Demeanor, style, credibility. Jurors consider not only what is said on the stand, but HOW it gets said. Every witness has only one chance to tell their story to the jury, so it has to count. Prepare your witnesses to deal with the stress of the courtroom. Teach them that their “mission” on the stand is conveyed through words and behavior.

Courtrooms can be very intimidating, even for seasoned veterans. Imagine how it feels for a witness. Imagine those little voices screaming in their heads when they anticipate being grilled by an aggressive lawyer in a strange place in front of strange people who are deciding their fate.

The Trial Science team employs a variety of psychological techniques to help your witnesses manage the stress of testifying. We teach them how to convey facts in a confident and accurate fashion. We will help them to learn to take their time when answering questions, to think before they answer, to be consistent, and most of all, to relax.

Taking the time to prepare your witnesses will help relieve their anxiety so that they relay their testimony in a calm, clear, and concise manner.

Expert Witness Preparation

Don’t assume that your jury will understand your expert witness just because he or she is an expert. Experts in any field tend to have a language all their own; a language no jurors speak. Just as it is important for attorneys to speak in plain English, translating “expert-speak” into that same understandable language is just as crucial.

Remember, experts are there to inform or teach the trier of fact. To help that process along, the use of a PowerPoint presentation can be extremely helpful. Pictures help jurors understand difficult concepts. Technical talk needs to be translated into relatable content by including items such as:

The Trial Science team will work with your expert witness to make sure their main points are taken back into the jury room for meaningful deliberations.