Shadow Jury: A Strategic Step to Improving Your Case
Case Themes
In the weeks and months leading up to the trial, the legal team and courtroom consultant work hard to ensure that the evidence will be presented effectively, the witnesses are prepared to take the stand, and the case will be as jury-friendly as possible. But there are still more resources that can be brought to bear, even after the trial begins. One of these is the shadow jury.
What is a Shadow Jury?
A shadow jury (or mirror jury) is a carefully selected, reasonably representative group of local residents who sit in the gallery of the courtroom each day and observe the proceedings. After court adjourns for the day, our professional facilitator meets with the shadow jury and debriefs them on what they’ve seen and heard that day. Shadow jurors comment about what the attorneys for both sides said and did; which evidence was effective and which was not; how the attorneys came across; which witnesses were most effective and why; and which side’s arguments are most persuasive. The trial consultant compiles this feedback in a summary written report that we then discuss with the trial team on a daily basis.
How Does it Help Your Case?
Having a shadow jury enables us to actively monitor both sides’ presentations throughout the trial. Because they are independent observers of the proceedings, representing the venue and mirroring certain characteristics of the actual jury, shadow jurors provide trial insights that cannot be gained in any other way. The daily debrief of the shadow jury is a focus group, in real time, about the trial. Issues or concerns that shadow jurors have are almost certainly shared by the actual jury. By asking the questions that the actual jurors cannot ask but wish they could, the shadow jury enables the trial team to make course corrections in the midst of trial. Points of confusion expressed by the shadow jurors can be addressed in court the very next day.
Contact Jonathan Leach, LLC
If you have an upcoming trial, you want to be sure you do everything in your power to make things go smoothly. At Jonathan Leach, LLC, we conduct extensive research and employ expert strategies to aid you and your attorney throughout the entire trial. Call us today to learn more about the courtroom consulting services we offer.
