Microsoft’s PowerPoint® (PPT) has become the ubiquitous legal presentation software over the years due to its flexibility, reliability and ease of use by nearly everyone in this profession. And, with millions of presentations residing on millions of computers around the world, it will continue to be the top presentation program for the foreseeable future. Over […]
Over the last year, Litigation Insights has had the opportunity to volunteer time within the community. We have been fortunate to work with three fantastic organizations: Harvesters, Kansas City Rescue Mission (KCRM) and The Salvation Army. Each of these organizations works in the Kansas City area to enhance the lives of our less fortunate neighbors. In this […]
In 2003, the U.S. Supreme Court heard Grutter v. Bollinger, a case brought by a law school applicant who was denied admission at the University of Michigan. The student, who was Caucasian, believed she had been wrongfully denied admission because of the law school’s admissions criteria, a composite of many academic and achievement-oriented variables. In addition, […]
In a recent trial, a juror sat on a bench directly behind the attorneys’ table fidgeting, whispering to his neighbors and constantly raising his hand in voir dire to ask questions or clarify voir dire issues that had already passed. He was engaged, smart and interested. Yet, his ability to sit still or focus on […]
Imagine a case where an employee is terminated from a job after 30 years of employment. The company claims he was let go because of downsizing; the plaintiff claims he was let go because he no longer fit the company image. How might jurors of different generations view this case? By and large, members of […]
Most veteran trial lawyers will agree that while a case is not won in jury selection, it can certainly be lost there. It is one of the three most critical junctures of any trial, yet voir dire usually is relegated to the proverbial back burner, only attended to in the waning days – or even […]
iPad Technology in Jury Selection Although there is a lot to be said for a “low-tech” approach to organizing and keeping track of the sometimes massive amounts of information accumulated during the jury selection process, there are options available to those who want to face the challenge with more than a pack of Post-it Notes […]
Imagine this. You’re in jury selection on behalf of a large corporate defendant. You’re down to your last peremptory challenge and you know you have to use it on the angry looking man wearing a t-shirt that reads “Workers of the World Unite!” So you write his name on the challenge sheet, hand it to […]