Trial Consulting

by Posey, Amy J.; Wrightsman, Lawrence S.

• ISBN13: 9780195183092
• ISBN10: 0195183096
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2005-07-07
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

In its roughly 25 years of existence, the trial consulting profession has grown dramatically in membership, recognition, and breadth of practice. What began as a small activist group of social scientists volunteering their expertise to assist in the defense of Vietnam War protestors hasevolved into a diverse set of professionals from a range of educational and professional backgrounds. In spite of such enormous growth, the work of trial consultants has gone largely unexamined. Trial Consulting takes an in-depth look at the primary activities of trial consultants, including witness preparation, focus groups and mock trials, jury selection, change of venue surveys, and attorneypresentation style. It also examines the profession's struggle to define itself, resisting certification and licensure requirements and settling instead for a set of practice standards. The authors draw upon empirical and other scholarly work in the social sciences, recommended "best practices" fromtrial lawyers, and the written and spoken recommendations and reflections of the trial consultants themselves. Addressing a broad spectrum of topics ranging from handwriting analysis to medical malpractice cases, they also suggest reforms for improving the profession and the efficacy of the trialconsultant in the courtroom. The result is a critical analysis of what trial consulting truly adds to, and detracts from, the administration of justice. This book is an indispensable guide for practicing and aspiring trial consultants as well as the judges, attorneys, and psychologists who work with them. Trial Consulting provides a thought-provoking statement on the state of the profession, and students and professionals alike will benefit fromthe challenges it offers.

Author Biography

Amy J. Posey, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor and Chair of the Psychology Department at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas Lawrence S. Wrightsman, Ph.D., is a Professor of Psychology at the University of Kansas

Table of Contents

Series Foreword	vii
1 Trial Consulting: Does It Help to Achieve the Goal of Justice?	3	(24)
2 Witness Preparation	27	(26)
3 Change of Venue	53	(26)
4 Small-Group Research	79	(18)
5 Trial Strategies and Procedures	97	(30)
6 What Do We Know About Jury Deliberations and the Determinants of Jury Decisions?	127	(30)
7 Jury Selection: Measures of General Bias	157	(16)
8 Jury Selection: Case-Specific Approaches	173	(24)
9 Jury Selection: Effectiveness and Ethics	197	(16)
10 What Needs to Be Changed?	213	(22)
References	235	(24)
Author Index	259	(6)
Subject Index	265