LawyersUSA

Using social networks to investigate your case

An increasing number of attorneys, both criminal and civil, are using information gleaned from social networking sites to undercut the testimony of opposing witnesses.

These sites can also be a huge boon for attorneys who are trying to locate a missing witness or heir.

MySpace transforms $2.4M suit into a defense win

It was the kind of story that evokes sympathy: A 21-year-old college student whose dream of becoming a teacher vanished after she collided with the defendant’s dump truck and suffered a traumatic brain injury.

But pictures on her MySpace page showing her at parties after the accident told a different story to the defense.

And that page was key to the defense verdict.

I doubt it: New methods to overcome juror resistance

Jurors have become more skeptical in the information age and litigators need to be aware of new methods for combating juror resistance.

Two fundamental juror conditions – skepticism and pseudo-expertise – make neutrality hard to achieve in the courtroom.

Suspicious minds: Trial strategies for a skeptical age

Influenced by tales of frivolous lawsuits and outlandish verdicts, many jurors are suspicious of plaintiffs’ attorneys.

Veteran personal injury lawyer Jerome F. O’Neill says it's best face those suspicions head-on and deal with them in each aspect of a trial.

Jurors "see lawyers as fast-talkers who are trying to pull the wool over their eyes." 

Finding the right expert

An expert witness can literally make or break a complex business or personal injury case.

The right expert witness exhibits a thorough knowledge of a subject and can explain the issue to a jury of laypersons. The wrong expert is likely to further complicate matters and desensitize a jury to a case.

Research analyst Michael Brennan shares the methods he uses to help law firms find the right expert in a wide range of cases. 

The new lie detector? The 'functional MRI'

A form of Magnetic Resonance Imaging called the “functional MRI,” or fMRI, is being marketed to lawyers and judges as the real deal in lie detection.