ASTC

ABA Blawg 100 Nominations

ABA Blawg 100 Nominations

For the first time, the ABA has included a “Trial Practice” section for its Blawg 100 awards. It is of great benefit to all of us that the ABA has taken the step to include non-lawyer blogs and a whole section on trial practice in a time when many believe that trials are soon to be extinct.

Additionally, we have two blogs authored by ASTC members that have been nominated. Persuasion Strategies “Litigation Postscript” blog and Keene Trial Consulting’s “The Jury Room” have both been nominated. I congratulate them both and I urge you to as well. It is wonderful to see our members’ contributions being acknowledged by the larger legal community.

Please take a moment to support your fellow members by voting for both Persuasion Strategies’ blog and Keene Trial Consulting’s blog. If you go on the ABA Blawg 100 site, you can register to vote for free and you are granted 12 votes to use. There are many categories and you can use all 12 in one category if you see fit. http://www.abajournal.com/blawg100/

Won’t it be fantastic when our field is so well-regarded and we have so much depth and presence in the legal community that there are more ASTC member’s blogs in the running than each of us has votes? That, it seems to me will be a great problem to have. In the meantime, since we don’t have to choose which member to support, let’s choose to support both and in turn support the ASTC.

Votes must be cast by December 30.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Tara Trask
President, American Society of Trial Consultants

Court Call: Fall 2011, Court Call

The Final Gavel: A Note from the Editor

As you will read in Ron’s article, Court Call was conceived as a means to share perspectives among the members of ASTC. It came into existence before we all had dozens of ways to get in touch with each other. Before the blogs, before tweets, before the ListServ, the website, the Member Page ...

2012 Conference RFPs

Click here for the Request for Proposal (RFP) information for those who would like to present a program at the 2012 ASTC convention in New Orleans. We welcome all input and offers. Please note that we would like applications by December 15th this year to give us ample time for marketing.

Please return all applications to me at jms@adjuryresearch.com, rather than replying to the ASTCGram. If you want a Word copy of this RFP, let me know and I'll email one to you.

Many thanks to those who respond. We are looking forward to a great conference in New Orleans, and loads of fun!

Jan Spaeth
2012 Conference Planning Committee

ASTC 2011-2012 Membership Directory

The new 2011-2012 PDF ASTC Membership Directory has been completed and is now available on-line.

The link to the PDF Directory can be found at the bottom of the Consultant Locator page of the ASTC Website.

To view, download and print the Directory click here.

No recommendations or endorsements of any member is made by our Society.
The Society accepts no responsibility for the claims made by individual members in the Directory.
Every care has been exercised in compiling the Directory. The Society is not responsible for erros or omissions.

2012 New Orleans Conference

2012 ASTC Conference, New Orleans, June 7-9, 2012

When ASTC goes marchin' in to the Omni Hotel in the French Quarter for its 2012 annual conference, our theme will be:

We are going to New Orleans to learn, play, connect, and succeed. Mark your calendar and get ready for a conference to remember. Registration and sponsorship information is coming soon.

New 2011-2012 Membership Term

July 1st marked the start of a new ASTC Membership term. Click here to join ASTC Now and get a full year of membership benefits.

If you would like to talk with someone about how ASTC can benefit you and your company feel free to contact us.

Court Call: Summer 2011, Court Call

Methods of Expanded Voir Dire and Written Questionnaires:

Voir dire is an integral component in the trial process, and one intended to contribute to fair and just proceedings. However, consultants (Spaeth, 2001) and academics (Marshall & Smith, 1986) alike have argued that the social and psychological dynamic of the jury ...

Message from the President

The American Society of Trial Consultants strives to support our jury system and we urge others to respect the jury who rendered the Casey Anthony verdict and to respect the greatest justice system the world has ever known. Yesterday the United States celebrated Independence Day. It is a day that we celebrate yearly yet we often forget its true meaning. One of the most important pieces of our Independence is that we are a country governed by laws. Those laws are overseen by Judges and issues of fact are decided by juries all over this country every day. While some may question the Casey Anthony verdict, the system that produced it is intact.

Tara Trask
President, American Society of Trial Consultants

Washington State CLE Approval

Great News from the Washington State Bar...

ASTC's 30th Annual Conference in Seattle has been approved for 15.25 credits!

Certificates of Attendance Forms and CE Certificates are available for all Conference Sessions upon request from the ASTC Office post-Conference. Attendees outside of Washington State will need to submit these documents to their state to obtain credit.

It's NOT too late!!

This is your last chance for recognition at what will undoubtedly be a fantastic conference. I am proud to announce that ALL ASTC BOARD MEMBERS have PERSONALLY contributed financially to this year’s conference. Given the current economic climate, I think that level of commitment to our goals as a society is remarkable, and inspiring.

Our program continues to become more exciting by the moment. In addition to our partnership with HB Litigation Conferences, we have just secured Judge Downing (who authored the decision that legalized same sex marriage in the state of Washington) for our Judge’s Roundtable, Friday afternoon.

It is not too late to have your company name associated with our 30th annual conference. Our Neshoba screening and panel discussion and the “conversation” with two founders of ASTC 30 years ago make this year’s conference one not to be missed and one not to miss supporting. Thirty years ago there was a great deal more intolerance, prejudice and injustice than there is today. We have been part of the change. Don’t stop now. 30 Rocks!

Be sure you are part of history!

Contribute to the ASTC Conference today!

See you in Seattle!

Tara Trask
2011 ASTC Conference Chair

Conference Deadlines Approaching

Just a reminder of the approaching deadlines for the 2011 Conference

May 6th - Deadline for reserving an ad or exhibitor space and getting your sponsorship listed in the Conference program and on HB Litigation Conference's and ASTC's website. Call or email today to confirm your participation. Please pass ASTC Conference information to your vendors and firms you work with that we might not be reaching...Forms, Ads, logos and payments MUST be received no later than Friday, May 6th. This deadline will NOT be extended again.

May 15th - Deadline to receive the early bird registration discount (20% off) - register today. (Note: Members must log in to received the member's only discounted rate.) Our room block at the hotel also ends on May 15th - to get our negotiated price make your reservation today!

May 27th - Online registration will close.

There are still spots available for the Golf Outing, the Welcome Dinner & Boat Cruise on Thursday evening, and the Speed Meet. Please contact the office if you wish to sign up for any of these events.

FOLLOW US:

ASTC Wants You!

Act now to support the annual ASTC Conference, and in turn the ASTC in general. The deadline for recognition in the Conference printed materials is April 29 and you don’t want to miss out on the benefits of supporting ASTC.

This year, we have partnered with HB Litigation Conferences a premier legal education organization. With their help, we are producing a pre-conference teleconference, and our Conference is being marketed to 28,000 attorneys. HB is marketing the Friday programs and we expect a strong showing of attorneys for the first time. The programs on Friday and Saturday have been approved for CLE. Don’t miss out on the benefits of having your name listed as a sponsor with a room full of potential clients! See our conference on their website at: http://litigationconferences.com/?p=19504

As always, the money you pledge to support the conference is the lifeblood of ASTC and when the conference makes money, the ASTC has the support it needs for important projects like revamping the website and further support of The Jury Expert. ASTC needs your support to make improvements like what has been done for the Conference page. To see what our entire site will eventually look like, visit the Conference page: http://astcconference.org/

Please dig deep and support the great works of the ASTC by supporting the Conference! Every donation counts, no matter what the amount!!

Please contact me at tara@taratrask.com or the ASTC office astcoffice@astcwweb.org with your donation amounts today!

Tara Trask
30th Annual ASTC Conference Chair
“30 Rocks!"

Court Call: Spring 2011, Court Call

iPad Apps for Trial Presentation:

Many tech-savvy attorneys already own an iPad today, and although it has taken awhile for developers to come up with legal-specific applications, they are beginning to hit the iTunes store with regularity. The iPad technology is still new and reminds me of the Wild West days of the internet in th ...

Registration for the 2011 Conference is now available.

ONLINE REGISTRATION IS NOW AVAILABLE!!

Join us June 9-11 in Seattle for the 30th Annual ASTC Conference - "30 Rocks — Going Strong"

REGISTER BEFORE MAY 15 TO RECEIVE A 20% DISCOUNT (excluding the pre-conference workshops and meals)

Don't wait - get a hotel room reserved and book airfare NOW before prices get any higher.

Visit the Conference Website to see what's on the schedule and watch for updates.

Contact the ASTC Office for more information.

Also review the Sponsorship, Exhibitor, and Advertising Opportunities that are available. Sponsors receive one free registration (excluding Thursday pre-conference workshops) for every $1,000 sponsored. The deadline for inclusion in the on-site Conference Program has been extended until April 29.

Research Poster Competition

RESEARCH POSTER COMPETITION

In an effort to foster and disseminate research, the Research Committee of the ASTC is promoting a competitive poster session for research related to the litigation sciences. Since its founding, the ASTC has been a research based organization and members continue to express an interest in learning more about general trends in research that are applicable to the litigation consulting field. The goal of this poster session is to provide researchers an opportunity to share non proprietary research and to foster open discussion on topics that are relevant to trial consulting. We encourage academics (particularly students) and trial consulting professionals to submit their research to this poster session of the 2011 ASTC Conference, June 9-11th in Seattle, Washington.

Presenters

Presenters must be members of ASTC and registered for the conference at the time of the presentation. Presenters who are not currently members should include an application for membership when submitting an abstract.

Poster Guidelines

Topics for the poster session can be as vast as the research projects that have been undertaken by our membership. That is, any research related to the field of trial consulting is welcome. Topics might include but are not limited to areas of jury reform, jury selection, jury decision-making, working with witnesses, etc. A variety of research methods are welcome including observations, survey studies, qualitative and/or quantitative analyses. We especially encourage members to present recently published research to share their findings.

Awards

ASTC recognizes the Top Conference Poster and the Top Student Poster, with the first author of each being awarded $100. The first author of the Top Student Poster will also receive a free one year student membership in the ASTC as well as having their conference registration fees waived. Transportation and accommodation costs regrettably are not included. Interested presenters should submit a coversheet, to the address listed below, no later than April 1st, 2010, stating the title of the research, name and contact information along with a 1-3 page abstract of the research. This abstract should summarize the research purposes and rationale, the methodology employed as well as the findings and implications for the field of trial consulting. Committee members will review each abstract for suitability and quality. Abstracts will be published in one of the ASTC’s publications, The Jury Expert or Court Call, so that Society members, attorneys, and other readers will benefit from your contributions to the field.

Send submissions to:

Debra L. Worthington, Ph.D.
Chair, ASTC Research Committee

Student Research & Poster Competition

STUDENT RESEARCH PAPER & POSTER COMPETITION

In order to promote student research in the litigation sciences, the Research Committee of the American Society of Trial Consultants (ASTC) conducts an annual Student Research Paper Competition. The winner will be invited to present his or her research during the 2011 ASTC Conference, June 9-11, 2011, Seattle, Washington.

The paper topic can be anything related to the profession of trial consultation including, but not limited to: voir dire, witness examination, attorney presentations, and jury decision-making. Papers should be empirically based (include a purpose/theoretical rationale, methodology/procedures employed, results and a discussion of the significance of the results to the field of trial consulting), in a format that is suitable for submission to a research journal, and no more than 25 pages including references and tables. A master's thesis or doctoral dissertation would not be acceptable for this competition, although a condensation into article form would be appropriate. Also, manuscripts that are either in press or previously published would not be suitable for this competition. Research must have been conducted while the first author was or is an actively enrolled student in a recognized university degree program.

In addition to the opportunity for the winner to present his or her research and to enhance his or her vita, the first place author will receive a $300 award, a one year student membership, and 2011 conference registration fees will be waived (transportation and accommodation costs regrettably are not included). Second place and third place winners will receive $150 and $50, respectively. In the event of multiple authors, the award will be presented to the first author.

Alternatively, students can enter the ASTC conference poster competition. The first author of the first place student poster will receive a $100 award, a one year student membership, and 2011 conference registration fees will be waived (transportation and accommodation costs regrettably are not included). Authors of all accepted posters will present their poster at the 2011 ASTC conference.

All papers and abstracts must be received no later than midnight, April 8th, 2011 EST, at the email address below. Papers should be prepared in current APA or Blue Book format and in keeping with a blind review (include a separate cover page indicating the title, name, address, phone number and email address of the first author). Papers should be in either doc, docx, or .pdf format. A confirmation of receipt will be sent to the author. The Research Committee reviews all entries for quality, (e.g. meeting the call, soundness of methodology, etc.) and judges all papers. If, in the Committee’s opinion, no submissions meet the Society’s call and/or quality standards, an award may not be made.

Send submissions to:

Debra L. Worthington, Ph.D.
Chair, ASTC Research Committee

Court Call: Winter 2011, Court Call

How Jurors (Like Nearly All People) Can Be Fooled by

Both John (john.mccabe.555@gmail.com) and Justin (justin.mary@cgu.edu) are in Ph.D. programs at Claremont Graduate University. John is freelance litigation consultant and a Ph.D. Ca ...

2010-2011 PDF Membership Directory

The new 2010-2011 PDF ASTC Membership Directory has been completed and is now available on-line.

The link to the PDF Directory can be found at the bottom of the Consultant Locator page of the ASTC Website.

To view, download and print the Directory click here.

Happy Holidays

Here’s wishing you and all your loved ones a happy, healthy and peaceful holiday season as well as a fruitful and prosperous New Year!!!

David Cannon
Dennis Elias
Beth Foley
Katherine James
George Kich
Ron Matlon
Matt McCusker
Tara Trask
Diane Wyzga

ASTC Board of Directors

2011 Conference Location & Date

Please mark your calendar now!

The next national ASTC Conference will be at the Seattle Marriott Waterfront Hotel on June 9-12, 2011.

Looking beyond that, the June 2012 national conference will be in New Orleans.

We trust you share our excitement in going to these two wonderful cities to hold our next annual meetings. See you there!

Ronald J. Matlon, Ph.D.
Executive Director, American Society of Trial Consultants

New Members

We invite you to become a member of the American Society of Trial Consultants (ASTC). We are the only association for people in our profession in the United States, and we have been operating for thirty years. Currently, we have nearly 500 active members.

Joining is simple. And, to give us a try, you can join for a trial period at half-price!

Just follow one of these steps.

Fill out an online application form.

Or select the option to download a hard copy of the membership application and mail it with a check made payable to ASTC.

Please note: 1/2 price Individual dues are $105; student dues are $37.50. The Membership term will end on June 30.

Member's Only Online Library

We are very excited to announce that Phase One of the ASTC Online Library is now live! The Online Library is a members-only feature and will not be offered to the public.

After dedicating many months and hours to the project, the ASTC has arduously worked behind the scenes to revise the old Depository “list” and turn it into an excellent online source with user-friendly features. While we still have a long way to go before the entire Online Library is complete, we are excited to launch Phase One.

Phase One contains court documents only— transcripts, briefs, supplemental juror questionnaires, affidavits, etc. If the document was filed with the court, we can post it online without obtaining copyright permissions. Currently, Phase One contains about 100 documents but we hope to double that volume within a few months with your help!

Check out a few of the new features:

* Search documents by keyword or phrase

* Immediately download any document to your hard drive (no more snail mail!)

* Upload PDF documents from your hard drive to the ASTC website for potential inclusion in the Library

Phase Two is in the works, and will focus on authored materials by current ASTC members. The process of obtaining copyright permissions is certainly not an easy one, but we are excited about the direction the Library is moving and appreciate your patience.

We hope ASTC members will use the Online Library often, and offer submissions of new material. The more submissions we get, the better the Library!

If you're not already a member join now to test out this new feature!

For more information visit the website or contact the ASTC Office.

Court Call: Fall 2010, Court Call

The New Rules of Discovery:

Increased Protections and Remaining Pitfalls for Trial Consultants

Sean Overland is the President of Overland Consulting Group, LLC. Christopher Dominic is President and Senior Consultant of Tsongas Litigation Consulting, Inc. and Past President of the American Society of Trial ...

Hello from Beth Foley, 2010-11 ASTC President

Hello,

I want to introduce myself to those of you I have not had a chance to meet, touch base with old friends and colleagues, and let everyone know what is in store for this fiscal year.

For the past three years, the ASTC Presidents and the Board focused on getting ASTC’s house in order. Some highlights include the online library, ASTC publications, a forum to discuss ethical dilemmas and new protocols to help our committees work efficiently.

This year, I’m setting my sights on our public image and increasing membership. My vision is to see ASTC become the “go to” organization for information and commentary on all aspects of trial advocacy.

Read more...

Court Call: Summer 2010, Court Call
Break the Rules and Close More Sales

When I present to a group, I could throw darts against the wall and hope what I talk about is relevant to their world. The challenge is th ...

2010 Conference Update

ONLINE REGISTRATION IS NOW AVAILABLE!!
Join us and "Perfect Your Game"

PLAN NOW to attend the 29th Annual Conference
June 17-19, 2010 • Millennium Hotel • Minneapolis, Minnesota

REGISTER BEFORE MAY 12 TO RECEIVE A 20% DISCOUNT
(excluding the pre-conference workshops and meals)

Exciting Sponsorship/Exhibitor/Advertising Opportunities are now available.

DEADLINE TO BE INCLUDED IN THE ONSITE PROGRAM HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO MAY 14!

Become a sponsor early to reserve an exclusive sponsorship.

Watch the Conference Page for updates

Court Call: Spring 2010, Court Call
Alpha Inflation: When statistically significant isn�t

“The finding is statistically significant using a .05 alpha level.” For those of us who do not come from an empirical background, such a phrase seems to have both the cachet of veracity, “It must be true; it’s statistically significant,” and some indecipherable words ...

New Board Member to Fill Vacated Board Seat

New Board Member to Fill Vacated Board Seat

George Kich, Ph.D. accepted the board’s invitation to fill the seat vacated by Anne Reed on Dec. 31. The term on this seat is from 7/1/09 to 6/30/13. Our By-laws state that a vacated board seat may be appointed by the current board. The ASTC Board did a search among the Committee Leadership and determined that George Kich, a Co-Chair of the Membership Committee, is well qualified to be a board member. He will immediately take the board seat and board responsibilities. We will update the membership in the near future regarding changes in board liaison and committee co-chair assignments.

Cynthia Cohen, Ph.D., ASTC President

1/2 Price Membership Rates

The pro-rated membership price is now available.

Join today at the discounted price for the remainder of the 2009-2010 term.
($105 individual/$37.50 student. Membership will expire June 30, 2010.)

As a member you will be elligible for the discounted member rate at the 2010 Minneapolis Conference.

2010 Election Results

The results of the recent election are as follows.

*President-Elect: Tara Trask *(7/10-6/11 after which she becomes President from 7/11/-6/12)

*Board of Directors: David Cannon and Diane Wyzga *(7/10-6/14)

Ronald J. Matlon, Ph.D.
Executive Director, American Society of Trial Consultants

Court Call: Winter 2010, Court Call
Avoiding Bad Recruits

Every trial consultant dreads the possibility of something going wrong with the recruit of a mock jury. The most common problems are that too few people show up or that the demographics ...

ASTC 2010 Membership Directory Now Available

2010 ASTC Membership Directory is now available

The Membership Directory puts our current list
of active members right at your fingertips.

Members are listed alphabetically, by company and
also listed geographically so you can find consultants nearby.

A copy of the current membership directory is available for only $55.00 (postage included).

Please contact the ASTC Office for more information (see below).

(410) 560-7949 • (410) 560-2563 fax
astcoffice@astweb.org

Court Call: Fall 2009,
State of the Society

Where are we as a Society in the Autumn of 2009? Today's National Law Journal’s “T ...

'09 Atlanta Conference A/V NOW AVAILABLE

Many who missed the Atlanta conference, as well as those who attended programs, asked for the DVDs. The Annual Conference DVDs are available for purchase in our ASTC online store. View the preview of Closing the Doors to the Courthouse by clicking on the video-clip.

Andy Sheldon, ASTC 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, facilitated Closing the Doors to the Courthouse. Former U.S. Attorney Doug Jones gave a closing on the 16th Street Baptist Church Bombing case which reviewed the facts of several of the racially motivated murder cases from the civil rights era that resulted in sham or no trials. The powerful impact of this injustice on all Americans, black and white, had seasoned trial lawyers and trial consultants weeping.

This program and most of our ASTC Atlanta Annual Conference programs are evergreen and an asset to your office or library. Keep the memories and lessons alive through viewing the conference programs on your own time. Thanks to all of the speakers who developed A+ programs and attendees who traveled during this tough economy to support ASTC.

Cynthia R. Cohen, Ph.D., ASTC President

Court Call: Spring 2009,
President's Column

Years ago, I was in love with my career, but it wasn’t close to being steady work. Feast or famine—sometimes with long dry spells. It was scary at times. I read books a ...

Court Call: Summer 2008,
A Look Back with Margie Fargo

Q. What skills learned in college were most useful in your career as a litigation consultant?

A. Face to face interviewing skills, ...

Court Call: Fall 2007,
Letter from the President

I just returned from the Board of Directors’ Mid-Year Meeting in Atlanta and am excited about the direction we are going this year. This is my fourth year on the Board and I have never seen such impressive committee production. There is much good work to recognize, and here are some clear h ...

Court Call: Summer 2007,
Letter from the President

Every year at our annual conference we learn from each other and get energized to improve our practice and improve the profession. This year was no exception. The committees are clearly invigorated and off to strong starts. What’s going on within the ASTC? What are the committees working on ...

Court Call: Spring 2007,
Thinking About the Past and Focusing on the Future:

The American Society of Trial Consultants has just passed the quarter-century mark, and with membership at a historic high (533 as of this writing), the society is ready to host another well-attended conference. Yet, as each member contemplates the renewal notice of this organization (and inevita ...

Court Call: Summer 2006,
Letter From the President

The American Society of Trial Consultants recently celebrated its twenty-fifth annual conference in Austin Texas. The past quarter century has witnessed the Society moving from a small but ...

Court Call: Spring 2006,
Additional Conference Highlights

Specialty insurance is an issue that has been visited (and revisited) by ASTC over the years. At the last ASTC Board Meeting, Board Member Chris Dominic reported on his latest investigation. The following presents a summary of his conversations with ...

Court Call: Spring 2005,
ASTC Acquires the Jury Expert

We are pleased to announce that the ASTC has acquired The Jury Expert from Litigation One Publishing. The Jury Expert is a monthly newsletter designed to help litigators improve their courtroom communication skills. Teresa Rosado, Ph.D. will be the Editor ...

Court Call: Winter 2005,
A Window on the ASTC Regional Meetings:

While the ASTC comes together as one collective body during its annual conference, during much of the rest of the year, the ASTC is often most visible and most important as a network of contacts among active members. The ASTC regional meetings which were held in eleven cities across the country this ...

Court Call: Fall 2004,
Engaging in the Public Dialogue on the American Jury

For the last three years the ABA’s Dialogue Program has promoted public discussion on specific aspects of the legal system. This year’s program, “Dialogue on the American Jury: We the People in Action” provides a terr ...

Court Call: Summer 2004,
First Speech In Favor of Certification

If we have an opportunity to increase our internal competency while simultaneously maximizing our external credibility, wouldn"t we be crazy not to take that chance? We are at such an exciting time. Certification is that inevitability of a profession that has matured. Now ten years ago, we had ...

Court Call: Winter 2003,
From the President

Do you remember the childhood game "Telephone," where one child whispers a message to the next child and the message is passed from one player"s ear to another until the last to speak has to repeat aloud what turns out to be a fairly garbled, often hilarious version of the original me ...

Court Call: Spring 2003,
From the President

All the clichés apply. "If you can dream it, you can achieve it." "Picture it and the painting of reality follows." It"s impressive to me how informal brainstorming from one trial consultant or collective ideas from a gathering of ASTC colleagues have helped shape ...

Court Call: Summer 2003,
ASTC Annual Conference held June 5-8 in Reno

Rather than betting on the likelihood of future terrorist activity, ASTC members gathered for the Annual Conference in Reno, Nevada betting that they would have a great time, learn about new approaches in the field, learn about their colleagues new and old, and move the organization onward and upwar ...

Court Call: Fall 2003,
Book Review

Courtroom Psychology and Trial Advocacy by Richard C. Waites, J.D., Ph.D. encapsulates invaluable insights learned over the author"s 23 years in the courtroom as both a lawyer and trial psychologist, and illustrates how the meaningful application of social psychology as it pertains to de ...

Court Call: Winter 2004,
Your Counterfactual Strategy: How You Can Influence Jurors" Thoughts About "What Might Have Been"

What do jurors in deliberation do about ten times per hour that requires them to suppose something that"s false in order to investigate whether something may be true? The answer is that they engage in counterfactual thought or argument by asking "what if" and by speculating on "w ...

Court Call: Spring 2004,
To Certify or Not to Certify (Good Question)

The question of whether ASTC should certify trial consultants has a long history, emerging during the society"s formation, again through the activities of a committee in 1994-1995 and most recently through the formation of the current ASTC Credentialing Task Force. Neither the Task Force nor t ...

The Jury Expert: January 2011's Favorite Thing
Something to warm your heart. A gift that keeps on giving. From us. To you. Don't miss this one!

The Jury Expert: Does Bifurcation Eliminate the Problem? A Closer Look at Hindsight Bias in the Courtroom
Hindsight bias is a widespread and often unavoidable human fallacy. Relative to foresight observers, those with knowledge of the outcome of an action (e.g. in hindsight) believe that the given outcome has a much higher likelihood of happening. Hindsight bias plays a crucial role in civil trials, in which the defendant is often disadvantaged because jurors know the negative outcome of the defendant's behavior and are thus more likely to think he should have known about the risks associated with his behavior. Bifurcation (separate liability and damages phases) is proposed as a way to reduce or eliminate hindsight bias in the courtroom. The question though, is does bifurcation eliminate or reduce hindsight bias?

The Jury Expert: The Influence of Jurors' Perceptions of Attorneys and Their Performance on Verdict
The purpose of the present research is to examine whether jurors' perceptions of attorneys and their performance influences verdicts. Five hundred seventy-two jurors (365 criminal, 205 civil, and 2 unidentified trial types) completed surveys rating Prosecution/Plaintiff and Defense attorneys on seven aspects of the attorneys and their performance--opening statements, evidence presentation, closing statements, courtroom demeanor, sincerity, competence, and preparedness--that may influence verdicts. In general, jurors' perceptions were related to their verdicts.

The Jury Expert: Trial Graphics on the Cheap - 8 Useful Tips
Wondering how to keep jurors interested while presenting your case on a budget? An experienced visual graphics trial consultant shares 8 tips for making cost-effective and media-rich presentations for jurors in your case.

The Jury Expert: How to Pack Like a Pro
Tired of wasting time at baggage claim? Want to have what you need to travel for work, look your best and never check a bag again? Take a few tips from a frequent flyer and 'professional packer' and try it out for yourself.

The Jury Expert: Eat the Rich: Juror Questionnaires for White Collar Cases
Two issues ago, Diane Wiley gave us a SJQ for Middle Eastern clients (or those who might be or might appear to be). She's back. This time with a SJQ for white collar cases. Read about her experiences over the years and what she sees as the primary issues. Review strategies for getting your SJQ approved and identify a resource to help with a quick listing of what jurisdictions have allowed SJQs. And then, page through a SJQ specifically designed for those white collar cases.

The Jury Expert: It's Deja Vu All Over Again: More Thoughts on Doing Effective Voir Dire
An experienced trial consultant reviews the wisdom on voir dire strategies and discusses 'common jury selection mistakes' garnered from experiences and interviews with jurors after trial. This article is full of ideas for questions you can use and heavy on how-to's as you prepare to upgrade your voir dire practices in 2011.

The Jury Expert: Editor's Note
It's a New Year and we are celebrating by doing something new ourselves here at The Jury Expert. Are you a trial lawyer? Want to have your say in The Jury Expert? Line up.

ASTC

ABA Blawg 100 Nominations

Court Call: Fall 2011, Court Call

2012 Conference RFPs

ASTC 2011-2012 Membership Directory

2012 New Orleans Conference

New 2011-2012 Membership Term

Court Call: Summer 2011, Court Call

Message from the President

Washington State CLE Approval

It's NOT too late!!

Conference Deadlines Approaching

ASTC Wants You!

Court Call: Spring 2011, Court Call

Registration for the 2011 Conference is now available.

Research Poster Competition

RESEARCH POSTER COMPETITION

Presenters

Poster Guidelines

Awards

Student Research & Poster Competition

STUDENT RESEARCH PAPER & POSTER COMPETITION

Court Call: Winter 2011, Court Call

2010-2011 PDF Membership Directory

Happy Holidays

2011 Conference Location & Date

New Members

Member's Only Online Library

Court Call: Fall 2010, Court Call

Hello from Beth Foley, 2010-11 ASTC President

Court Call: Summer 2010, Court Call

2010 Conference Update

ONLINE REGISTRATION IS NOW AVAILABLE!! Join us and "Perfect Your Game"

Court Call: Spring 2010, Court Call

New Board Member to Fill Vacated Board Seat

1/2 Price Membership Rates

2010 Election Results

Court Call: Winter 2010, Court Call

ASTC 2010 Membership Directory Now Available

Court Call: Fall 2009,

'09 Atlanta Conference A/V NOW AVAILABLE

Court Call: Spring 2009,

Court Call: Summer 2008,

Court Call: Fall 2007,

Court Call: Summer 2007,

Court Call: Spring 2007,

Court Call: Summer 2006,

Court Call: Spring 2006,

Court Call: Spring 2005,

Court Call: Winter 2005,

Court Call: Fall 2004,

Court Call: Summer 2004,

Court Call: Winter 2003,

Court Call: Spring 2003,

Court Call: Summer 2003,

Court Call: Fall 2003,

Court Call: Winter 2004,

Court Call: Spring 2004,

The Jury Expert: January 2011's Favorite Thing

The Jury Expert: Does Bifurcation Eliminate the Problem? A Closer Look at Hindsight Bias in the Courtroom

The Jury Expert: The Influence of Jurors' Perceptions of Attorneys and Their Performance on Verdict

The Jury Expert: Trial Graphics on the Cheap - 8 Useful Tips

The Jury Expert: How to Pack Like a Pro

The Jury Expert: Eat the Rich: Juror Questionnaires for White Collar Cases

The Jury Expert: It's Deja Vu All Over Again: More Thoughts on Doing Effective Voir Dire

The Jury Expert: Editor's Note

ONLINE REGISTRATION IS NOW AVAILABLE!!
Join us and "Perfect Your Game"