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A Winning Tip
A Winning Tip
“Winning Tips” is a monthly blog designed especially for lawyers—you’ll gain insight on trial strategies, client communications, witness prep and jury behavior from one of the country’s foremost trial consultants.
The True Value of Computer/AI Animation In Court
Most cases that don’t settle end up in trial because there are grey areas in the case–situations or testimony that can be interpreted in different ways. Computer/AI animation in court is often thought of as an effective, albeit expensive, way to show events. Research tells us, however, that there is
Answer a Primordial Question for the Jurors: Who?
The names, acronyms and abbreviations so familiar to you are not to the jurors. You may think that saying, for example, “Acme Building Supply, which we’ll now call ABS for convenience,” is enough to warrant saying “ABS” through the rest of your trial. But “ABS” has no guts to it,
Explain “Why” to Make Your Case Matter to the Jurors
In a courtroom, it isn’t necessarily the attorney with the best facts who wins, but the attorney who best explains the relevance of those facts both to the case and to the jurors. Certainly, you need solid evidence, but here we’re talking about what you need to do to get
A Mind-Boggling Social Experiment Proves the Importance of First Impressions
If you ever wondered just how important the jurors’ first impressions of your client and witnesses are, here’s a mind-boggling social experiment, posted on Facebook. It shows people walking right past well-known and loved family members, not recognizing a single one of them, when the family members were dressed as
Don’t Undermine The Value of Your Focus Group
Too often, lawyers ask focus group jurors to deliberate and discuss only the verdict questions. This is a woefully inadequate use of the focus group.
Your Client, Expert and Witness E-Impressions Matter! Manage Them Well
What is written has more weight than what is said. Always. That is why, when something is important, we write it down. That is why, in any courtroom, jurors will believe documents over witness testimony. Unfortunately, clients often forget this, if they even ever stopped to think about it in
Watch Those Jurors: Body Language Outdoes the Spoken Word
The courtroom setting is unfamiliar to most prospective jurors as they sit with a group of strangers and are grilled by counsel during voir dire. In addition, potential jurors may respond differently depending on whether they want to be off or on a particular jury. Therefore, their responses may not
Help Your Witness Deliver Effective Testimony with Full Sentences
Rare is the witness who isn’t anxious, worried, scared–even terrified–during deposition or cross-examination. Often this leads to a rapid pace of speech. Not only that, but witnesses tend to believe that if they just blurt out their response, they’ll get this dreadful experience over with sooner. Speaking Too Quickly. Now,
Classic Juror Misunderstandings
The brilliant cartoonist, Wiley Miller (“Non Sequitur”), captured the misunderstandings between men and women as few others have. For example, the wife says: “Let’s go shopping.” The husband hears: “Let’s go drain the life force from your body.” The husband says: “Honey, are you almost ready yet?” The wife hears:
Noelle C. Nelson, Ph.D., has over 30 years of experience as a trial consultant. She specializes in trial strategy, witness preparation and focus groups all over the U.S.
Contact her at noelle@noellenelson.com.
Second Edition of Connecting With Your Client is Available Through
The second edition of Dr. Noelle Nelson’s Connecting With Your Client (ABA Publishing) gives attorneys the most up-to-date communication and persuasive tools needed to achieve greater client satisfaction.
The book contains updated information on:
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- Effectively communicating using the latest technology
- Creating rapport that builds your client’s trust and confidence
- Communicating billing and other case management issues in ways that support good client-lawyer relations
- Training your associates, legal assistants and support staff to adopt the appropriate attitude toward clients
- Step-by-step exercises that can help defuse uncomfortable situations
Connecting With Your Client includes discussion on how to maintain control over difficult situations and clients, as well as professional solutions drawn from real-life, real-case experiences. Managing partners, executive directors and marketing directors of top-level firms contribute their perspectives and share their solutions for attaining client satisfaction and cooperation.
Connecting With Your Client is available on LexisNexis.com. It is available in print and as an e-book.
Featured Articles:
- “How To Work Successfully With A Narcissistic Client”
Law Practice Today - “Out With The Old, In With The New–Try An Updated Approach To Jury Selection”
California Litigation - “Working With Your Jury”
ABA – Litigation & Trial Practice