This guide goes beyond the topic of jury psychology. Instead, it speaks to the psychology of all of the people involved in a case and how that psychology affects the manner in which we make decisions and communicate at trial. Specifically, Dr. Gomez examines key aspects of the psychology of jurors, attorneys, judges, and witnesses and analyzes how each person influences the way a case is presented to and received by jurors. Dr. Gomez takes real-life stories from the road and ties them to theory and research from disciplines such as psychology, advertising, marketing, politics, homeland security, and sociology. The goal is to understand human nature as it applies across multiple contexts so you can learn a practical lesson as it applies to the courtroom. This guide helps attorneys take a step back to address the big picture of a case, to step outside of their own viewpoint, and to turn their perspective of their case outside-in. It is a conduit that connects psychological principles applicable to civil and criminal cases, to plaintiffs and defendants, to medical malpractice, product liability, intellectual property, contract, aviation, trucking, and all other cases that involve human beings.

This guide goes beyond the topic of jury psychology. Instead, it speaks to the psychology of all of the people involved in a case and how that psychology affects the manner in which we make decisions and communicate at trial. Specifically, Dr. Gomez examines key aspects of the psychology of jurors, attorneys, judges, and witnesses and analyzes how each person influences the way a case is presented to and received by jurors. Dr. Gomez takes real-life stories from the road and ties them to theory and research from disciplines such as psychology, advertising, marketing, politics, homeland security, and sociology. The goal is to understand human nature as it applies across multiple contexts so you can learn a practical lesson as it applies to the courtroom. This guide helps attorneys take a step back to address the big picture of a case, to step outside of their own viewpoint, and to turn their perspective of their case outside-in. It is a conduit that connects psychological principles applicable to civil and criminal cases, to plaintiffs and defendants, to medical malpractice, product liability, intellectual property, contract, aviation, trucking, and all other cases that involve human beings.

Two outstanding Texas trial lawyers—one of whom is now an equally respected district judge—have written On the Jury Trial, a “must have” reference for any trial lawyer aspiring to excellence or seeking to maintain it. Thomas M. Melsheimer and Judge Craig Smith have crafted a narrative-driven advice guide for trial lawyers to hone their craft. Chapter topics include voir dire, opening statement, preparing witnesses, cross examination, using exhibits, closing argument, jury research, and more, with excellent examples and “do’s and don’ts” provided throughout. Think of this book as the senior law partner’s memo to associates on how to really try a case. Looking for fly-on-the-wall insight into world-class trial preparation and strategy? Here it is. A behind-the-scenes tour of the inner workings of the judicial process? This book has you covered. Its combination of advice, illustration, and commentary is every bit as valuable as it is unique. Every litigator should have this book on the shelf, no matter the state in which they practice. The jury trial is a critical component of our democratic society, and its use in civil cases is unique to the United States. It is truly an example of our participatory democracy in action, and yet the jury trial is under attack from all sides, most notably from special interest groups who seek to have more cases decided by individual judges or by arbitration. These efforts have resulted in a decline of civil jury trials all over the country. A decline in the jury trial is a decline in justice. To preserve the jury trial, we must preserve the skills of trying a case effectively and efficiently. On the Jury Trial, in no small way, will add significantly to that effort.

Drawing on representative corpora of transcripts from over 100 English criminal jury trials, this stimulating new book explores the nature of 'legal-lay discourse', or the language used by legal professionals before lay juries. Careful analyses of genres such as witness examination and the judge's summing-up reveal a strategic tension between a desire to persuade the jury and the need to conform to legal constraints. The book also suggests ways of managing this tension linguistically to help, not hinder, the jury.

... The purpose of this handbook is to acquaint trial jurors with the general nature and importance of their role as jurors; explains some of the language and procedures used in court, and offers some suggestions helpful to jurors in performing their duty ...

While jury decision making has received considerable attention from social scientists, there have been few efforts to systematically pull together all the pieces of this research. In Jury Decision Making, Dennis J. Devine examines over 50 years of research on juries and offers a "big picture" overview of the field. The volume summarizes existing theories of jury decision making and identifies what we have learned about jury behavior, including the effects of specific courtroom practices, the nature of the trial, the characteristics of the participants, and the evidence itself. Making use of those foundations, Devine offers a new integrated theory of jury decision making that addresses both individual jurors and juries as a whole and discusses its ramifications for the courts. Providing a unique combination of broad scope, extensive coverage of the empirical research conducted over the last half century, and theory advancement, this accessible and engaging volume offers "one-stop shopping" for scholars, students, legal professionals, and those who simply wish to better understand how well the jury system works.