We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Law

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

How Do I Choose the Best Jury Consultant?

By Maggie Worth
Updated: May 17, 2024
Views: 4,224
Share

A jury consultant is a specialist who confers with attorneys about jury selection. These professionals can make recommendations about what types of jury member experiences and attitudes would be most beneficial to specific cases, and they often help lawyers formulate the questions they will use during the selection process. When choosing a jury consultant, you will want to consider factors such as education, experience and reputation. You will also need to consider price and location. Ultimately, the best consultant is the one with the right combination of availability and qualifications based on the needs of the case you are trying.

When considering a jury consultant, you will want to inquire about his education. Many such consultants do have a certain amount of legal training, and some may actually have earned law degrees. They are primarily behaviorists, however, so it is not unusual for a jury consultant to have a degree in psychology, sociology or another behavioral field. Some institutions even offer specialized courses in analyzing probable juror reactions.

Another primary consideration when choosing a jury consultant is experience. This includes not only the number of years the individual has been practicing and the number of cases on which he has worked, but also the types of cases on which he has worked. Some jury consultants, in fact, specialize in certain types of cases, such as sex offender cases, homicides or white-collar crimes. The type of case will play a major role in what types of individuals and opinions an attorney wants to see on the jury. You’ll want to choose a jury consultant who has the right combination of overall experience and expertise specific to your type of trial.

Reputation can also play a critical role in your selection process. You will want to look at the success rate of the cases on which the jury consultant has worked. Many factors can affect the actual outcome of a case, however, so you may also want to confer with attorneys who have hired the consultant in the past. You might find that the consultant's recommendations were very accurate, even though an actual case was lost. Checking references also allows you the opportunity to uncover other factors, such as whether the consultant was easy to work with, whether he returned communications promptly and whether he was reliable in terms of meeting commitments.

Price and location often go hand-in-hand when choosing a jury consultant. As with any expert, the more experienced and well known a consultant is, the more expensive he is likely to be. If the consultant is not local, you must also be prepared to pay travel and lodging expenses for the duration of the trial.

Share
WiseGeek is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.

Editors' Picks

Discussion Comments
Share
https://www.wisegeek.net/how-do-i-choose-the-best-jury-consultant.htm
Copy this link
WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.