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The value of science in litigation consulting
Every day, corporate legal teams and outside counsel make decisions about how to approach a case or what a case is worth based on prior similar cases, anecdotal information or 'gut instinct'. None of these methods are based on real data or insight. In each case, it is highly probable that companie...
CSI - Courtroom Sciences Inc
— February 2020 — 2042 views Confirmatory research Exploratory research Focus groups Litigation psychology Mock trials Research Scientific method


Strategies for managing the realities of a "pre-crisis"   business climate
* Introduction * The fact is, all companies are in a state of pre-crisis, and it’s precisely the time to analyze operations, envision what could go wrong and plan how your organization would respond. Preparation is key because managing a crisis demands that leaders exercise the wisdom to not jump...
CSI - Courtroom Sciences Inc
— January 2020 — 1868 views Communications Crisis Enterprise risk management Litigation psychology Planning


How to manage a social media crisis
*A new world* The powerful influence of social media is changing the way crisis communications is practiced and companies should be demanding a more sophisticated level of expertise from their crisis teams. The fact is, any such team is incomplete unless it includes social psychology experts who ...
Sean Murphy - Litigation Psychology
— January 2020 — 1914 views Communications Crisis Enterprise risk management Litigation psychology Planning Social media


Myth #1: We don't need a mock; we don't go to trial that often
At Courtroom Sciences, Inc., we have written blog posts about  understanding the litigation consulting industry   and  None what to look for when selecting a jury consultant . Continuing our focus on informing legal departments and teams about the litigation psychology field, we...
Steve Wood, Ph.D. - Litigation Psychology
— January 2020 — 1992 views Confirmatory research Litigation psychology Mock trials Research Trial consulting


The critical importance of witness testimony
Research has shown that the performance of witnesses, in depositions and during trial, is the single most important factor in case outcomes. In this 4-part video series, you will learn: ·           why and how witness testimony goes bad ·           why witnesses are so vulnerable during testimon...
CSI - Courtroom Sciences Inc
— January 2020 — 2427 views Depositions Litigation psychology Research Trial consulting Witness training


The impact of political affiliation on jurors' verdicts
In recent years, American politics have been highly polarized.  CSI's Litigation Consultants recently conducted research on the extent to which jurors’ political affiliation “matters,” and illustrates why jurors’ political orientation must be considered within the context of other social and psych...
CSI - Courtroom Sciences Inc
— December 2019 — 3040 views Jurors Jury consulting Litigation psychology Mock trials Research Trial consulting


Why combative PR tactics don't work
FedEx founder and CEO Frederick Smith touched off a firestorm when he challenged New York Times publisher, A.G. Sulzberger, to a public debate about U.S. tax policy. At issue was a New York Times story that said FedEx’s 2018-tax bill was $0—a direct benefit of Mr. Smith’s highly public lobbyin...
Sean Murphy & Adam Boesen
— December 2019 — 2568 views Communications Crisis Enterprise risk management


Understanding the litigation consulting industry
It is not surprising that a certain amount of ambiguity and confusion prevails in connection with the trial or litigation consulting industry, in view of the fact that its key questions of concern revolve around forecasting what jurors will do in response to a dispute, its fact scenario, reactions...
George R. Speckart, Ph.D. - Litigation Psychology
— December 2019 — 2612 views Confirmatory research Exploratory research Focus groups Jury consulting Litigation psychology Mock trials Planning Research Scientific method Trial consulting Witness training


The importance of attorney credibility
Attorney credibility has been a topic of interest in academia and the legal community for quite some time.  More importantly, attorney credibility has been an area of interest to attorneys themselves. Based on the literature and personal discussions with many trial attorneys, there appear to be t...
Steve Wood, Ph.D. - CSI Litigation Psychology
— November 2019 — 2547 views Jurors Litigation psychology Presentations Research Trial consulting


The new crisis management playbook
In today’s hyper-reactive, social media driven world your organization’s response to a crisis needs to be more sophisticated than ever because the stage where it will inevitably play out has never been bigger, louder, or faster moving. But you are not powerless. Companies looking to protect their ...
Sean Murphy & Adam Boesen
— November 2019 — 2487 views Communications Crisis Enterprise risk management Planning Social media


3-step crisis planning for mid-market companies
Crisis planning can be a challenge for middle market companies that often lack the resources to staff large internal legal or communications teams. It’s an important issue because these companies can be even more vulnerable to the effects of a crisis than larger organizations—particularly in a hy...
Sean Murphy & Adam Boesen
— November 2019 — 2665 views Communications Crisis Enterprise risk management Planning


The most important non-legal tactical measure you can take in your case:
At Courtroom Sciences, Inc. more than a dozen Ph.D.’s have been studying witness performance in over 20,000 cases since the 1980’s.  Together through a creative synthesis of impressions and research-based analyses we have developed what we call the Cognitive Map that jurors use to problem-solve ca...
George R. Speckart, Ph.D. - Litigation Psychology
— October 2019 — 2826 views Communications Depositions Jurors Litigation psychology Research Witness training


Understanding the different types of litigation research
There are basically two different types of litigation and trial research: exploratory and confirmatory . In part 1 of our series about litigation research, Mary Noffsinger, Ph.D. explains the difference between a focus group (exploratory research) and a mock trial (confirmatory research.) In par...
CSI - Courtroom Sciences Inc
— October 2019 — 2949 views Confirmatory research Exploratory research Focus groups Litigation psychology Mock trials Research Scientific method


Character under fire: what makes strong witnesses and spokespersons
There’s often a distinction made between the two arenas where litigation plays out: the courtroom and the court of public opinion. Certainly these venues have different sets of rules. But what they share is the critical need that the primary storytellers—witnesses and spokespersons—demonstrate cha...
Sean Murphy & Adam Boesen
— October 2019 — 2706 views Communications Crisis Litigation psychology Witness training


Why enterprise risk management is such a hot topic in corporate board rooms
Sean Murphy, Principal, CSI Crisis & Litigation Communications and LoriAnn Lowery-Biggers, former President of Lloyd’s of London for North America, speak on today’s edition of A.M. Best’s  Insurance Law Podcast , the broadcast about timely and important legal issues affecting the insurance indus...
CSI - Courtroom Sciences Inc
— October 2019 — 2863 views Communications Crisis Enterprise risk management Planning


How to deal with social media mobs
In any crisis, the narrative that develops will determine your fate. That’s because virtually anyone can use social media to manufacture a story that “sells” simply by cherry-picking facts and spinning them into a narrative that offends people at their emotional core. If you’re the target, your be...
Sean Murphy & Adam Boesen
— October 2019 — 2801 views Communications Crisis Jurors Planning Social media


A Tale of Two Mock Trials: The Importance of Realistic Simulation
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief,...
CSI - Courtroom Sciences Inc
— December 2018 — 3034 views Confirmatory research Litigation psychology Mock trials Research Scientific method Trial consulting


Audio-Visual Nightmares at Trial: How to Avoid Losing Your Audience
Imagine a scenario in which you are a trial attorney and finally in front of a jury in a case that has consumed your life for a long time. ...
CSI - Courtroom Sciences Inc
— September 2018 — 2893 views Communications Litigation psychology Mock trials Presentations Trial consulting