You must
connect with jurors if they are to find you convincing and persuasive. One of
the prime often most neglected ways to connect effectively with jurors is to
get them up to speed with the “Who” in the case early on. Jurors feel
disconnected when they can’t readily figure out who’s doing what to whom and
why that should matter.
Use
organizational charts and other visuals that vividly illustrate the flow of
communication or authority from one party to the other. Symbolize the relevance
of each party to the case by using icons or other graphic devices. Remind
jurors of those relationships from time to time as your case proceeds (i.e.,
"Is it your testimony that Mr. Smith, Ann Jones's boss, went on to say…”).
Be sure to
use full names of persons, entities or objects throughout the case. As
repetitious it may seem, complete references are vital. Use of pronouns or
abbreviated references to important entities or objects is confusing to jurors.
Jurors often have trouble just keeping track of who did what to whom. They will
be totally lost if they must also concentrate on which "he,"
"she," or "it" the lawyer is now referring to. Certainly,
well-known abbreviations are acceptable, but generally speaking, abbreviations
used too often only serve to confuse jurors, and a confused juror is an
unsympathetic, disconnected juror.
This you
cannot afford, if you are to win your case.
