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- Taylor Bishop on Tips for Preparing the Expert Witness
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Witness Preparation Archive
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Need Help? ASTC’s Pro Bono Committee May Be Just What You Need
by Ric DexterPosted on May 31, 2018 | No CommentsWhen the American Society of Trial Consultants was formed, over 30 years ago, the Pro Bono Committee was one of the first standing committees to be established. Initially the committee encouraged the members to offer Pro Bono services to their clients. Over the course of years we have reached out […] -
Can I Get a Witness? An Interview with Clint Townson
by Charlotte Morris and Clint TownsonPosted on May 31, 2018 | No CommentsWe first met along the wide hallway at a conference center hotel on the outskirts of Chicago. Clint is a doctoral student at Michigan State University, so I probably started by paying my respects to Tom Izzo, who is one of the greatest college basketball coaches alive today. (Bill Self […] -
Making It Moral: How Morality Can Harden Attitudes and Make Them More Influential
by Andrew LuttrellPosted on December 16, 2016 | 6 CommentsHere's one of those litigation advocacy secrets that we need to keep just between us. -
How Does My Retained Expert Witness Improve Credibility?
by Merrie Jo Pitera, Ph.D.Posted on April 20, 2016 | 4 CommentsIt comes as no surprise that when a witness is perceived as being credible, his or her messages will be more persuasive to the jury. Much academic research has been conducted to determine the primary characteristics that measure credibility. There has even been a scale developed to measure the perceived […] -
Tips for Preparing the Expert Witness
by Alyssa Tedder-King, M.S. and Katie Czyz, M.A.Posted on April 20, 2016 | 5 CommentsWorking with expert witnesses can be difficult for even the most seasoned attorneys and trial consultants. Oftentimes, egos and expertise can get in the way of an expert’s ability to deliver persuasive testimony, requiring attorneys and trial consultants to be creative when developing solutions that fit both the problem and […] -
Juror Perceptions of Women as Expert Witnesses: Suggestions for the Effects of Testimony Complexity, Gender-Intrusive Questioning, and Perceived Credibility
by Brittany P. BatePosted on April 20, 2016 | 2 CommentsThe use of expert witnesses has become commonplace within legal proceedings. As a result, research regarding how jurors perceive expert testimony has become of increasing importance. A variety of variables can influence juror perceptions of expert testimony, ranging from content-related variables (e.g., quality of the testimony, complexity of the testimony) […] -
Expressing Anger Increases Male Jurors’ Influence, but Decreases Female Jurors’ Influence, During Mock Jury Deliberations
by Jessica Salerno, Ph.D. and Liana Peter-Hagene, MA and Justin Sanchez, BAPosted on April 20, 2016 | 4 CommentsIn her autobiography, Justice Sonia Sotomayor highlights emotion expression as a powerful persuasion tool—an argument that dates back to the 4th century B.C.E. (Aristotle, Rhetoric). Yet, expressing emotion has not always served her well. Her minority dissent from the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold Michigan’s affirmative action ban (Schuette v. […] -
Understanding the Traumatized Witness
by Lorie Hood, M.S.Posted on April 15, 2016 | 1 CommentOne of the biggest challenges lawyers face is witness examination. You know your job, you have done the preparation and yet, somehow, at some point, your witness seems to transform right in front of your eyes. You know the story. Witness “X” has presented in your office as thoughtful, credible, […] -
Schadenfreude In The Courtroom: Nonobvious Pleasures at Obvious Distress
by Adele Mantiply and Michelle A. Jones and Stanley L. Brodsky, Ph.D.Posted on December 1, 2015 | No CommentsSchadenfreude, the experience of taking pleasure from the distress of another, is often in the courtroom. While schadenfreude might be a natural and understandable reaction to the contentious and possibly emotional environment of a courtroom, these researchers also address whether it can lead to harmful effects, and end by discussing ways to examine this phenomenon empirically.