Legal Research

Juries inevitably base verdicts on just a handful of clearly perceived issues. Given the stakes often involved, the necessity of identifying and effectively communicating those issues -- in any given case -- is critical.

Behavioral psychology has proven that, just as a jury's perceptions of a case determine its outcome, so are those perceptions shaped by the predispositions and attitudes each juror brings into the courtroom. Utilizing refined techniques of analysis and prediction in an accurately simulated jurytrial environment, New South Research's program seeks to isolate the interrelated attitudes, demographic characteristics and psychographic predispositions influencing each juror's perceptions. Such a method enables attorneys to focus on trial presentation strategies calculated to best supportand confirm jury verdicts on their behalf.

The foundation of our trial simulation is the use of panel jurors. Attorneys present their case using the tactics they themselves have developed through discovery and preparation. After each stage in the trial simulation, all jurors complete anonymous questionnaires. These questionnaires have been meticulously organized to determine each juror's attitude towards the case, the attorneys,the clients, and the issues they consider most important in reaching a verdict.

At the conclusion of the trial simulation, New South Research enters all collected data into a computer program, which cross-references by (among other variables) demographic and psychographic profile information gathered from jurors during recruitment and voir dire. Through careful analysis of the results, New South Research can then assist attorneys in identifying the strategies and themes determined most effective in obtaining a successful verdict.