ACG’s jury consulting team is composed of only the industry’s top researchers and behavior analysis experts. Our jury consulting approach to each case relies on our experience and the latest research on witness credibility, persuasion, memory retention, and communication. Realizing that every case requires different research methodologies, we work to custom-tailor our services to accommodate your needs and bring a new, creative approach to each case.
Our jury selection services assist with the process of identifying and eliminating negative juror bias on a jury panel. Several approaches are used to assist counsel in making effective use of cause and peremptory challenges, to secure improved jury selection conditions if necessary, and to conduct targeted questioning of a jury panel.
Focus Group
Having the ability to see into the future is a gift that only exists in the movies. However, having the wisdom and experience of potential jurors is the next best thing. There is only one guarantee when presenting a case before a jury: each person is going to have a different opinion and base it on different reasons. Because focus groups can show attorneys the strengths and weaknesses of their current litigation strategy, extrapolating information from a prospective jury is imperative. ACG uses both in-person and virtual focus groups. Jurors come in all varieties and thus have different likes and dislikes, come from different family backgrounds, have different education levels and are prejudiced by different things. While one juror may be completely convinced by one argument, there is another who most likely will take the opposite view. Focus groups are a useful jury consulting instrument in determining how the trial team’s arguments and theories are received by people that have similar makeup to those that will comprise your jury pool.
Focus groups, led by our experienced jury consultants, are groups of usually six to eight people pulled from the jurisdiction’s potential jury pool and given an opportunity to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of a case. The trial team observes the group as they discuss the case themes and legal arguments. This helps determine the particular biases of the region of your jury pool, and can even help attorneys decide on which route to take an argument for trial.
For those trial teams questioning the value of settling before trial, a focus group may be extremely valuable to avoid unnecessary litigation. When a team still determines that trial is necessary, the focus group can be vital in discovering what aspects of the case need improvement to enable the trial team to be as prepared as possible for upcoming trial.
ACG has expertise in providing jury consulting services, and specifically focus groups. We can work with your trial team to conduct a focus group and help you determine which litigation strategies are effective in propelling your legal arguments and which need more work before they can be presented to a jury effectively.
