Human behaviour experts suggest that the gestures and body language of a person can reveal their psychology, and the way their mind can react in different circumstances. This technique is employed by the jury selection consultant to figure out the best channels through which you may get the winning edge in a case.
Jury consultants are the experts of studying human behaviour. They help the attorneys in selecting the jurors, which draws the line between being exonerated and being convicted. More than the criminal cases the Jury consultants are employed in the matters involving a huge amount of money, associated elite classes of the society.
What makes them so good at what they do?
- A professional Consultant for jury selection holds either a Master’s degree or a Ph.D. They are well read and have command over the subjects like political science and social science.
- Behavioural science is also a desirable qualification for a Jury selection consultant.
- Those who have studied psychology and criminology in their bachelors can also opt for the profession.
- The subjects deal with a broad variety of matters in the legal world. As the whole process is about studying the behaviour of Jury in terms of the legal aspect of a situation.
- The academic qualification decides the nature of the cases that they can handle initially and deliver what is required.
- Also, some consultants have plans to stay ahead in the game. These Jury selection consultants take up a joint degree.
- The combination that equip a person to perform is the degree in law and social sciences.
- The joint degree makes them aware of the language and the different aspects of legal processes, and therefore, produces the better analysis report.
Functions that a Jury Selection Consultant Performs
To a layman, the concept of anthropology and human behaviour may seem to be a method by which one can tell the whether the person is shy, lazy, active or moody. However, the work of a Jury consultant is much more than that.
- The working of Jury consultant is explicitly based on the observations. They observe the jurors and draw conclusions about jury’s decision.
- In other words, they can predict the statements that come from the jurors. Therefore, the lawyer takes the assistance of a consultant to prepare his defence.
- The role of a Jury selection Consultant begins even before the first hearing. They develop the strategies for the case from a legal point of view.
- The client has a fair chance of winning as the consultants employ a scientific approach towards studying the array of physical actions and interpreting them using their grey cells.
- Jury selection consultants are often hired for complex civil litigation and criminal cases. In criminal matters, the observable facial expressions and body language can be interpreted to influence the case.
- If the lawyer plays his cards right, the client can be assured of success.
- They perform detailed research and prepare reports on the background of the jury to provide a better picture to the lawyer.
- They also draft defence and allegation tactics. Before the trials, they prepare the analytical reports for the attorney, which equips the attorneys with the artillery for acquisitions.
The Jury selection consultant can conduct Mock jury trials to establish confidence in the client. Also, the consultant helps the witnesses frame their statements to give psychological impact to their words.