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Trial Prep Under Pressure: 3 Days to a $3.4M Verdict [Ep 173]

Trial Lawyer Prep

Release Date: 08/26/2026

Focus Groups Before Discovery: Vishal Shah on Case Development Strategy [Ep 174] show art Focus Groups Before Discovery: Vishal Shah on Case Development Strategy [Ep 174]

Trial Lawyer Prep

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info_outline Trial Prep Under Pressure: 3 Days to a $3.4M Verdict [Ep 173] show art Trial Prep Under Pressure: 3 Days to a $3.4M Verdict [Ep 173]

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More Episodes

Perhaps a short trial can be better?

When you had planned for a five day trial, and then the first morning in the courtroom, the judge announces that the case will be completed in three days. Hard stop. No exceptions.

Is it a scramble and a panic?

Or maybe, could it be a blessing?

In this day and age especially, the last thing we want to do is bore our jurors, throw too much information at them and expect them to keep up. Attention spans are shorter and people are easily distracted, but even when looking at it objectively, can we really expect someone to hear and absorb each and every sentence over the course of multiple days?

Which in turn means, why not plan and strategize around keeping information clear, logical and structured in the first place?

Less is more.

And there is a time and place for more expansive detail, testing out ideas and arguments, and gauging the impact of your words: focus groups.

That's what I bring to a trial consult. It's not just running a focus group specific to your case, it's pairing it with everything else I've learned across more than a thousand focus groups:

  • Patterns and how jurors think
  • What they trust
  • What they dismiss
  • What are the attitudes they're bringing to your case

I help you craft the strongest case possible with the strongest presentation. If you have an upcoming trial, use the link below to schedule a free consultation!

https://larricklawfirm.com/litigation-consulting/trial-consulting/

In this episode, we cover:

  • Why lawyers often think they need 20 points when they really only need 3.
  • Repeating facts does not strengthen the case, it competes for limited juror memory.
  • Conduct trial prep like a checklist, not a competition for extra credit, because overbuilding one area can cause you to miss another needed point.
  • A simple structure for each witness makes it easier to adapt when the judge changes the timetable, or when something unexpected comes up.
  • Pairing spoken testimony with exhibits, diagrams, or demonstratives makes the evidence more memorable.
  • How the jury returned a $3.4 million verdict and later said they used the numbers presented to calculate it.

You can also listen to today's episode on my YouTube Channel:

Trial Prep Under Pressure: 3 Days to a $3.4M Verdict [Ep 173]

 

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