Online mock jury trials are not as different from in-person mock jury trials as you might think. A lot of the key components, such as witness analysis, exhibit analysis, opening statements, mock rulings, and so on, are still upheld in an online mock jury trial room. Lawyers can usually prepare their cases like normal and their online partner facilitator will handle the transition of the details into the appropriate platform tool. What deviates from the lawyer’s routine on how to prepare for a mock jury trial comes from the preparation involved in choosing the right partner facilitator. We’ve listed down the best qualities you should look out for in an online mock jury trial facilitator to ensure you’re getting the most out of your valuable client’s time.
Experience and Expertise
There is an abundance of solutions and services available that can provide the technology for your online mock jury trials. But what you also want is a partnering facilitator providing these solutions that know how to prioritize your needs. You want to work with a team that is aware of the importance of mock jury trials and how they provide valuable insights into the possible outcomes of a court case.
Online mock jury trials are still very new and their popularity has grown due to the global pandemic. While you may not find companies with extensive experience in online mock jury trials, try looking for one with valuable experience in IDI and focus group facilitation. While the methodologies differ, the tools within the IDI and focus group web rooms themselves can often serve mock jury trials quite well. As a bonus, you’ll end up with a partner consultant that can give you suggestions, let you know what works, and ensure your project's success.
Mock Jury Trial Customization
Once you’ve found a partnering facilitator with valuable experience on IDI and focus group solutions, the next step is to ask them what services they can provide to you. How will they set up their web rooms specifically for your mock trial? Will they do tech checks for your jurors and consulting team so that everyone is on the same page? How will they transition your court documents and evidence seamlessly into the setup? And most importantly, will they be present on the day itself to ensure everything goes smoothly?
The answers to these questions will vary depending on whom you choose, but here are some capabilities that are greatly advantageous to online mock jury trials:
- Encryption and Security for Personal Identifying Information (PII)
Court documents are very sensitive regardless of whether they’re used in a physical setting or a remote setting. Make sure your partner facilitator has security measures in place to protect all the documents you will be using in court. Preferably, they will store your documents in secure encrypted cloud storage which provides security against physical threats as well as ensures your evidence will not be easily lost or deleted. That way, you can always go back and review your online mock jury trial for further insights.
- Breakout Rooms
Your partner facilitator should have breakout room capabilities within their web room set up to accommodate your jurors, your consulting team, etc. It can be difficult to micromanage many people within a remote setting so having the ability to segregate them into different groups and provide specialized instruction and direction can do wonders for the depth of insights you’re wanting out of your mock trial. The best part of breakout room capabilities is that all the parties involved remain on the main call while the breakout sessions are taking place which allows them to be easily brought back once the breakout discussions are over.
- Polls and Surveys
One advantage of using IDI and focus group web rooms for your online mock jury trials is that polling and survey capabilities are typically already built-in to the setup. In traditional settings, handing out polls and surveys can often take time and it isn’t a guarantee that all participants will finish inputting their feedback simultaneously. WIth online mock jury trials, you can set time limits and nudge participants directly so that all feedback can be accounted for at the time you want it accomplished.
Why Should You Conduct Mock Jury Trials Online with Civicom Research Services
Civicom has experience hosting over 35,000 IDIs and focus groups every year and as a result, has developed an in-depth understanding of the needs of a trial consultant. We bring our advantageous services that ensure project success for IDIs and focus groups over to our online mock jury trial service. We provide analytical tools to help you quickly determine leanings, we can help you recruit mock jurors for your trials, we provide transcription, translation, captions, and subtitle services, and most importantly, we deliver playback audio and video files to ensure you can always review your sessions for further analysis. Choose Civicom Research Services for your mock jury trial needs.