Archive | Trial Consulting

Hitting the Ground Running

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On January 12, 2023

Category: Business Frustrations, Business Partnerships, Entrepreneurship, Getting the Job Done, Getting Through Life and Work, Jury Consultants, Litigation Consultants, Magnus, Magnus Research, Mental Health, Small Business Success, Trial Consulting, Work-Life, Workplace Technology

As noted in a prior post, Melissa and I have built in a “vacation” each year during the last 2 weeks of December, returning to work just after January 1. This is, in some part, due to the reality that we cannot do our “real work” of mock juries, etc., in that time period. In […]

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On January 12, 2023

During our recent vacation, David and I had lunch with childhood friends of mine, both of whom are retired. One of these friends has been retired for several years and the other, for several months. They both extolled the virtues of retirement, which, for them, has provided considerable benefits over their careers, which they spent […]

Jury is Greater than the Sum of Individual Juror Parts

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On January 10, 2023

Category: Jury Behavior, Jury Consultants, Jury Deliberations, Jury Research, Litigation Consultants, Litigation Research, Litigation Tips, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Psychology, Trial Consultants, Trial Consulting

Social psychology is the scientific study of how people behave in groups. There are many areas of research within social psychology, however, they share a common focus on how individual and group interactions are shaped by one’s external environment, specifically, other people. Numerous research findings have demonstrated the impact of the group on individual performance, […]

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On January 10, 2023

Groups are found in many environments. Work teams, church or other volunteer groups, are the norm in our world. But, nowhere other than juries are group efforts and group decisions more important in our society. Juries, especially those which require unanimous verdicts, work hard to achieve their goal. The study of juries as groups by […]

It’s Nice to Be Appreciated

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On January 5, 2023

Category: Business Relationships, Giving Back, Jury Consultants, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Marketing your Business, Small Business Success, Trial Consulting

Melissa and I received an unexpected thank you note and gift from the new College of Law at my alma mater, Jacksonville University. We have been doing a little to help with the start up of that program. Out of the blue came a couple of packages with nicely designed and personalized paper weights. Goodness […]

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On January 5, 2023

Category: Business Relationships, Giving Back, Jury Consultants, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Marketing your Business, Small Business Success, Trial Consulting

I was pleasantly surprised to receive the beautiful and thoughtful paperweight from Jacksonville University’s College of Law. Rarely have my efforts been rewarded with such an appreciative gesture! My friend, Teresa, is always thoughtful when she visits David and me. She never leaves our house without writing a thank you note and surprising us with […]

Some Cases Last Longer than Imaginable

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On December 15, 2022

Category: Business Frustrations, Business Relationships, Entrepreneurship, Getting the Job Done, Jury Consultants, Jury Research, Litigation Consultants, Litigation Research, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Marketing your Business, Small Business Success, Trial Consultants, Trial Consulting

A challenging aspect of our trial consulting work is timing. It is always an issue for us to ramp up when we are engaged for a project. There is lead time in all that we do. Some clients, particularly repeat clients, understand this and call us well in advance of their “need.” Other times it […]

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On December 15, 2022

I sincerely hope 10 years will be the longest time between case intake and conducting mock trials! At this point in my life and career, I’m not certain I will be around 10 years from now! The case to which David refers is Magnus’ infamous case #110. As a point of reference, when we finally […]

Social Psych = Groups = Juries

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On December 6, 2022

Category: Careers, Entrepreneurship, Getting the Job Done, Jury Consultants, Jury Research, Litigation Consultants, Litigation Research, Litigation Tips, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Marketing your Business, Psychology, Trial Consultants, Trial Consulting

Over the years, many people have asked me what makes me qualified to work as a jury/trial consultant. I explain that I have a Ph.D. in social psychology, which is the scientific study of how people’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by other people and situations. Social thinking, social influence, and social behavior are […]

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On December 6, 2022

I have certainly learned a lot about social psychology, by osmosis and directly from Melissa, as well as in a graduate course, taken before I had any intent of working in the trial consulting world, that helped me more than I knew it would. It is interesting to explain the principles of psychological science to […]

Almost Like Cheating

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On November 24, 2022

I keep a list of things clients have said during or after working with us on mock jury research. These tidbits illustrate the eye opening reactions some attorneys have when observing jurors deliberate. One of my favorites was from (now retired) Pete Burkert in Fort Myers, FL. After a series of mock juries, he said, […]

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On November 24, 2022

Pete Burkert’s quote is memorable, even after many years have passed. Until his and his partner, Kim Hart’s, retirement, Magnus enjoyed decades of working with these 2 extremely fine attorneys. Mr. Hart had worked with us several times before we worked with his law partner, Mr. Burkert, and Kim called to tell me what Pete […]

Completion Satisfaction

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On November 10, 2022

Category: Business Frustrations, Careers, Employment, Entrepreneurship, Getting the Job Done, Jury Consultants, Life Outside of Work, Litigation Consultants, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Trial Consulting

I played hooky this morning for a couple of hours in order to complete some tasks on my to do list. These were things that had been lingering at home for some time and I finally had the parts in hand to do the repairs, thanks to a big trip to Home Depot and several […]

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On November 10, 2022

Hooray for David in, as I like to say, “gittin’ er dun”! It’s always nice to accomplish tasks on the “to do” list. As David said, our professional lives do not offer the same sense of satisfaction that comes from other people’s jobs. Our work takes a long time to complete, and often, our clients […]

Premature Decisions

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On November 3, 2022

Category: Business Frustrations, Careers, Entrepreneurship, Getting the Job Done, Jury Consultants, Jury Research, Litigation Consultants, Litigation Research, Litigation Tips, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Trial Consultants, Trial Consulting

Several recent client/case events prompted this post. My biased view of litigation is that it is best done when as much input (a.k.a. data) is considered. This includes data from various experts, but also data from mock juries used to evaluate the risks of litigation. The first example is with a case that settled prior […]

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On November 3, 2022

I prefer things to be done in an orderly, not a chaotic, manner. When I make a decision about whether or not a particular person will be a “good” juror for a client’s case, I don’t merely look at the person and say, “Yeah, that one looks pretty good to me.” Instead, my decisions regarding […]

Things Easy for You Are Real Hard for Me

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On November 1, 2022

Category: Business Partnerships, Business personalities, Careers, Common Courtesy, Getting the Job Done, Getting Through Life and Work, Jury Consultants, Life Outside of Work, Litigation Consultants, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Partnerships, Small Business Success, Trial Consulting

As anyone who knows me soon realizes, I am not a “normal person.” I never have been and I never will be. My mom used to marvel that, despite the many differences between people my age and me, I had the ability to make, and keep, friends. I have usually been accepted by people who […]

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On November 1, 2022

I think sometimes about how the life Melissa and I share personally and professionally is built on trade offs of strengths and weaknesses. Long ago, a client/friend remarked “David must be here to carry Melissa’s luggage.” We were attending a conference where she was speaking, and this client/friend had invited her to speak. He was […]

Things Hard for You Are Easy for Me

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On October 25, 2022

Category: Business Frustrations, Business Partnerships, Careers, Employment, Getting the Job Done, Getting Through Life and Work, Life Outside of Work, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Managing Employees, Small Business Success, Trial Consultants, Trial Consulting

Everyone is different from everyone else. Some people find it easy to do certain things, while other people have to work hard to accomplish a particular task, and others can’t do it at all. It just depends. I perform high level work, in a challenging occupation, that most people cannot do, while some people who […]

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On October 25, 2022

I remember my mother quoting an elderly neighbor, who became a good friend of hers, saying “Mrs. Beach says, isn’t it good we are not all alike, life would be so boring.” Everyone has strengths and weaknesses and it is the combination of peoples’ strengths that move society forward, if not as a whole, in […]

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Archive | Trial Consulting

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

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David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

A Point of View

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Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

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