Adapting to the Modern Jury in the Post-Truth Era
Many of the strategies, tactics, and approaches that litigators have developed in the last few decades are less effective today. This session dives into what drives verdict decisions, where juror attitudes have shifted, and how to apply framing to your strategy.
Combatting Anti-Corporate Sentiment in the Courtroom
Juror bias is highly evident when your client is a corporation. Learn how the "Great Resignation" has affected jurors’ predispositions, how to identify anti-corporate sentiment during voir dire as a first step in your trial strategy, and how to present a case story that humanizes your corporate client.
Developing Themes and Storytelling in Litigation
Trial themes should resonate with jurors and remain top-of-mind in the jury room to guide their decision-making. In this presentation, we focus on the underlying psychology of storytelling as a case strategy to maintain jurors’ attention, increase retention, and shape a successful outcome for your client.
Integrated Trial Strategy: Transforming Neutral Finders of Fact into Advocates for Your Clients
The most experienced litigators know that the best way to convince jurors, judges, and other decision-makers is to create a cohesive trial strategy. Discover a proven six-step process for developing this strategy based on more than 40 years of trial experience and consulting on 2,500+ cases.
Mastering Speech, Credibility, and Persuasion for the Modern Jury
Speaker credibility is a fundamental pillar of persuasion, and today’s juries require adaptive techniques to be effective. By mastering these methods, trial lawyers will be empowered to create memorable narratives that resonate deeply, inspire trust, and, ultimately, transform jurors into advocates.
Multi-Generational Jurors and the Graphics That Speak to Them
This presentation begins with an overview of generational perspectives, highlighting the general tendencies of jurors from the three most prevalent cohorts: Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Millennials. We then share practical tips for tailoring your trial graphics to the specific jury seated and discuss the types of visuals that effectively engage these diverse audiences.
Nuclear Verdicts and How to Avoid Them
Juries across the country are awarding massive damages, reaching tens of millions or even billions of dollars. Uncover the tactics plaintiffs' attorneys use to escalate verdicts, including the "Reptile Strategy," which targets jurors' fears and survival instincts. You will also learn how to identify potential jurors with anti-corporate biases or victim beliefs and prevent them from derailing your case.
Psychology of Persuasion in Litigation: Understanding Juror Behavior and Decision-Making
Based on decades of courtroom and mock trial insights, this session examines how hindsight shapes the story that the jury hears and why memorable trial themes are essential. We discuss methods to leverage jurors' use of hindsight and strategically place counterfactuals to solidify your case story, as well as how to elicit confirmation bias during voir dire.
Strategies for Witness Preparation
Jurors evaluate not only the testimony content but also the person delivering it. Our litigation consultants have conducted thousands of mock trials and post-trial interviews, providing unique insight into what resonates with jurors and what does not. Discover advanced tactics for witness preparation, with a focus on building credibility, confidence, and trust by addressing key factors that influence juror perceptions.
The Rise of Safetyism and Its Impact on Litigation
Jurors’ risk tolerance has reached new lows while their safety demands have reached new highs. Despite “safetyism” being rooted in thought fallacies, it is rising and has a profound effect on jury awards. Dive into the beliefs that lead to extreme safety expectations and the strategic changes that defense lawyers must consider to overcome this persistent mindset.
Led by senior jury consultants, this presentation includes new conclusions based on our team’s proprietary psychological research.
Meet Our Presenters
Known for their deep knowledge of trial strategy and juror decision-making, these highly experienced members of our litigation consulting and client success teams are sought-after presenters at industry conferences and CLE programs nationwide.
Please contact us at the top of this page for details about each presenters' specific expertise areas and availability.
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Chris Dominic
Senior Jury Consulting Advisor
For more than two decades, Chris Dominic has counseled clients on cases ranging from everyday casework and ADR to some of the nation’s most high-profile, high-stakes trials and multidistrict litigation.
While his experience is broad, Chris specializes in strategy and speechmaking. He worked for Fortune 500 companies as a management consultant and served as president at Tsongas Litigation Consulting before the firm joined IMS.
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Laura Dominic
Senior Jury Consulting Advisor
Laura Dominic has some of the broadest and deepest jury consulting experience in the nation. She can often be found steadfastly preparing witnesses for a deposition, running a mock trial or focus group, providing feedback for an opening statement, or assisting in the selection of a jury on a high-profile case.
In addition to consulting with trial teams, Laura frequently speaks at legal industry events and CLE seminars.
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Melissa Gomez, PhD
Senior Jury Consulting Advisor
Dr. Melissa M. Gomez has worked on 1,000+ jury trials across the US, focusing on the psychology of learning, behavior, and decision-making. She has three decades of expertise in research design and methodology, as well as behavioral and communication skills training.
Dr. Gomez assists counsel in targeting discovery efforts and developing a case strategy with the goal of favorable resolution.
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Jill M. Leibold, PhD
Senior Jury Consulting Advisor
With more than 20 years of trial consulting experience, Dr. Jill Leibold has applied her expertise in juror decision-making to hundreds of cases across all genres of litigation.
Dr. Leibold specializes in developing statistically based juror risk profiles to identify jurors for cause and peremptory strikes during jury selection. She also applies qualitative analyses to inform the development of case stories and trial themes.
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Keith C. Pounds, PhD
Jury Consulting Advisor
With nearly 20 years of litigation consulting experience, Dr. Keith Pounds is adept at helping trial teams identify and develop compelling case themes and presentation strategies.
He also specializes in providing quantitative and qualitative analysis through focus groups and mock trials, in addition to assisting clients with witness preparation, voir dire, and jury selection.
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Theodore O. Prosise, PhD
Senior Jury Consulting Advisor
Theodore (Ted) Prosise has 20+ years of experience working with trial teams in hundreds of venues nationwide. He has prepared 1,000+ witnesses for deposition and trial, conducted 250+ mock trials and focus groups, and selected 200+ juries.
His current focus areas are trial strategy and theme development, and witness preparation—particularly for medical professionals and foreign witnesses in the US.
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G. Christopher Ritter, JD
Senior Jury Consulting & Strategy Advisor
With 40+ years of litigation experience, Chris Ritter provides expert guidance through case analysis and strategy development, mock trial and focus group research, witness preparation, voir dire, and jury selection.
Chris also works with clients to create highly engaging trial graphics. He is a master at clarifying the complex and making esoteric topics both understandable and compelling,
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Adam Bloomberg
Senior Client Success Advisor
Adam Bloomberg has consulted with hundreds of trial teams and corporate clients over 30+ years to develop communication strategies and presentations that inform and compel the deciders of fact.
He has also led trial technology and logistics efforts across numerous case types—including commercial, financial, employment, product liability, toxic tort, and transportation—and “hot seated” 1,000+ proceedings.
Strategy Workshops
Dive deeper into the presentation topics mentioned above and gain case-specific insights by booking one of our immersive strategy workshops.
