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Connecting with prospective jurors: working to establish a good rapport with jurors during voir dire shows that you respect them and their investment of time. And it can help you lay the foundation for presenting your case during trial.

Article Excerpt
The challenge of jury selection is to pose questions in a way that not only yields information from jurors, but also conveys to them why they should trust you and believe your story. By following a few basic rules, you can create a more meaningful connection with prospective jurors and achieve a favorable outcome for your client.

The first rule is one we lawyers hear all the time: Prepare. Preparation can take place long before you expect to be in front of a jury. Preparation means getting used to asking questions a certain way. Start by asking people you know to tell you more about how they feel about a subject or which of two opposing positions on a topic makes more sense to them. Get used to drawing out opinions and following up on them. Prepare to be the lawyer who naturally follows up on what the juror has to say.

While you cannot prepare to be spontaneous at jury selection, you can prepare bullet points for topics you think will be important in your case and then practice asking questions about them. For example, if a chiropractor is your client's sole treating medical provider, spend time formulating questions about chiropractic medicine, and practice those questions with friends, associates, or office staff. The more you prepare, the more smoothly the questions will flow in the courtroom.

Why is it important for your questions to flow smoothly? A prepared lawyer comes across as self-confident and, by extension, confident in his or her client's case. You send a message to the jury that your case is strong.

Have you ever dealt with someone who takes forever to get to the point, blathering on and on while you stand there thinking to yourself, "Stop burying the lead! Get to the point, will you?" Unprepared lawyers are like those pointless blatherers. Don't waste a jury's time fumbling through papers as you try to think of the next point you were going to cover.

Having your selected points well prepared tells the jury immediately what your case will be about. Reducing your list of questioning to a series of bullet points also allows you to make more eye contact with prospective jurors, establishing a better connection with them. Then, prepare to ask people about your bullet points.

Good preparation is only part of...

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