One thing young lawyers often have to learn the hard way is that you could have the most air-tight case in history, but if you don’t understand or anticipate how people will process information, then you can quickly lose a jury, and then, of course, your case.
But understanding how people react isn’t just a skill reserved for jury trials.
From depositions, to mediations, to simple client correspondence, knowing how a case looks from the outside is one of the most necessary tools a lawyer can (and should) have.
But since I know very few lawyers who also happen to be practicing clinical psychologists, there’s a good chance that in major cases most lawyers will hire a consulting company to do things like run mock-trials and prepare witnesses for depositions.
My guest today is one of those consultants, and with full disclosure that he’s a dear friend, I would argue he’s one of the best in the business.
Bill Kanasky and I go way back, but just as our friendship has evolved, so has the nature of our work.
He and his team at Courtroom Sciences work on thousands of cases a year, and so while I may practice the law, it’s guys like Bill who really have their pulse on the legal landscape.
We discuss jury temperament, how defense lawyers can be more “offensive,” and the rise of nuclear verdicts.
Oh, and there’s plenty of smack-talk.
Enjoy the show!
