Trial Consulting

Trial consulting gained attention in 1971, when “scientific jury selection” was employed by a group of social scientists in the defense of the Harrisburg Seven, a group of war protesters who faced conspiracy and kidnapping charges. Since that time, the field has grown considerably in terms of both the number of professionals in the field and the range of services offered. The educational and professional backgrounds of trial consultants vary, but doctoral-level psychologists make up the largest percentage of consultants. There are arguably no limits to the types of services that trial consultant can provide, but the most common include community attitude surveys, jury selection, witness preparation, focus group studies, mock trials (also referred to as trial simulation studies), demonstrative exhibit preparation and evaluation, content ...