Archive | Trial Consulting

BULL

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On September 29, 2016

I am writing this post on the day the new CBS television program, Bull, premieres. Bull is a program about fictional trial consultant, Dr. Jason Bull. Other than the movie Runaway Jury, trial consultants rarely figure into movies or television. There was a trial consultant episode on LA Law, and there have been docu – […]

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On September 29, 2016

Category: Trial Consulting

There have been television shows, as well as movies and plays, about almost every occupation imaginable. One of the coolest TV shows, in my opinion, was Sea Hunt, starring Lloyd Bridges as an ex-Navy frogman. Sea Hunt ran from 1958 through 1961 and involved numerous exciting adventures of a SCUBA diver, Mike Nelson (portrayed by […]

Telling the end client they need a new attorney

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On September 15, 2016

Category: Business Frustrations, Business Relationships, Getting the Job Done, Litigation Tips, Trial Consulting

One of the strangest outcomes of mock jury research is the realization, and documentation, that the attorney for whom we were working was not up to the challenge. Though we never anticipated this would occur, it has. And, it has happened more than once. The first time I recall this happening was when we were […]

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On September 15, 2016

Category: Business Frustrations, Business Relationships, Getting the Job Done, Litigation Tips, Trial Consulting

The majority of Magnus’ clients are attorneys who have super sized egos. Some of our clients’ egos are well deserved, in that they are stellar advocates on behalf of their clients. Other attorneys seem to have a self conception that does not match their accomplishments. (I am well aware this happens among people in other […]

Around by Tampa

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On September 13, 2016

Category: Business Frustrations, Business personalities, Business Travel, Careers, Employment, Getting the Job Done, Getting Through Life and Work, Litigation Tips, Travel, Trial Consulting

As some readers of David’s and my posts know, I am a fourth generation Floridian who was “born and raised” in Fort Myers, on Florida’s Gulf coast. Fort Myers was a small town when I grew up and many things we needed, for example, specialty medical care, were not available there. My family spent quite […]

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On September 13, 2016

Category: Business Frustrations, Business personalities, Business Travel, Careers, Employment, Getting the Job Done, Getting Through Life and Work, Litigation Tips, Travel, Trial Consulting

I’m from the east coast of Florida, Jacksonville to be specific. Before I met Melissa, I had been to Tampa and a few other west Florida cities only a few times. I certainly knew the basic geography, but not necessarily the most efficient routes to get to places like Ft. Myers, or even Tampa. So, […]

Do what you say

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On September 6, 2016

Category: Business Frustrations, Business personalities, Business Relationships, Careers, Common Courtesy, Getting the Job Done, Getting Through Life and Work, Litigation Tips, Managing Employees, Marketing your Business, Partnerships, Small Business Success, Trial Consulting

As a follow up to a post in which I quoted a line from Jimmy Buffett’s song, “Clichés,” “Say what you mean and mean what you say,” I will add another thought, “Do what you say.” Many people talk about doing something, but when it comes down to actually accomplishing what they have talked about, […]

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On September 6, 2016

This is a topic Melissa initiated – that’s how these posts work. One of us generates the topic and then becomes the first author/blogger. The first author writes what ends up in the left column of the post, the second author then responds. Many times the right column posts follows or expands upon the left […]

Red Flags when hiring a Trial Consultant, part 1. Predictability Claims

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On September 1, 2016

Category: Business Frustrations, Getting the Job Done, Litigation Tips, Marketing your Business, Partnerships, Small Business Success, Trial Consulting

I recently had the opportunity to view some materials produced by a competitor for a client. In the materials, the competitor stated that a certain methodology they offered would predict the trial verdict with 90% accuracy if the case goes to trial (this is paraphrased, but is essentially what was claimed). As someone who has […]

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On September 1, 2016

Category: Business Frustrations, Getting the Job Done, Litigation Tips, Marketing your Business, Partnerships, Small Business Success, Trial Consulting

This is a “G rated” blog, so I will limit myself to saying there are many, many trial consultants who are full of IT (the astute reader will know what IT means in this context). Conducting small group research doesn’t predict any outcome with 90% accuracy. If it did, why would political polls assess opinions […]

What is cognitive psychology?

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On August 30, 2016

Category: Careers, Employment, Getting the Job Done, Litigation Tips, Trial Consulting

Cognitive psychology is the scientific study of perceiving, remembering, and thinking about the world. Cognition includes all sensory inputs, such as vision and hearing. In the early days of cognitive psychology, beginning with Ulric Neisser’s 1967 book, titled, Cognitive Psychology, sensations and perceptions were studied via experiments, skilled observation, and, to a lesser extent, introspection. […]

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On August 30, 2016

Category: Careers, Employment, Getting the Job Done, Litigation Tips, Trial Consulting

Similar to my learning curve when meeting Melissa regarding social psychology, I also had to try to understand cognitive psychology. I am glad today that I have some degree of understanding of both fields, given how much impact they have in our trial consulting work. The truth is that knowledge of both fields expands far […]

When we all think the same, watch out

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On August 25, 2016

Category: Business Frustrations, Careers, Getting the Job Done, Litigation Tips, Trial Consulting

I recently read a Wall Street Journal article with the same title as this post, “When we all think the same, watch out.” I smiled when I saw it because I was already thinking I could figure out where this was going. As it turned out, it related to the economy and the factors that […]

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On August 25, 2016

Category: Business Frustrations, Careers, Getting the Job Done, Litigation Tips, Trial Consulting

Groupthink is a dangerous social psychological phenomenon. It was first defined by Irving Janis in 1971 as pressures toward uniformity due to group members’ desire to agree with their leader. Groupthink is most likely to occur when: (1) the group is cohesive; (2) there are structural faults in the group (such as an absence of […]

What is social psychology?

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On August 23, 2016

Category: Careers, Employment, Getting the Job Done, Litigation Tips, Trial Consulting

When I tell people I am a social psychologist, I usually have to follow up with an explanation of what it means to be a psychologist who specializes in something other than counseling people with mental health issues (the purview of clinical psychologists). Social psychology is the scientific study of people in groups. Social psychology […]

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On August 23, 2016

Category: Careers, Employment, Getting the Job Done, Litigation Tips, Trial Consulting

I admit that when Melissa and I met, I did not know how to define the sub fields of psychology. I took a general psychology course in college and considered minoring it psychology, but with 3 majors I didn’t have time to add it. However, as I got to know Melissa and learned more about […]

Speaking Engagements; You Never Know

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On August 4, 2016

Category: Marketing your Business, Small Business Success, Trial Consulting, Work-Life, Workplace Technology

The 1997 book by Harry Beckwith, Selling the Invisible, is about the differences in marketing a tangible product, the good old generic widget, as compared to selling an intangible product – a service. It is a wonderful book for those of us selling services, like we do as trial consultants. As a working photographer, this […]

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On August 4, 2016

Category: Marketing your Business, Small Business Success, Trial Consulting, Work-Life, Workplace Technology

In the time David and I have co-owned Magnus, I have given hundreds of presentations to audiences ranging from a handful of people in a law firm to hundreds of people in huge hotel ballrooms. Thus far, I have never received any compensation for making one of these speeches. On some occasions, the law firm […]

Fiction Imitating Life: “Vigilante Justice”

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On July 21, 2016

Category: Business personalities, Getting the Job Done, Life Outside of Work, Marketing your Business, Partnerships, Trial Consulting

Dr. Melissa Pigott of Magnus Research Consultants is featured as a character in a book by Dr. Linda Foley, Vigilante Justice. Dr. Foley is a social psychologist who, now retired from the University of North Florida, writes murder mysteries set in Gainesville, Florida, in and around the University of Florida. Vigilante Justice is Dr. Foley’s […]

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On July 21, 2016

Category: Business personalities, Getting the Job Done, Life Outside of Work, Marketing your Business, Partnerships, Trial Consulting

At the time of this writing, I have known Dr. Linda Foley for 36 years. I met her when I was a psychology graduate student at F.S.U. and she was the Chairperson of the psychology department at U.N.F. At the time I met Dr. Foley, she was well established in her career, while mine had […]

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Archive | Trial Consulting

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

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