Did You Know
Everyone is biased. You won’t find this out if you ask them, but you will see it when your case facts are filtered through a focus group discussion. Focus group members absorb your facts, then, as they discuss the case, reveal their bias by the way they interpret your facts. For instance, in a real estate development/finance/construction defect case, two focus group members said they were always fair. But, as the group discussed the case, one of these two said, “think any corporation who sells itself to another corporation for a dollar is a fraud,” while the other member said, “I don’t have a problem with that—it is just good business.” Two people who said they were fair—same facts—opposite bias.
Workshop Schedule
Day 1 - Sunday
Check in and reception/introductions: 5:30 p.m.Assignments:
- Participants will be asked to summarize their case in 10 sentences or less
- Develop an analogy of the main theme of your case that will resonate with the life experiences of your jurors
Day 2 - Monday Morning
- Case organization
- Development of case themes
Monday Afternoon
- The Story Model
- See your case as the other side sees it
Day 3 - Tuesday Morning
Each participant will either:- Present their case to a focus group, or
- Present a defendant side of a case for another attorney to a focus group or
- Complete a structured observation form of a case being presented to a focus group
Tuesday Afternoon
- Participants will take alternate positions to their morning activities
Day 4 - Wednesday Morning
- Review outcome data from the focus groups
- Electronic ratings
- Attorney's structured observations
- Comments and discussion
