Witness Preparation Archive

  • When 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 […]

    Need Help? ASTC’s Pro Bono Committee May Be Just What You Need

    by Ric Dexter When 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 […]

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  • We 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 […]

    Can I Get a Witness? An Interview with Clint Townson

    by Charlotte Morris and Clint Townson We 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 […]

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  • Here's one of those litigation advocacy secrets that we need to keep just between us.

    Making It Moral: How Morality Can Harden Attitudes and Make Them More Influential

    by Andrew Luttrell Here's one of those litigation advocacy secrets that we need to keep just between us.

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  • It 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 […]

    How Does My Retained Expert Witness Improve Credibility?

    by Merrie Jo Pitera, Ph.D. It 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 […]

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  • Working 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 […]

    Tips for Preparing the Expert Witness

    by Alyssa Tedder-King, M.S. and Katie Czyz, M.A. Working 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 […]

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  • The 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) […]

    Juror Perceptions of Women as Expert Witnesses: Suggestions for the Effects of Testimony Complexity, Gender-Intrusive Questioning, and Perceived Credibility

    by Brittany P. Bate The 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) […]

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  • In 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. […]

    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, BA In 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. […]

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  • Every year we identify the top 10 articles chosen by our readers as most interesting in the calendar year. This year these articles are our top ten. Have you missed any of them? This is your chance to catch up! Does Deposition Video Camera Angle Affect Witness Credibility? By Chris […]

    Top 10 Most Accessed Articles of 2015

    by The TJE Editorial Staff Every year we identify the top 10 articles chosen by our readers as most interesting in the calendar year. This year these articles are our top ten. Have you missed any of them? This is your chance to catch up! Does Deposition Video Camera Angle Affect Witness Credibility? By Chris […]

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  • One 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, […]

    Understanding the Traumatized Witness

    by Lorie Hood, M.S. One 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, […]

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  • Schadenfreude, 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.

    Schadenfreude In The Courtroom: Nonobvious Pleasures at Obvious Distress

    by Adele Mantiply and Michelle A. Jones and Stanley L. Brodsky, Ph.D. Schadenfreude, 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.

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