Mock Jury Focus Groups

Please click here to read an article featuring SCI's Litigation Research Services.

SCI Research (SCI) recognizes the complexity and uncertainty that often face attorneys as they prepare for trial. We offer tested and proven assistance through jury group research services. We maintain the largest focus group facility in Louisiana, with three rooms set up for your use. Our traditional focus group room is set up conference-style, behind one way glass. We have two other focus group rooms to accommodate 20 to 50 jurors. Your staff can observe the deliberation of mock jurors from behind the glass, or on live streaming video monitors in our comfortable observation room.

SCI's jury groups can be utilized to test the following aspects of trying a case:

  • Attorney presentation style / skill
  • Themes
  • Exhibits
  • Damage awards
  • Witness testimony
  • Opening statements
  • Closing arguments
  • Voir dire questions
  • And more

Choosing the Right Mock Jurors

Jury groups are similar to all of SCI's research projects in that the most important thing we do is make sure your group involves the right respondents. SCI puts each potential mock juror's background through rigorous scrutiny. You can trust that the mock jurors will fit the demographics of your trial's venire.

Recruiting respondents is the first step to fielding your jury group, and it affects the remainder of the project. Mock jurors who represent your venire provide meaningful information about your venire. This allows you to make informed decisions concerning voir dire, and ultimately, all facets of your case.

SCI has been conducting market research in Louisiana and the Gulf South for almost 25 years, and has unparalleled expertise in recruiting individuals for qualitative research projects. Our "show" rates (the rate at which recruited participants actually appear for a group) are higher than average, contributing to our reputation as a company that gets the job done.

Testing Attorney Presentation

The best chances for success lie with a skilled trial attorney. SCI's experience has taught us that the most important aspects of a successful trial presentation are the attorney's credibility, likeability, and trustworthiness.

Unless specifically instructed otherwise, SCI always includes a test of these three characteristics when preparing questionnaires and guides for a mock jury focus group. These groups offer the perfect opportunity for trial attorneys to hone their presentation skills, to define which characteristics give them an advantage, and which may unknowingly be setting them back.

Four Different Approaches

All of SCI's mock jury focus group options offer the same core set of services: 1) consultation and planning; 2) mock juror recruitment; 3) facility coordination; 4) moderating services; 5) mock juror incentives; 6) questionnaire, moderator guide, and screener preparation, and; 7) reporting and analysis. Those mock jury groups held in our Baton Rouge facility also include light refreshments and audio/video recording.

Although SCI can custom-create a mock jury project, we've found that most of our clients prefer one of four project designs. SCI has therefore tailored and finely-tuned the following four mock jury focus group options.

  • 2-hour single focus group
  • 4-hour double (simultaneous) focus group
  • 8-hour double (simultaneous) focus group
  • Two-stage "drill-down" focus groups

The shortest and least complex mock jury group is a maximum of two-hours, and involves 12 mock-jurors. This option is best utilized when you require information about a single issue, such as damage amounts. These groups require either a short case presentation (15 minutes or less) from attorneys on your staff for each side of the case OR a short set of factual statements for our staff to present to the jurors on your behalf. A brief set of jury charges may also be required.

The most popular option among our clients is the four-hour mock jury group. This lets you present hour-long summaries of your case (and that of your opponent) to 20 mock jurors at once, then break the large group into halves for simultaneous deliberation. The four-hour groups provide in-depth analysis, allowing you to test themes, exhibits, attorney presentations, opening statements, and closing arguments.

Eight-hour groups offer the most flexibility, allowing for a complete mini-trial experience, during which any facet of your case may be tested. In addition to testing everything that can be tested in the shorter groups, the eight-hour groups are extremely useful for testing witness testimony. The extra time allows you to show clips from depositions to truly test believability and credibility.

The last of our set options is the two-stage "drill-down" jury focus group. This involves two focus groups, the first of which is a short (2-hour or less) discussion concerning broad litigation topics.. The information gathered in the first group is then used to formulate the content of the second, four-hour, in-depth group

For instance, if your case involves an allegedly faulty product, SCI's "drill-down" method will involve a short focus group with persons who match your venire, to discuss their general feelings about the specific type of product involved in your case, the specific brand of product involved in your case, and about products liability overall. Using this information as a baseline, your litigation team will be better equipped to formulate themes and exhibit that will resonate with potential jurors.

Reporting

Ultimately, SCI will assist you in creating and designing a mock jury group research project that will yield the most actionable information available. The data gathered during your group(s) will give your litigation team informed insight into the minds of potential jurors, helping you to smartly and effectively mold and review your case presentation. Each project concludes with a detailed and tailored analytic report that provides demonstrable recommendations.

Price Information

SCI's jury research groups are generally priced per project. Some aspects of a jury group, included in the project price, are passed along directly to our client without any administrative or other fee by SCI. These include participant incentives...

For detailed and formal information about pricing, please contact us by submitting a quote request at https://ssl.sciresearch.com/request/ or by calling us at 225.928.0220 or 800.695.0221.