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Trust, Technology, and Trials

How do declining trust in the justice system and the rise of internet technology affect juror behavior in American courtrooms? Are jurors abiding by the court’s instructions not to discuss the case prior to deliberations and to refrain from conducting outside research?

This comprehensive review considers archival research, perspectives from judges and attorneys, and the results of national surveys conducted by Vinson & Company to explore these questions and offers practical recommendations to litigators on how to combat juror misconduct.

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Covid-19 & Workplace Liability

An unprecedented number of potential lawsuits have emerged targeting employers’ actions and responsibilities regarding coronavirus workplace safety measures.  A recent Vinson & Company national survey has found that both employers’ and employees’ behaviors matter in attributing responsibility to employers concerning the coronavirus.

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Jurors in a Post-Pandemic World: What Litigators Need to Know

A trial by jury has always been predicated on the availability of citizens to serve as jurors.  And while most U.S. citizens over the age of 18 are technically eligible, a variety of other considerations limit the pool from which actual jurors are selected.  Not least of which are individuals’ willingness and ability to serve.

As we look toward a future in which the pandemic begins to recede, the economy begins to recover, and our system of justice resumes its functions, it is necessary to ask: What will the impact of the coronavirus be on a trial by jury?  How will it affect jurors’ attitudes and beliefs?  And most importantly, who will show up to serve – and what does that mean for litigators and their clients?

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What Influences Jurors’ Hardship Requests?

A panel of prospective jurors is brought into the courtroom. The first step in selecting the jury begins; the court inquires into who can or cannot serve for the anticipated length of the trial. Some venire members request to be excused citing hardships such as financial concerns, medical conditions or caretaking responsibilities.
 
But, are there reasons beyond the obvious that influence hardship requests?  And might these reasons cause the final hardship-qualified pool to be biased in any way?

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NAMWOLF 2019 Annual Meeting and Law Firm Expo

David Perlut, Vice President at Vinson & Company, will be a panel discussant at the National Association of Minority and Women Owned Law Firms’ (NAMWOLF) annual meeting on September 24, 2019.

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What Are Jurors Really Doing During Your Trial?

A jury is seated. They are instructed not to discuss the case until all the evidence has been presented. They are instructed not to do any outside research on the case, the parties, the attorneys, the issues in dispute.

Do jurors follow these instructions? If not, would they admit it? How many have violated the court’s directives? And why?

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Federal Bar Council Ethics for Social Media CLE

Dr. Norma Silverstein, Senior Vice President at Vinson & Company, will be a panel discussant for the 2018 Federal Bar Council Ethics for Social Media CLE in New York City on June 7.

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Vinson Announces the Opening of Their Miami Office

Miami, FL, March 26, 2018 – Vinson, pioneers in the fields of jury and trial strategy research, has today announced the opening of its newest offices in Miami, Florida. The new office is located in Miami Beach.
 
Steve Paterson, President and CEO of Vinson, and David Perlut, Vinson’s Vice President, will head up the new office. Together they bring over 50 years of experience to South Florida.

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How Jurors View Attorneys – It’s The Little Things

Jurors begin forming impressions of attorneys from the very moment they begin to interact with them – which, typically, is during voir dire. And the impressions they form tend to be related to a discrete set of factors. Importantly these factors are all within counsel’s control.

Indeed, lawyers can create the impression they want jurors to have of them through how they conduct their voir dire.

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What Trial Lawyers Can Learn from Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders

It would be an understatement to say that this election season has been unlike any other.  But regardless of who prevails, it is almost certain that scholars will agonize over what it means for years to come.

What is less mysterious is how two of the key political figures in this drama were able to garner levels of support that shocked the political establishment, the media, and the electorate.

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Using Social Media in Voir Dire

Social media platforms and other online databases offer trial teams access to unprecedented amounts of detailed, publicly-available information about prospective jurors. How this information can be leveraged to assist counsel during the jury selection process, however, is a thorny issue that raises a host of questions.

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A New Approach to Trial Preparation

In conjunction with The American Lawyer, Vinson & Company sponsored an interactive webcast with industry experts regarding how to use online jury research to make the overall process of case preparation more efficient, more practical and more insightful. Click below for more information and a link to an on-demand version of the program.

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NCMIC Defense Counsel Seminar

David Perlut, Vice President at Vinson & Company, was a featured speaker at the 2015 NCMIC Defense Counsel Seminar in Scottsdale, Arizona.  His presentation covered jury psychology, jury research techniques and tools, and juror perceptions of insurance coverage disputes.