A jury consultant is usually the type of trial consultant that people think of first. Picking a jury consultant can be a difficult task. Many jury consultants have psychological backgrounds that they use when trying to pick the right jury for a case. There is no doubt that the selection of jurors is an important part of a case.
Even though picking a jury is an important part of a case, it does not happen in a vacuum. Understanding what the important issues are in a case is necessary to understand what types of jurors would be best to evaluate certain types of evidence in certain types of cases.
When choosing a jury consultant it is almost always best to make sure that someone with a background as a trial attorney plays an important part. Many of the themes of a case that are explored in jury selection must be explored and developed long before the case goes to trial. Also, it is important that the themes and important issues in a case are consistently approached throughout the entire trial. Picking a jury that is prepared and well equipped to handle certain issues does not mean anything if those issues are ignored after jury selection.
There is benefit to having jury consultants that have backgrounds in psychology, the social sciences and “hard” sciences. A trial lawyer can have years of experience but if they never challenge their theories or their approaches then they can simply repeat the same mistakes over time. When a person has a serious case, they should think about who they want and need in a trial consultant, in general, and a jury consultant, in particular, long before the trial starts.