Jessica BryloApr 13, 20174 minHow Well Do You Know Your Case?How well do you think you know your cases? I don’t mean the deadlines for discovery or the legal rulings by the judge. I mean, how well d...
Jessica BryloJan 5, 20133 minBeating Preponderance – The Trouble With Battling ExpertsI consult on many different types of cases from medical malpractice, insurance bad faith, personal injury, wrongful death – the list goes...
Jessica BryloJul 26, 20122 minKeeping Jurors Awake and InterestedOn my days off, I walk into my nearest courtroom and watch jury trials. I look for how long it takes me to figure out what the case is ab...
Jessica BryloMay 8, 20122 minMaximizing your Budget for Voir DireThe more I am called in to help attorneys with jury selection, the more I realize their money may have been spent better elsewhere. Am I ...
Jessica BryloMay 3, 20124 minMy Experience as a JurorA few weeks ago, I received a summons for jury duty. Unlike most potential jurors, I was very excited (for obvious reasons). I knew my ch...
Jessica BryloApr 15, 20123 minLessons from a Defense VerdictA few weeks ago, I watched some very seasoned attorneys try a negligence case. I was only able to watch one day of testimony but spoke w...
Jessica BryloMar 27, 20122 minWhat to Consider in Ordering Your WitnessesTrial is approaching and you have a long list of witnesses to organize. How do you know who goes first, second, third, and last? Orderi...
Jessica BryloFeb 6, 20122 minHow to Use “Herd Mentality” to Your AdvantageAs advanced as humans are, we are still primitively just mammals belonging to a herd. Animals and people stay in herds because it provid...
Jessica BryloJan 2, 20123 minAre Your Jurors Using a Deliberation Process that Hurts You?Deliberations are a scary thing for attorneys. It’s the time when you have to completely let go of your case and your jurors and hope th...
Jessica BryloDec 19, 20112 minAre You Stealing Emotions Away from Jurors?With the holidays upon us and families gathering, I thought I would post on something that relates to both normal life and relations with...
Jessica BryloNov 28, 20112 minA Twist On DamagesYour case: A 69 year old woman is hit from behind in a car crash. Liability is admitted. Damages are that the woman can no longer sit l...
Jessica BryloNov 20, 20112 minUnreliability of Eyewitness Memory & How to Counteract ItIf you’ve spent any time interviewing jurors, you know that eyewitness testimony holds great weight. And if you’ve spent any time resear...
Jessica BryloNov 9, 20112 minWatch for InconsistenciesIn my last post, I talked about trusting jurors. The flip side to that is that you need to be trustworthy. There are many elements that...
Jessica BryloNov 2, 20111 minHave a Little Faith…In JurorsI often come across attorneys who have trouble trusting jurors.  I can’t blame them – it’s hard to give up control over your case to the ...
Jessica BryloOct 22, 20112 minDetecting Lies During Voir DireThere have been many studies done on lie detection and the results are often disheartening. Most of us, including police officers, fare ...
Jessica BryloOct 10, 20112 minA Look At the New Argumentative Theory of ReasoningIn one of my previous posts, a reader asked about a new theory called Argumentative Theory or Argumentative Reasoning. I thought it woul...
Jessica BryloOct 2, 20114 minHow Well Can You Predict the Outcome of Your Case?In my years of studying jurors, I have come to find attorneys just as intriguing. Attorneys know their cases extremely well. So well, i...
Jessica BryloSep 26, 20115 minLessons from the Deliberation RoomWhen you go through law school, socialize with other attorneys, and draft motions directed to attorneys and judges, you can easily lose t...
Jessica BryloAug 18, 20112 minDo Jurors Get “Poisoned” During Voir Dire?Attorneys are often worried about asking questions in voir dire that elicit responses that are harmful to your side of the case. For exa...
Jessica BryloAug 14, 20112 minThe Correct Use of PowerPoint & GraphicsAs technology as become increasingly prominent in our lives, it has leaked its way into the courtroom. Some technological advances are e...