Archive | Trial Consulting

If You Have to Ask the Price…

The old adage, “if you have to ask the price, you can’t afford it” came to mind when speaking with a client recently. He asked for a menu of services with prices. This is something that we, at Magnus, have never published because our fees/prices vary depending on the specific details of a case. During […]

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I know David would be disappointed if I didn’t mention my favorite slogan about prices.  My dad was born in Medart, Florida, which is located in Wakulla County.  (For those of you who are unfamiliar with Wakulla County, it is located in the Florida Panhandle, near Tallahassee, although culturally speaking, it is worlds away!)  I […]

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False Positives

False positives are research or test results that are inaccurate and make one think the result is positive, when in fact, it is negative. With a medical test, for example, it could mean a blood test result indicates a problem when there isn’t one. There are, of course, false negatives, but I think in the […]

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In my world of science and statistics, a false positive result is called a Type I error, leading to a rejection of the null hypothesis.  For example, if the null hypothesis is that, absent changing one’s theory of a case, the case will be won, then improper research is conducted, leading the case to be […]

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Nothing To Do Except Write a Book

With Magnus’ long term business downturn related to the pandemic and its hugely negative impact on the court system in the U.S.A., I have found myself with little work to do. Although David is busy trying to find new clients and cases, handling routine administrative duties, and operating our business, my job consists primarily of […]

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Melissa stayed home recently to get a few things done, work and otherwise. I had little idea what she was planning to do that day so, when I asked what she’d been up to that evening, I smiled when she responded that she’d been planning her latest book.  Not many people can say that, but […]

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It’s Okay to Have Regrets

I recently read an article in The Wall Street Journal that focused on the “no regrets” philosophy that has become a cultural goal for many Americans. Supposedly, a life without regrets has been touted as a goal for people to attain, much like the concept of “bucket list” (of things we must achieve before we […]

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In his signature song, My Way, Frank Sinatra sang the words written by Paul Anka: Regrets, I’ve had a few But then again too few to mention I did what I had to do And saw it through without exception Paul, and/or Frank, claimed to only having a few regrets having achieved what each of […]

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Refocusing “on the Fly”

As the saying goes, the best laid plans… Change is part of our everyday existence as litigation consultants, especially in our world of keeping up with lawyers. We’re down in the chain of command, thus, when things change for our clients, they change for us. Just today, a lawyer calles about a change in his […]

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David and I have written about the need for flexibility in our world of work in prior posts.  Flexibility, and along with it, the willingness to change plans on a moment’s notice, are job requirements for everyone who works at Magnus.  I often find it difficult to explain to the “uninitiated” about why I never […]

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I Can’t Wait to Write a Survey

As a follow up to my previous post pertaining to things I love about my job, among my favorite work tasks is writing a survey. (Another of my favorite tasks is analyzing survey results, but I have written about that in a prior post.) Not only is writing a survey intellectually stimulating, the mere fact […]

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I recently posted about finding “the” answer.  Surveys are one of the primary ways we do that.  Surveys, in our world, take on different forms depending on the research methodology.  The number of sections, the number of questions, and the types of questions vary.  Most of our surveys involve paper and pen responses on “bubble […]

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The Answer

I saw a post on a Facebook friend’s page that said “You don’t have to know the answer, you just have to know how to find the answer.” That prompted a number of thoughts. First is the issue of “the answer.” Sometimes there is not a single answer. Sure, to basic mathematical questions there may […]

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Many people, some of Magnus’ clients included, look for the “easy way out” of many situations.  Often, there is an easy way out, for example, when a door is marked with an exit sign, or when a restaurant menu is placed in front of someone, or any one of the countless other situations we encounter […]

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10 Things I Love About My Job

I love my job! I truly do! My dear friend, Bob, has called me a workaholic since we met in 1980. I am a person who really likes to work! Being bored is not for me. I decided to think about the top 10 things I like about my job as a jury/trial consultant, which […]

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All non volunteer or pro bono jobs have extrinsic rewards – a paycheck.  Melissa and I are fortunate that our jobs also have intrinsic rewards.  That is, the personal rewards Melissa mentions of helping people – individuals and those collectively or in groups/companies – who are impacted by the lawsuits in which we are involved.  […]

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Foresight

I was listening to a segment on my local NPR station yesterday having to do with attempts to pass legislation that, among other things, will provide funds for much needed repair work on roads and bridges. The reporter said the United States spends less money on infrastructure than many other developed nations (in relationship to […]

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David’s post raises some good points, many of which have to do with the psychological phenomenon known as defensive attribution.  Defensive attribution occurs when an observer attributes the cause of a misfortune in ways that minimize their own fear of experiencing a similar fate.  Many people attribute other people’s negative experiences to a personal failing, […]

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Technology and Workplace Violence

In this, final, post about workplace violence that was inspired by my recent mediator re-certification training, I will discuss another reality of life in the modern world, workplace violence involving employees who work remotely. Workplace violence is not limited to in person interactions; in fact, cyber violence is commonplace. The pandemic that began in early […]

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It is somewhat overwhelming to consider the lengths to which “bad actors,” a/k/a criminals, in some situations, will go to in order to attempt to bully, harass, or perpetrate violence.  We at Magnus, are somewhat sheltered in our work environment.  But, to consider the ramifications of remote working, telecommuting, etc. and how that pandemic forced […]

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