About FindLaw
Press Releases
What Makes Juries Listen Today Provides the Secrets to Winning Litigation
EAGAN, Minn., Dec. 8, 2004 -- The advent of computers brought with it a new generation Ð Generation X Ð that learns best visually and has a one-and-a-half-minute attention span. The importance of this generation plays into the courtroom as well; attorneys need to modify their tried-and-true methods in order to persuade juries today and make them listen.
"The proliferation of technology, changing socioeconomic climate, increasing ethnic diversity and the generational shift in todayÕs society are radically changing the composition of the modern jury," said Sonya Hamlin, author of What Makes Juries Listen Today. "Traditional communication techniques in the courtroom no longer apply. Persuading todayÕs jury needs some very new approaches to the trial."
Recently updated in its 10th printing from Glasser LegalWorks, a Thomson business (NYSE: TOC; TSX: TOC), What Makes Juries Listen Today addresses the challenges of the modern jury and how attorneys can overcome the obstacles to persuasion and find new ways to communicate with the lay public that sits in judgment on their trials.
Inside What Makes Juries Listen Today
What Makes Juries Listen Today provides valuable insight on the dynamics of a trial and the attorneyÕs role in it. In the pages of this book, replete with more than 100 illustrations, Hamlin examines the elements that make up the new jury and how to rethink traditional trial argumentation methods. What Makes Juries Listen Today demonstrates how to effectively communicate with the jury from opening statements to final arguments, including
- Visual aids
- Videotape depositions
- Nonverbal communication
- Voir dire (a preliminary examination of potential jurors)
- Cross examination
- Expert witnesses
"Effective communication involves speaking visually and is critical to winning performance in the courtroom," said Hamlin. "Attorneys also need to take into account the generational and ethnic differences of todayÕs juries in order to succeed." In What Makes Juries Listen Today, Hamlin presents exercises designed to help legal professionals improve their presentation skills, appear more confident and human in the courtroom, and present more powerful and persuasive cases.
The Author Ð Sonya Hamlin
Sonya Hamlin, president of Sonya Hamlin Communications in New York City, is well known to lawyers throughout the country as a consultant and an expert in training trial advocates. She works on cases with law firms consulting on advocacy skills, demonstrative evidence, witness preparation and strategy. She also develops and presents continuing legal education programs on advocacy skills, communication and jury expertise to law firms and bar associations across the country. She is an ongoing contributor on national network television. Her past accomplishments have included being the jury expert for the entire O.J. Simpson case as well as the Oklahoma City bombing trial. In addition, she was the communications expert on the Clinton impeachment proceedings and the recent presidential debates. A longtime television personality who has won two Emmy awards, Hamlin is an expert on nonverbal as well as verbal and visual ways to persuade the jury.
Visit http://west.thomson.com/news/experts/ for knowledgeable sources for stories on legal issues.
About Glasser LegalWork
Glasser LegalWorks, a business within The Thomson Corporation (NYSE: TOC; TSX: TOC), is widely known for its management events, including The Marketing Partner Forum, Law Firm Leaders Forum and Executive Director/CFO Forum; its substantive law seminars, including ERISA Litigation, Annual Proxy Statement and Disclosure Documents conference and SEC Disclosure and Accounting conference; and its newsletters, including Wall Street Lawyer and M&A Lawyer.
About The Thomson Corporation
The Thomson Corporation (www.thomson.com), with 2003 revenues from continuing operations of $7.44 billion, is a global leader in providing integrated information solutions to business and professional customers. Thomson provides value-added information, software tools and applications to more than 20 million users in the fields of law, tax, accounting, financial services, higher education, reference information, corporate training and assessment, scientific research and healthcare. With operational headquarters in Stamford, Conn., Thomson has approximately 38,000 employees and provides services in approximately 130 countries. The Corporation's common shares are listed on the New York and Toronto stock exchanges (NYSE: TOC; TSX: TOC).