The Power Sit

 

Now that we are back in the courtroom as opposed to our above-the-waist-only position on Zoom, our witnesses/experts’ body language is once again relevant.

In working with witnesses, I developed the “Power Sit” – my shorthand for “Please sit up straight, your back against the back of the chair, with your head level, arms on the arms of the chair,” because experience showed me that witnesses who sit this way, demonstrating good posture, are deemed more credible by jurors.

How does this work?

         - The “Power Sit” bolsters your witnesses’ self-confidence and self-esteem, a consequence of self-respect. Your witnesses are more likely to give credible testimony because they feel better about themselves.

         - Your witnesses are more likely to be perceived by jurors as credible and persuasive, because in our society, those who maintain good posture are considered worthy of respect.

It then stands to reason, that with just a little attention to your own posture, whether sitting at counsel table, standing at the podium or in the well, you can be an even more powerful and convincing litigator. Every little bit helps when it comes to winning your case.

Post-Pandemic Jurors’ Mixed Feelings About Corporations

 

As we slowly come out of the pandemic, albeit in fits and starts, juror attitudes have understandably shifted in these difficult and trying times. It is inevitable that among your jurors there will be those who are recently unemployed, some for the first time in their work-lives, along with others who have lost savings, homes, opportunities, even careers.

 

This has corporate defendants obviously concerned, for if corporations have often fared poorly in jurors’ eyes, many are doing even worse now. However, this is hardly the time for plaintiff’s counsel to cry “Huzzah,” for along with the public’s disdain for corporate greed and malfeasance, comes jurors’ disapproval of any case that smacks of the frivolous or the not “truly madly deeply” justified. Especially if plaintiff’s win could mean a cut in jobs for employees.

 

At least some of the jurors in any given panel understand the consequence of large awards. Don’t forget that among today’s unemployed are many who were in the white-collar strata of the workforce, and that these unemployed are able to educate their less-informed fellow jurors on the realities of what happens to employees, their jobs, wages and benefits, when corporations are hit with huge verdicts.

 

Whether representing plaintiff or defendant, keep in mind the current composition of your jury pool and current juror attitudes. This will go far in helping you win your case.