Monitor - June 2016

When I get a call from a client, I usually have six to eight weeks to complete a study and prepare a final report. Every study starts with recruiting mock jurors, creating questionnaires and working with the attorneys to condense hundreds of documents into abbreviated case summaries. I conduct studies throughout the United States, so I have to coordinate the logistics from my office in Indianapolis, and then travel to the location to conduct the study. Typically, a final report that summarizes the data and includes trial strategy recommendations is completed within two weeks after the study.

What do you enjoy most?

I really enjoy seeing mock jurors around
the country. Nobody gets to see jurors
deliberate, and we get to see real people
grappling with tough issues and making
decisions about real cases. Jurors tend to
get a bad rap. You see news stories about
juror misconduct, but I believe those
jurors are in a distinct minority. The
mock jurors I’ve seen across the country
take the task seriously, work hard and
care about getting it right.

I am also a data geek, and I love analyzing data. Every case is different and the questionnaires are customized to each case. The analysis always tells a different story. I also enjoy helping the attorneys provide information to jurors in a way that is clear and organized because this allows the jurors to make the best decisions.

Is there anything else readers should know?

If your work applies to some field other than psychology, I think it’s important to immerse yourself in that other field. It helps you better understand different viewpoints. Due to my interdisciplinary training, I came to my job with a fuller appreciation of the rules attorneys have to follow and how much work they do before a case goes to trial. My training also helped me talk to attorneys the way they talk to one another. This gets back to the APA theme of giving psychology away. If we can talk to people in their own language, they will be more open to what we have to offer.