Jury Selection
Supplemental juror questionnaires, voir dire questions, selection strategy, and a consultant beside you in court when the panel comes in.
Jurors are poor judges of their own bias. Most people want to appear fair, and few will admit a prejudice in front of a room of strangers. Good jury selection starts with conditions that let jurors speak honestly, and with questions aimed at the jurors most dangerous to your case, not the ones most favorable.
What we do
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Supplemental juror questionnaires
Case-specific questions that give jurors relative privacy, draw out what they will not say aloud, and give you a written record for challenges for cause.
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Voir dire questions
Open-ended questions drafted for your case and designed to expose the bias that matters, while protecting the jurors you want to keep.
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Jury selection strategy
Where to spend peremptory challenges, which cause challenges to press, and how to apply what pretrial research taught you.
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Juror rating system
A systematic rating for every prospective juror, built with your team and used to prioritize challenges.
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Juror background research
Public records and social media research on prospective jurors, within ethical rules and court guidelines.
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Motions for improved voir dire
Memos and declarations supporting a questionnaire, attorney-conducted voir dire, small-group or sequestered questioning, or additional peremptory challenges.
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In-court assistance
A consultant beside you as the panel is questioned: notes for cause and Batson challenges, a running view of the whole panel, and help weighing each peremptory.
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Voir dire training
Hands-on training for members of your trial team.
Court-appointed cases
Courts appoint trial consultants too, and a large share of our criminal defense work is court-appointed. Our sample affidavit can help you ask the judge to appoint a consultant in your case.
Sample affidavit →“From its members’ studies in the relevant fields of social science and extensive work and observations in individual cases, the NJP has developed a broad understanding of how the conditions under which jurors are selected affect the behavior of individual jurors’ ability to serve as fair and impartial arbiters of fact.”
Brief of Amicus Curiae of National Jury Project, Lacaze v. Louisiana, U.S. Supreme Court (2017)
We have filed amicus briefs with the United States Supreme Court and state appellate courts on voir dire, pretrial publicity and juror behavior.
Read the brief (PDF) →From trial lawyers
“I wouldn’t pick a jury without them. Not only has my voir dire improved by orders of magnitude by working with them but so have my opening statements, closing arguments and identifying the best theme for the trial.”
David McClain Kazan, McClain, Lyons, Greenwood & Harley
“For over 25 years the lawyers in our firm have relied on NJP. They not only understand juries, they provide us with straight forward and honest feedback on case issues, themes, witnesses and our arguments. They help us find the story within the case that will resonate best with juries. They understand the challenges of going to trial and were instrumental in our efforts to protect voir dire in the California with the enactment of CCP 222.5.”
Peter Alfert Hinton Alfert & Kahn, Walnut Creek, CA
“Lois Heaney of NJP Litigation Consulting/West is the finest jury consultant with whom I have ever worked. She combines extraordinary professional and personal skills that make her both effective and easy to work with. I have retained Lois in a number of cases, including the defenses of Stephen Bingham and Robert Blake. We achieved a successful result in all of those cases. I give Lois my unqualified recommendation.”
M. Gerald Schwartzbach Mill Valley, CA
Questions about jury selection
How much lead time do you need?
It depends on the work. A supplemental questionnaire, voir dire questions and a strategy are best prepared well before trial. A brief two-hour consultation can happen on the eve of trial if that is what you need.
What if the judge conducts voir dire?
Learn the court’s procedures early. We help you draft questions for the judge to ask, and memos and declarations asking for a questionnaire, attorney-conducted voir dire or small-group questioning.
Do you research prospective jurors online?
Yes, within ethical rules and court guidelines. Public records and social media can add to what you learn in voir dire, especially when voir dire is limited, as it often is in federal court.
Can a court-appointed case use a consultant?
Yes. Courts appoint trial consultants. Our sample affidavit is a starting point for the request.
Start with a conversation.
Most engagements begin with a short call about your case, your venue, and your trial date. No budget is too small to talk.
Talk With a Consultant