.
VIRGINIA COLLEGE OF TRIAL ADVOCACY
at the College of William & Mary

May 21 & 22, 2010

the country’s experts on Focus Groups:
the philosophy, the approaches, the how-to’s
with
Rodney Jew, Debra Miller and Jim Lees

DAY ONE - A full day of Rodney Jew, Debra Miller, and Jim Lees,
showing you how and why the process works. Eyewitness opportunity
to watch a live Focus Group as they discuss a real liability case.

DAY TWO – Develop strategies and learn how to revise the case
based on Friday’s insights, and then watch a second Focus Group deliberate,
sitting as a jury while you watch them.

REGISTER HERE
Because of the nature of information presented, this seminar is open
only to lawyers who represent injured persons. click here for a certification form

Full Program Agenda
for additional speaker information, click here

Friday, May 21
9:00 am	Reverse Planning and Focusing on Kill Shots How you can use Focus Groups to • Do reverse planning • Find the fatal flaws in your case • Assess landmines • and Reformulate your goals Rodney Jew – heads CDS, a California litigation strategy firm. He has more than 30 state records for the largest result. Reverse Planning, his comprehensive process, turns conventional trial preparation on its head.
10:15 am	Focus Groups – How (and How Not) to Create Them • Types of Focus Groups • Mechanics of finding jurors • Settings • Conducting the Focus Group Debra Miller – Miller, Malekpour and Ball, Consultant and Jury Researcher for David Ball’s renowned Jury Research firm. Her focus is helping lawyers develop compelling narratives that transcend the courtroom walls.
11:00	Break
11:15 am	How They Work – What You Can Learn and What You Can’t Learn • Common biases in jury pools • How to confront them • Hidden biases that can surprise you Jim Lees-Hunt & Lees, Charleston, West Virginia “Commanding the Courtroom,” his video “how-to” series with Greg Cusimano, has won high praise. Lees taught persuasion techniques at Harvard Law School and his expertise in using focus groups to formulate presentation strategies is widely recognized.
12:15 pm	Lunch - included in program fee
1:30 pm	Active Participation • Finding the landmines in the case • Understanding them • What will really cause you to lose the case Rodney Jew
2:00 pm	Focus Group I Watch a Focus Group’s in-depth discussion of the case, on a live feed from the “jury room.” The Group will be led by Jim Lees and Debra Miller.
4:00 pm	Break
4:15 pm	What we have learned from Focus Group I The experts will show you how to make the most of the Group’s discussion, and how to understand the hidden issues. Rodney Jew Debra Miller Jim Lees
5:30- 7:00 pm	Reception - Meet the Experts
Saturday, May 22
9:00 am	Rethinking the Strategy New case strategies will be created, based on yesterday’s insights, and the Plaintiff’s lawyer will be shown how to “re-tool” the case for a new jury. Rodney Jew Debra Miller Jim Lees
10:00 am	Focus Group II Watch Plaintiff and Defense attorneys present the re-tooled case, and see a new Focus Group deliberate, functioning as a jury.
12:00 pm	What We Have Learned from Focus Group II Rodney Jew Debra Miller Jim Lees
1:00 pm	Adjournment