Section Annual Conference: April 2011, Miami, FL

Who’s in the Jury Box? Jury Selection and Voir Dire in Civil and Criminal Trials

Thank you to everyone who attended our committee’s jury selection program at the Section of Litigation Annual Conference in Miami in April 2011. Voir dire is a vital component of any jury trial as attorneys attempt to weed out prospective jurors who may be unfavorable to their case. The program examined voir dire from both a civil and criminal attorney’s perspective, demonstrating a mock jury-selection process that will provide practical insight into best practices concerning voir dire. Program speakers included Angela Abel, DecisionQuest, Atlanta, GA; Hon. Jennifer D. Bailey, Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Florida, Miami, FL; Keathan B. Frink, Office of Criminal Conflict and Civil Regional Counsel, Fort Lauderdale, FL; Darryl G. McCallum, Shawe Rosenthal LLP, Baltimore, MD; and David Prather, Clark, Fountain La Vista, Prather, Keen & Littky-Rubin, West Palm Beach, FL.

Written materials related to the jury selection program are available here.

Why Can’t I Tweet? Proper and Improper Use of Technology in the Courtroom

Thank you to everyone who attended our committee’s courtroom technology program.  Jurors and witnesses now use technology to research, blog, tweet, and post to Facebook and MySpace about their trials or depositions. This conduct can compromise the integrity of the legal process and has led to the exclusion of jurors, the imposition of fines, and mistrials. The program analyzed what is to be done (if anything). Program speakers included Cynthia Cohen, Verdict Success LLC, Manhattan Beach, CA; Michael P. Downey, Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP, St. Louis, MO; Hon.Lael Elisabeth Montogomery, Colorado 20th Judicial District Court, Boulder, CO; and Hon. Tiffany Williams, New Jersey Office of Administrative Law, Trenton, NJ.

Written materials related to the courtroom technology program are available here.