Trial is the monthly journal of the American Association for Justice (“AAJ”), formerly the American Trial Lawyers Association (“ATLA”). Its issue for September, 2016, marquees “Trial Tactics: THE POWER OF BIAS”.
September 2016’s Trial features 4 lead articles: “By The Numbers,” which counsels “Be Specific” and “The Anchoring Effect,” id. at 22-26; “CAUSATION IN THE COURTROOM,” enlightening “Psychological research can help you understand how the mind processes causation,” id. at 28-33; “5 WAYS TO APPROACH JUROR BIAS,” covering “Availability,” “Sequencing,” “Hindsight,” “Suspicion,” and “Norm,” id. at 36-38; and “SCREENING THE JURY POOL,” advising to “Take control by using online resources to gather information about potential jurors – without getting trapped by ethical pitfalls”. Id. at 40-42. Two related cameo articles are: “LIGHTS, CAMERA, OPENING!,” encouraging “Take a cue from the movies and incorporate cinematic elements to craft a powerful narrative in your opening statement,” id. at 27; and “CONNECTING WITH JURORS MORALITY AND EMOTIONS,” i.e., “Understanding what motivates jurors to hold wrongdoers accountable and how emotions affect decision-making is important to building a meaningful trial story”. Id. at 32.
In its “Verdicts & SETTLEMENTS” section, Trial reports noteworthy cases nationally. “Deputy shoots and paralyzes unarmed bicyclist” highlights a 2016 Florida jury verdict for $23,150,000.00. Id. at 8.
Mr. Waterman has been a member of AAJ/ATLA for 30 years. His practice focuses on vehicle accidents, medical malpractice, and other cases of wrongful death, brain injury, and other significant personal injury.
