The Jury Room


"Dedicated to understanding the American jury and trends in litigation strategy. You will find posts here exploring how research findings and current events inform juror decision-making; uncovering juror bias; how values, attitudes and life experiences affect our choices and decisions; and what makes particular witnesses and evidence powerful or pointless.

"Sometimes we’ll talk about current events. Sometimes we’ll talk about research. But it will always be research and experience applied to litigation advocacy. This blawg is our forum to share current lessons as we learn them."

Author: Douglas Keene and Rita Handrich are litigation consultants at Keene Trial Consulting in Austin, Texas.

Blawg Related Categories: Trials & Litigation • Juries • Consultant

Recent Posts from The Jury Room


  • Simple Jury Persuasion: Human flaws bind us all

    I had the pleasure of seeing a wonderful storyteller—Mike Birbiglia—live in New York last year in a one-man show called “Sleepwalking”, and again on an HBO special several months ago.  The special included a segment…

  • Case Strategy Tip: Do you want your jury to think about their verdict or not?

    This is really not a facetious question. Depending on your case facts and which side you are representing (plaintiff, prosecution, or defense)—you will do better to craft a case story that will either carefully think…

  • The jury will believe what you say, until they have time to think about it

    A post at PsyBlog says we can’t help but believe what we read. At least at first glance. We simply take in new information and accept it uncritically. Then we assess the information for validity—IF…

  • Simple Jury Persuasion: Be a good host

    While the literature is replete with suggestions on how to do this and that—when it comes to persuasion, and just how-to persuade—it is often confusing. A particularly clear lesson comes from a 2001 publication (Bedell…

  • Voir Dire Fundamentals: Look for trouble, not for friends

    At the risk of sounding obvious, it’s worth revisiting the reasons for voir dire examination.  Ironically, it is much more like what most judges wish lawyers would do (get information) than it is what, in…

  • HDTV Jurors: What do you watch on TV?

    Americans watch about 153 hours of television every month in their homes. That’s a lot of TV.  My mom would say that is way too much television. And many of the most popular television shows…

  • Simple Jury Persuasion: Got charisma?

    We’re not all born with it—but the good news is that you can develop charisma. Many of us have witnessed those rare individuals who can own the room by simply walking into it. Few of…

  • Why didn’t they get a second opinion?

    We read a lot of other legal blawgs and we like what Matt Kaiser (of Kaiser Law Firm Blog) has to say about the crushing burden on a defendant with depression (who also happens to…

  • Who do ‘they’ believe?

    A recent report from the Pew Research Center focused on the partisan differences in various television news networks audiences. Specifically, they reported that Fox News attracts more Republicans while CNN and MSNBC attract more Democrats. We…

  • Simple Jury Persuasion: Beware what the other side will tell you…

    “My opponent will tell you…”. Some variation on this line has been used in movies, novels and in the courtroom—and often with very good effect. Why? Warning your jurors about the position that someone else…