial expressions and voice tone. Many people are
now consciously aware of the general meanings of arm gestures and
other expressions that occur near the face. The entire body
changes with our emotions. Learn how to better understand
others and become more aware of what your body is saying. |
Framing Issues |
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Credits: 1.00 Participatory MCLE Credit
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Framing puts facts in context by making some
things seem more important than others, depending on the frame.
The same people, analyzing the same facts, will make different
decisions, based their on different perspectives and
associated rules. For example, people are typically risk-averse, so
framing issues around something positive, such as saving lives, will
result in people being less willing to take a gamble in how many
lives are saved. We want to protect at least some people.
However, if the framing is around "deaths," people will typically
select the riskier gamble, trying to avoid any deaths, even when
that choice actually puts more people at greater risk of death.
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Mock Trial CLE Workshops
• Attorneys rave about these
mock trials because they are informative and fun
• Cost-effective insight into jurors’
decision-making, applicable to any case
• Tammy will explain themes, jury selection, &
communication techniques • Workbook
includes Reptile, Damages
and Rules of the Road practice tips • Watch
jurors’ moment-to-moment reactions, deliberations and
debriefing • Quickly train your courtroom
instincts with advanced techniques & feedback
• Jurors and Tammy will answer questions at the
reception (5:45 to 7:45 p.m.)
• Earn 8
CLE credits while having fun (multiplier for attorneys who
participate)
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The best way to learn Reptile, Damages and Rules of the Road techniques
is to try it yourself. You train your courtroom instincts by
preparing, practicing and then promptly appraising exactly what
worked well and what can be improved. In these workshops, you
can see how jurors react in real time, ask questions and think
through how to improve. Tammy's educational post-verdict
analyses are much more detailed and insightful than typical
pre-trial research. Click
here to see an example.
Upcoming Events
Products Liability Mock Trial CLE Workshop
Saturday, October 14th, 2017
9:00 - 5:45pm
Los Angeles, California |
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Register
online now to participate.
The first to register have first choice of attorney roles.
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Download a workshop
flyer and registration form |
JuriSense will offer a one day mock trial
workshop on a products liability case in Los Angeles, California.
Tammy will prepare selected participants to present the case to a
representative jury. All attendees are invited to ask jurors
questions during the debriefing and reception. (8 CLE credits)
Customize a Mock Trial for Your Group
The mock trial fact patterns and workbooks can
also be customized for groups, such as consumer attorneys, bar
associations and law schools. We will travel to your location
and apply for MCLE credits in any state.
Email or call Tammy
at (800) 891-6592 to discuss your ideas.
Free Streaming CLE Webcasts |
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Topics include:
• Jury Selection
• Juror Decision-Making
• Reptile Techniques
• Rules of the Road
• Witness Preparation
• Persuasive Graphics
• Painting Word Pictures
• Combating Bias
• Storytelling
• Emotional Framing
• Factual Framing |
Sign Up to Receive
Free CLE webcasts,
CLE
workshop updates and trial consulting news.
Research, news and tips on
Twitter.
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ASTC 36th
Annual Conference
June 8-10, 2017
Chicago, IL
Past Events
Mt. San Antonio College
Catered MCLE sponsored by HG Litigation
Services
Juror Decision-Making: Teach Jurors to Apply the Plain English Law
Tammy explained juror decision-making and common
misunderstandings, even with California’s award-winning plain
language instructions.
Los Angeles Paralegal Association
Keynote Speaker
10 Tips for Litigation Paralegals
Tammy explained how litigation paralegals can
support trial attorneys with witness preparation, pretrial research,
theme development and jury selection.
Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity, International
2014 Convention Speaker
Prepare to Win: A Jury Consultant Demonstrates Typical Pre-Trial
Research
Tammy condensed her mock trial workshop into a
90-minute demonstration, using mock jurors who deliberated a
personal injury case via closed-circuit television and then answered
questions for PAD attendees.
Santa Clara County Trial Lawyers Association
Cutting-edge Trial Techniques for the 21st
Century
Juror Responses to Rules and Reptile Methods
Tammy explained how trial advocacy techniques
elicit subtle emotions that drive juror decision-making, including
how jurors perceive risk, causation, blame and guilt. Dr. Paul Ekman provided images of subtle anger, sadness, fear, contempt, etc.
that Tammy used to demonstrate to attorneys how jurors may
appear when they are most open to persuasion.
HG Litigation Seminar and
Reception
Juror Responses to Rules and Reptile Methods
Tammy gave an overview of her recent article
for The Jury Expert, then answer questions and discussed practical
trial applications for the remaining hour. Rules and
Reptile techniques trigger feelings of fear and anger,
which affect jurors' opinions of fault, risk, causation and damages.
Attorneys can use this information to optimally sequence evidence to
create subtle emotional responses that guide these perceptions, and
also to understand:
• when people are open to
persuasion;
• how much and what kind of
evidence jurors will consider;
• whether it will be carefully
analyzed or quickly decided by a gut feeling; and
• how certain jurors will feel
about their judgments.
Irvine University College
of Law
What Jurors Find Important in Their Verdicts
Tammy Metzger gave a
1-hour talk on how jurors arrive at their verdicts and how they (mis)understand
the verdict form.
She also played video clips of mock trial
deliberations and focus group research to demonstrate how attorneys
can more effectively communicate with jurors.
Harris Martin's Benzene
Litigation Conference
Trial of a Benzene-Leukemia Case from Jury Selection to Verdict
Tammy conceived the format and helped implement
this conference, which was the first benzene litigation conference
done as a trial. Vicki Gilbreath said that this was the most
well-attended, best-received benzene conference at Harris Martin
ever. Tammy recruited a demographically matched jury panel,
prepared an insightful questionnaire, summarized the mock jurors’
answers, accurately predicted their reactions to the testimony,
arranged for real-time feedback throughout the trial and selected a
sitting judge to preside over this interesting event.
Harris Martin's Asbestos
Conference
Trial of a Mesothelioma Case from Jury Selection to Verdict
Tammy spoke about:
• Jury Selection from the Plaintiff’s
Perspective;
• Bringing out Bias and Attitudes;
and
• Working with Bias, Attitudes and
Life Experiences.
Mealey's Benzene Litigation
Conference
Choosing a Jury
Tammy participated in a 2-hour presentation with
Thomas Girardi, who demonstrated voir dire. She also
presented a paper, entitled Plaintiff’s View of a Benzene
Leukemia Case, which Tom Girardi endorsed, saying "your paper is
the best, most concise explanation of how to conduct jury selection.
I gave it to all of my associates to read."
Tammy spoke about the following:
• Jury selection goals and
techniques;
• Bias, attitudes and life
experiences
• Personality types and demographics
• Commented on the jurors’ responses
and body language;
• Explained whom she would strike and
why.
HB Benzene Litigation Audiocast with Live Q&A
"Working With the Jury: Strategy and Procedures" panel
Tammy spoke about how jurors think about toxic
tort cases, scientific evidence and the law. Other topics
included opening and closing arguments, covert persuasion and
connecting with your jurors throughout trial. She also used
video clips of mock jury deliberations to demonstrate her points.
HG Litigation Seminar and
Reception
How Jurors Decide
Tammy used video clips of a mock jury
deliberation to explain how jurors think about cases, (mis)interpret
the law and what actually drives their decisions. Other topics
include covert persuasion and connecting with your jurors throughout
trial. (1 CLE credit)
Talks Tailored for
Individual Law Firms
Plaintiff's Jury Selection
This two hour talk explained basic jury selection
principles, including how to discover jurors' biases, attitudes,
life experiences and characteristics that influence their verdicts.
It covers the material in the
Plaintiff's Jury
Selection paper, which
Tom Girardi called the "Most concise explanation of how to conduct jury
selection."
Teaching Points for Plaintiffs: Framing Issues
Framing puts facts in context by making some
things seem more important than others, depending on the frame.
The same people, analyzing the same facts, will make different
decisions, based their on different perspectives and
associated rules.
For example, people are typically risk-averse, so
framing issues around something positive, such as saving lives, will
result in people being less willing to take a gamble in how many
lives are saved. We want to protect at least some people.
However, if the framing is around "deaths," people will typically
select the riskier gamble, trying to avoid any deaths, even when
that choice actually puts more people at greater risk of death.
Juror Decision-Making
Emotions drive decision-making, which usually
works well in familiar situations. Jurors also use their emotional,
gut reactions in novel situations, such as a trial, which commonly leads
to predictable reasoning errors. People usually make decisions
with far fewer facts than we realize. We tend to think we know
more and can attend to more information than is actually possible.
The "invisible
gorilla" video was shown at an American Association for Justice
meeting to demonstrate this concept, called inattentional blindness.
Painting Word Pictures
Sensory details create more vivid, visceral
mental experiences for listeners. Clearly imagined scenarios
are processed much like actual experiences, which are more
memorable. With practice, anyone can learn to create living,
motion pictures in the minds of listeners.
JuriSense,
LLC
Seal Beach, CA
(800) 891-6592
info@jurisense.com
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