"I recently tried a high profile federal criminal case of national significance. We achieved victory with an acquittal on all charges. I was reluctant at first to bring on a jury consultant, having heard too many stories about consultants who just impede the process. I experienced the opposite with Carolyn: She quickly grasped the case's complexities and provided me with invaluable assistance. She helped us put together a terrific mock trial and gave us the clarity we needed to identify our most difficult potential jurors. Before the mock trial, the court had approved of the actual questionnaire (containing over 150 questions) that would be completed by prospective jurors. Carolyn used the mock trial to test questionnaire subject areas, thereby enablying her to isolate important issues and to probe ptoential juror mindsets. This undertaking provided us wiht meaningful sets of juror profiles which I used to great advantage during the pre-trial voir dire process. Carolyn assempled these profiles in a format that rendered them comprehensive and accessible. In the high speed and vastly important exercise of a federal criminal trial jury selection, where accuracy, preparation and poise are essential, I was able to rely on Carolyn's materials to provide the right information at the right time. I know we manifestly acheived our objective of a fair, objective, impartial, and insightful jury by virture of Carolyn's highly effective assistance, and I enthusiastically endorse her abilitites, insights, preparation and talent." William M. Sullivan, Jr., Partner, Winston & Strawn, LLP, Washington, D.C.
|
Upcoming Events:
April 4, 2008: Carolyn S. Koch will be a featured speaker at the Woman's Law Caucus, sponsored by Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association.
May 9, 2008: Carolyn S. Koch will be speaking on the topic of focus groups at the National Employment Lawyer's Regional Conference in Boston, MA.
June 25-28, 2008: Carolyn S. Koch will be speaking at the 2008 National Employment Lawyers' Association Annual Convention, in Atlanta. The topic is Getting the Most Bang for your Buck with Early Jury Research.
Jury Solutions, LLC routinely makes presentations to Bar Associations and in-house at law firms. A list of past CLE programs can be found at the bottom of this page.
Feedback from our CLEs:
January 2008 dinner presentation to federal bar practitioners:
"Thanks so very much for providing us with an interesting and relevant presentation last evening. It's hard to keep that many lawyers interested for any amount of time and you succeeded in holding their attention all night. It really was a great job."
Attorney Ethan Levin-Epstein
On September 20, 2007, Ms. Koch spoke to the Labor and Employment section of the Connecticut Bar.
Here's what the Chairperson of the Section, Attorney Mickey Busca said:
"Carolyn, thank you again for your presentation. The reviews and feedback on you were fantastic! Since I am responsible for getting speakers for this section, you are going to be a hard act to follow!"
Carolyn S. Koch, J.D., principal of Jury Solutions, LLC was a speaker at the Norfolk and Portsmouth Bar's Trial Advocacy Seminar. Evaluations from seminar rated Ms. Koch's presentation as:
"Outstanding. Outline and remarks were filled with real live questions, cases and examples."
Ms. Koch was a panelist-presenter on the topic of "Strategic Use of Focus Groups," at the Metropolitan Washington Employment Lawyers Association's annual conference.
Here's what Attorney Linda Correia, President of MWELA said about the program:
"We got a lot of excellent feedback about the conference -- most have said it was the best conference in years -- so I've been very pleased with the response! Your panel was especially great I thought, and I received this email about it: 'I especially loved the focus grouping/jury consultant panel and hope to use what I learned on a case in the next couple months."
Ms. Koch presented "Mastering Voir Dire and Using Mock Trials," for the Litigation Section of the D.C. Bar. Of the 21 lawyers who submitted program evaluations, 19 evaluated the program as "excellent."
Here's what some attorneys were saying about the program:
"Very interesting and informative. I enjoyed the presentation and find your approach to the topic helpful and refreshing."
"This was an excellent presentation. I wish it had been offered two months ago before my trial. This area is so important that at least three hours should have been afforded."
Feedback from our Presentations:
"Carolyn, we got a lot of excellent feedback about the conference -- most have said it was the best conference in years -- so I've been very pleased with the response! Your panel was especially great I thought, and I received this email about it: 'I especially loved the focus grouping/jury consultant panel and hope to use what I learned on a case in the next couple months.'" Attorney Linda Correia, Webster, Fredrickson & Brackshaw, Washington, D.C. President of MWELA
“Carolyn, I cannot thank you enough for not only stepping in with very little notice, but for presenting to a demanding audience in a truly outstanding way. It was obvious that you were holding the attention of everyone at our breakfast meeting. One of the ABA folks told me that he came by while you were speaking and was impressed with your poise, style, and the attentiveness of the audience. I hope that you stay involved with our committee. If you are interested in participating in future ABA programs, we would certainly be delighted to have you. Thank you again.” Jeffrey Kohn, partner at O’Melveny & Myers, N.Y., N.Y. ABA Annual Meeting, Labor & Employment Committee Chair meeting
“I had the pleasure listening to a presentation given by Carolyn Koch of Jury Solutions, LLC at a Connecticut Bar Association Meeting. To be honest, I had not intended to stay for her entire presentation. It was getting late (plus, I have listened to enough dull jury consultants.) In any event, I am glad I stayed. Her presentation was fresh, interesting, and captivating. She had the attention of the audience (not an easy task with a room full of very experienced lawyers). She gave sufficient real-life examples of her craft, and convinced a skeptic like me to take a different look at this process. Her presentation sold me to the point where I have extended an invitation to her to give a presentation to our firm's Litigation Section Meeting. If you have an opportunity to invite her to give a talk/presentation, you should not hesitate to do so.” Noble Allen, partner at Tyler, Cooper & Alcorn, New Haven, CT.
Connecticut Bar Association
DESCRIPTION OF PROGRAM OFFERINGS
-
Mastering Voir Dire: Learning Effective Voir Dire Techniques
-
Improving the Odds: Litigation Strategies for Jury Selection, Settlement and Trial.
WE DESIGN PROGRAMS FOR YOUR PARTICULAR TOPIC/INTEREST. A description of our signature seminars follow:
MASTERING VOIR DIRE: Learning Effective Voir Dire Techniques
Most litigators agree that trials can be won or lost during jury selection. That’s why a lawyer’s skills during voir dire are so critical. Yet:
-
Few lawyers ever develop the kind of systematic approach that is required for the task.
-
Frustration with the process causes too many lawyers to “wing it,” thus losing their one opportunity to ferret out harmful biases.
-
Even when lawyers do get good information, they don’t always know what to do with it.
We created Mastering Voir Dire because jury selections occur too infrequently and the stakes are too high to learn from mistakes. Whether you have picked many juries or none at all, Mastering Voir Dire converts frustration into effectiveness by demonstrating techniques that work on a panel of live jurors.
Through a combination of lecture and actual juror demonstrations, lawyers see for themselves how to conduct effective and efficient voir dire, not just for that once-in-a-lifetime case but for every case.
Attendees will learn how to:
-
Phrase questions that reveal jurors’ attitudes about key case issues
-
Confidently address problem issues without offending jurors or judges
-
Hone strategies for using time wisely and for the best use of peremptory challenges
Tailored to your case: Mastering Voir Dire can be used to workshop an upcoming case in your firm. We provide voir dire questions that reveal key biases and demonstrate them on the seminar jury panel. Jurors’ testimony helps you discern which questions should be asked in court. Programs can vary from 1.5 to 3 hours in length.
For bar associations: Because bar associations sponsor shorter seminars, we offer Mastering Voir Dire without the live jury panel unless at least 90 minutes is available for a program.
Mastering Voir Dire has been accredited in mandatory CLE states.
IMPROVING THE ODDS: Strategic Use of Focus Groups and Mock Trials, not just for Jury Selection, but for Settlement and Trial
Have you ever said to yourself, "the problem with my last case was the jury? Maybe if the judge would have allowed better voir dire, or if I was better at reading people, maybe I would have won!"
When I hear lawyers say that, I can't help but think, "maybe the problem was with the case...."
Jury research (through focus groups, mock trials and/or surveys) helps reveal whether or not your case has a transcendent issue that is so strong that it is capable of uniting a diverse group of jurors, no matter what their differences in background, attitude and beliefs. While good cases do occasionally lose because of a "bad" juror, more often cases lose because of bad facts and the litigants' inability to recognize how bad those facts really were until it was too late.
Improving the Odds helps lawyers recognize what we all know to be true but sometimes forget: Lay people with no stake in the outcome see cases differently than attorneys, their clients, or even judges and/or mediators. One person's opinion (even an expert) is no substitute for how a lay jury combines the facts with the law, their common sense and personal experience.
Strategic use of Focus Groups and Mock Trials: Attendees will:
-
Understand the key factors that make a difference to lay jurors;
-
Learn how mock trials reveal the most powerful issues in a case, helping lawyers re-strategize in the most effective possible way;
-
See how the data generated by a mock trial gives lawyers a huge tactical advantage for settlement, jury selection, and/or trial.
Effective Voir Dire: Attendees will learn how to:
-
Phrase questions so that jurors do most of the talking and most importantly, feel comfortable admitting their biases;
-
Make better use of side-bar questioning and follow-up so that jurors open up.
-
Innovate in ways that are effective and efficient, and fit within the constraints of what judges expect.
PAST CLE SEMINARS:
Trial Lawyers Associations
-
Montgomery County Bar, Personal Injury Section, January 18, 2008.
-
Connecticut Bar Association's Federal Practice Section, January 15, 2008, New Haven, CT.
-
D.C. Defense Lawyers Annual Convention, Bellagio, Las Vegas, October 6, 2007, Bellagio, Las Vegas.
-
"Winning Jury Strategies," sponsored by the Trial Lawyers Association of Metropolitan Washington, D.C. Oct. 14, 2005.
-
ABA Annual Meeting, Labor & Employment Committee Chair Meeting, Atlanta, GA, August 6, 2004.
-
Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association, Employment Litigation Section, March 26, 2004.
-
D.C. Bar Association, Litigation Section, "Litigation Strategies: Improving the Odds with Focus Groups and Voir Dire Strategies." May 25, 2004.
-
D.C. Trial Lawyers Association, Medical Malpractice Seminar, March, 2004
-
Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association, Civil Justice Foundation, March, 2004
-
ATLA-NJ Annual Meeting, Labor & Employment Section, Atlantic City, N.J., April 2003
-
ABA Annual Meeting, Labor & Employment Committee Chair Meeting, Washington, D.C., August 2002
-
ATLA, Medical Trial Skills College, Tempe, AZ, January 1998
-
CTLA – Criminal Litigation Section, New Haven, CT, April 1998
-
NITA, American Board of Trial Advocates, Hamden, CT, Sept. 1997
-
Massachusetts Trial Attorneys, February 1997
-
Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association, College of Evidence, June 1994
State and Local Bar Associations:
-
Connecticut Bar Association's Annual Meeting, Hartford Convention Center. "Mastering Voir Dire - Learning Effective Jury Selection Techniques. June 18, 2007.
-
D.C. Bar: "The Nuts and Bolts of Litigating Disability Discrimination Cases: Plaintiff's and Defendant's Perspective." May 1, 2007.
-
Portsmouth/Norfolk VA Bench Bar Conference, Norfolk VA Circuit Court. April 26, 2006.
Norfolk and Portsmouth VA Bar Association, Trial Advocacy CLE, September 29, 2005.
-
Montgomery County Bar's 111th Annual Meeting, Gaining the Strategic Advantage: How to use focus groups to win cases and tips on effective voir dire preparation in restrictive jurisdictions. May 6, 2005.
-
Connecticut Public Defenders, "Mastering Voir Dire," December 2, 2004.
-
Virginia Bar Association, 34th Annual Conference, Labor Relations and Employment Law Section, October 1, 2004.
-
Connecticut Bar Association, Equal Employment Law Update, February 2004
-
MICPEL CLE, “Mastering Voir Dire,” Columbia, MD, November 2003
-
Richmond County Bar, Bench/Bar Conference, October 2003
-
Hartford County Bar Association, “Mastering Voir Dire,” Hartford, CT, May 2003
-
Baltimore County Bar Association, Towson, MD, April 2003
-
Anne Arundel Bar Association, Annual Convention, Chesapeake, MD, March 2003
-
Remodeling Leadership Conference: Improving the Odds: Risk Management Techniques for Growing Companies, May 2002
-
Women’s Bar Association, Washington, D.C. Bar, December 2001
-
Great American Insurance Company Ethics CLE, Las Vegas NV, October 2001
-
Maryland Bar Association, Employment Section, Annual Meeting Ocean City, MD, June 2001
-
Connecticut Bar Association, Litigation Section, New Haven, CT, February 2001
-
Hartford County Bar Association, “Jury Verdicts in Connecticut,” October 1999
-
Fairfax County Bar Association, Fairfax City, VA, March 1998
-
Lehigh County Bar Association, Annual Convention, Taminent, PA, October 1997
-
Old Dominion Bar Association, Crystal City, VA, June 1997
-
Connecticut Defense Lawyers Association, Annual Meeting, June 1995
Employment Lawyers Associations
-
Connecticut Employment Lawyers' Association, New Haven, CT, October 16, 2007
-
Connecticut Bar Association, Employment Section Meeting, September 20, 2007.
-
Washington, D.C. Continuing Legal Education, Litigating Disability Discrimination Cases, May, 2007.
-
Connecticut Employment Lawyers Association, New Haven, CT April 5, 2006.
-
National CLE Conference in Snowmass, CO, Labor & Employment Law Program, Jan.7, 2006. "Effective Trial Tactics."
-
Metropolitan Washington Employment Lawyers Association, February, 2005.
-
Metropolitan Washington Employment Lawyers Assoc., September 2002
-
Natl. Employment Lawyers Assoc., Tri-State Conference, Princeton, N.J., February 2002
-
Natl. Employment Lawyers Assoc., 13th Annual Convention, Orlando, FL, June 2002
-
Natl. Employment Lawyers Assoc., 11th Annual Convention, Washington, D.C., June 2000
-
Employment Law Trial Skills Conference, St. Petersburg, FL, July 1999
-
Massachusetts Employment Lawyers Assoc., Regional Meeting, Framingham, MA, May 1999
-
Natl. Employment Lawyers Assoc., 9th Annual Convention, Monterey, CA, June 1998
-
Inns of Court, Employment Section, Montclair, NJ, September 1996
-
Natl. Employment Lawyers Assoc., 6th Annual Convention, Waterville Valley, NH, June 1995
|
