Shadow Juries
During trial, it is not possible to talk to actual jurors and ask their opinions of the case presentation. Shadow jurors, therefore, play an essential role in determining whether you are scoring points with the real jury, whether additional information is needed for juror understanding, and whether you are on target with your case presentation.
A shadow jury is a group of persons that observes court proceedings and communicates their impressions to the trial consultant at regular intervals (e.g. breaks, lunch time, and at the conclusion of the trial day) during the trial. FLC recruits the shadow jurors to closely approximate the characteristics of the actual jurors. At the end of every court day, the shadow jurors are debriefed by the consultant to determine what the case strengths and weaknesses are, providing the attorney with an opportunity to refine his case presentation and make adjustments, where needed, on a daily basis. The shadow jury’s observations provide invaluable insight into the progress and possible outcome of the case. When used, shadow juries aid in the reassessment of cases and in making informed decisions throughout the course of the trial.
“Knowing that jurors do not necessarily view the jury instructions in the way that an attorney assumes they would, I was able to press home the point of beyond a reasonable doubt….I thank my lucky stars that I had met you and taken your course.Juliet Miner, Castle Rock, CO