How Trial Presentation Companies Can Turn Data into Impact—Lessons from Texas Flood Visuals
On the night of Friday, July 4, the Guadalupe River in Texas rose more than 26 feet in just 45 minutes, triggering catastrophic flash floods throughout the Hill Country. Communities near Kerrville were overwhelmed. Camp Mystic, a beloved girls’ camp, was among the hardest hit. As of this writing, more than 100 lives have been lost, and over 160 people remain missing. In the days that followed, news outlets scrambled to make sense of the disaster. The tragedy was enormous—but a few pieces of coverage managed to go beyond explanation and create something more: empathy. One that stood out was
The Science of Visual Persuasion: How Graphics Influence Juror Decision-Making
In the courtroom, clarity is power. No matter how sound a legal argument may be, if a jury doesn’t fully understand it — or can’t remember it — the advantage is lost. That’s why graphics aren’t just decoration in a trial presentation; they’re strategic tools that can sway outcomes. Visuals speak the language of jurors. The human brain is wired to process and retain visual information far more efficiently than text or speech. In an era where jurors consume data through infographics, animation, and multimedia daily, legal teams that embrace high-quality graphics gain a measurable edge. Visuals Are Processed Faster
Why Trial Technicians Are the Secret Weapon in High-Stakes Litigation
A couple of decades ago, I was consulting on a multi-week federal trial—big case, tight courtroom, full of moving parts. The lead litigator had rehearsed every line of the opening, the graphics were locked, and the witnesses were prepped. But then, two minutes before opening statements, a projector bulb blew. No panic. No scrambling. The trial technician—who had quietly loaded, tested, and redundantly backed up everything the night before—walked calmly to the cart, replaced the bulb, and got the system online again before court was gaveled in. No one noticed. Except the team. And me. And that’s when I was reminded
DOAR Study Shows the Increased Impact Political Affiliation Has on Jurors in White-Collar Criminal Matters
June 24, 2025, New York, NY — DOAR, the nation’s leading trial consulting company, today released findings from its comprehensive study examining how political beliefs influence public attitudes in white-collar crime cases following the 2024 presidential election. The study revealed that traditional demographic predictors of juror behavior have been fundamentally disrupted by political polarization, with implications for jury selection and trial strategy in white-collar criminal matters. The report, “Public Attitudes Toward White-Collar Crime in the Aftermath of the Presidential Election,” was conducted by the DOAR Research Center and surveyed 1,242 jury-eligible Americans across the country about their views of the
Follow Five Steps to a Successful Cause Challenge
By Dr. Ken Broda-Bahm: Cause challenges play an important role in jury selection. When a potential juror has an acknowledged barrier to basing their decision on a neutral understanding of the evidence and the law, they should not serve. However, when lawyers are exploring potential cause issues, I often see them taking an approach that […]
Jury Persuasion Techniques: Using Surprise to Overcome Boredom and Confirmation Bias in the Courtroom
Over a decade ago, I wrote an article for this blog titled, Could Surprise Be One of Your Best Visual Persuasion Tools? In it, I made the case that well-executed surprise — not ambush, but carefully designed moments of cognitive disruption — can be one of the most powerful tools a litigator brings into the courtroom. Since then, I've seen that insight validated over and over again in real-world trials. And as the research around cognitive science and juror decision-making has advanced, my belief has only strengthened: surprise remains one of the most underutilized jury persuasion techniques available today. If