In-Court Jury Selection

Strike For Cause Trial Consultants will take notes, analyze the jury list, advise the attorneys as to the necessity of a shuffle, handle objections and take over the questioning at the bench. Robert Swafford has a proven track record of revealing juror bias and translating that into a strike for cause.

We come fully prepared to argue the law with regard to all issues of jury selection and to preserve the record for future appeals. The trial lawyer is able to interact with, listen to, and build rapport with the jurors knowing that the important work of getting strikes for cause at the bench will be effectively handled.

Voir Dire Scripts

Strike For Cause Trial Consultants help attorneys identify the hot-button issues that will ultimately decide their case. Successful attorneys know their cases so intimately that often it is difficult, if not impossible, to see the forest for the trees. Interviews conducted by Strike For Cause will provide perspective, allowing the trial lawyer to identify the issues that will ultimately decide the case. Once hot-button issues are identified, Strike For Cause will draft loaded questions that will not only expose the prejudice of objectionable jurors, but will also enable the lawyer to easily get the juror struck for cause.

One of the most valuable services we offer is providing voir dire scripts tailored to the facts of your case. Our carefully drafted questions are designed to expose jurors’ bias and prejudice. We analyze the hot-button issues specific to your case to create a customized voir dire script that maximizes your strikes for cause.

Written Juror Questionnaires

In cases in which it is allowed, Strike For Cause will analyze the case and carefully draft a written questionnaire that will expose biases and prejudices that would not be revealed through a typical analysis of demographics.

Post-Trial

Strike For Cause will interview jurors to find out what worked and what didn’t work. Every trial, regardless of the outcome, can be a building block to future successes.

Witness Preparation

At Strike For Cause, we see witness preparation as the art of teaching witnesses how to tell their story as clearly and credibly as possible, while remaining cool under pressure.

Strike For Cause Trial Consulting has a unique approach to witness preparation. Through a proven process, witnesses learn how to find language that not only persuasively expresses their views, but also allows them to be confident and authentic when testifying. Lawyers consistently report that they learn things about their case that they never knew before from this process. This is true even on cases that lawyers have lived with for years.

Our unique witness preparation techniques produce short-term miracles. We consistently help people who are angry be peaceful, people who are terrified be courageous, and people who are arrogant be humble and relatable for the five to six hours that they are testifying. These are not miracles in the mystical sense, but they are miracles in the sense that no one would have predicted these particular witnesses would ever be able to perform the way they did in their deposition, hearing, or trial.

Focus Groups

Focus groups are a valuable tool for the trial lawyer, but only when used correctly. Our approach differs from that of most trial consultants. Rather than attempting to use focus groups to predict which demographics are favorable to your case—an ineffective approach because the sample size is never big enough to be statistically relevant—we use information gathered in focus groups to identify attitudes and worldviews that correlate with case outcomes. This allows us to identify the hot-button issues in your case, draft highly effective voir dire questions and ferret out unfavorable jurors on your venire panel. Focus groups can also help us give valuable insight into your case themes and approaches to the evidence.

We can handle all aspects of the focus group, from booking a venue, to recruiting participants and running the show on the day of the focus group itself.

Settlement Videos and Day in the Life Films

Working in collaboration with top videographers and editors, we produce settlement videos and day in the life films that are powerful and compelling. Mr. Swafford’s skill as an interviewer enables our team to capture your clients at their most sympathetic and compelling. Our videos get results.

Coaching

Mr. Swafford has extensive experience training attorneys to conduct voir dire using the Strike For Cause method. Asking the right questions is crucial, but equally important is asking the right questions in the right way. Our clients will benefit from one-on-one coaching with Mr. Swafford to learn key speaking techniques that make potential jurors feel comfortable expressing their biases and prejudices—ultimately maximizing strikes for cause.

Trial Strategies/Case Themes

One of the greatest gifts we bring to any case is our ignorance of your case. We have worked on cases which lawyers have been immersed in for years. We approach your case with fresh eyes and are able to help the team present the most complex case in a way that is simple, understandable and persuasive. By keeping the focus on winning and our understanding of how jurors actually make decisions, we are able to collaborate with attorneys to create a narrative that not only appeals to the jurors’ logic, but also moves them emotionally.

Courtroom Graphics/Presentation Strategies

We have close working relationships with a number of graphic artists who specialize in courtroom graphics and visual presentations. Our history working closely with graphic artists allows us to access tools for powerful visual communication.

Seminars

Mr. Swafford is a sought-after speaker on the topics of jury selection and witness preparation. He is available for speaking engagements for bar associations as well as in-house seminars.