Whether you’ve been a witness to a crime or you’ve been summoned for jury duty, there are a number of factors you’ll need to be aware of if you’re part of a trial. Balancing witness testimony with evidence, along with understanding the complex nature of these cases, can be difficult without a background in criminal justice or the legal field.
Fortunately, however, there are professionals who can help witnesses, plaintiffs, juries, attorneys, and others involved in these cases understand the matters at hand. These individuals work in the field of trial consulting, and they are typically social scientists, such as psychologists and other experts.
Trial consultants may use a variety of tactics in order to propel a case forward. For instance, they may conduct mock trial hearings or perform mock mediation services for any cases settled out of court. They might also work in preparing witnesses or work to improve the arguments of a case. While an attorney may not need this service in particular, it is a strategy used with juries or other key persons in a case.
There are a number of different professionals who may work in the field of trial consulting as well as holding jobs in their respective lines of work. For instance, a psychologist might help a witness who has been attacked and suffered trauma prepare a statement to talk about what has happened to him or her. An economist may appear in a business or personal bankruptcy case or for white collar offenses. Communication experts may be called in to analyze handwriting, discuss a defendant’s phone records, or translate for a plaintiff or defendant.
Trial consulting professionals are also sometimes referred to as litigation consultants, especially if they happen to be working with the defense or plaintiff and help to prepare a trial presentation or develop a pre-litigation strategy. Without these professionals, mock trials, public opinion surveys, and other public-facing tactics wouldn’t take place either. In short, these professionals are vital to many types of trials.
