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Legal Storytelling
Posts filed under Legal Storytelling:
Jurors Make Their Own Closing Arguments
Narratives create narratives. When you hear a story, it pulls up frames from other narratives you have previously adopted. A personalized story telling process occurs in your mind. You take the new story and mold it with your preexisting deep narratives to try to give it meaning. You subconsciously tell yourself, your own subjective story of what the facts mean… keep reading »
Author: Lawkop on January 27, 2012
Category: Legal Storytelling
A Touch of Bias
Ever feel like you are playing a rigged game? keep reading »
Author: Lawkop on January 26, 2012
The Difference Between a Narrative and a Story
The difference between a narrative and a story is a debatable. Many people use the terms synonymously. Here is my view of the difference. A simple story retells events (real or fictional). A narrative is more complex and narcissistic. A narrative recounts the events from a specific view point of a character (or even an inanimate objects) in a story.… keep reading »
Author: Lawkop on January 23, 2012
Category: Legal Storytelling
The Real Fight
What is the real fight about in a jury trial? Jurors vote their morality. That is, their moral view of justice. We make the choice that makes us feel better about our world. We are given information and then we make up our own interpretation of what that information means based our preexisting worldview. Our worldview actually changes what we… keep reading »
Author: Lawkop on January 18, 2012
Category: Legal Storytelling
The Equation of a Decision
Every decision (D) you make combines two different things. The rational part of your brain (R) is one part of the equation and the emotional part (E) is the other half. Your decisions are based on the combination of the two parts working together. The combined result is something entirely different then if you were able to use only… keep reading »
Author: Lawkop on January 16, 2012
What are the primary goals of jury selection?
I have heard lots of experts tell me their opinion as to what are the goals of jury selection. Here is my view of the essential tasks of jury selection: You identify a potential juror’s world views on the relevant issues; and You attempt to eliminate those jurors that hold world views that will not… keep reading »
Author: Lawkop on January 15, 2012
Category: Legal Storytelling
Your Done, When All You Want Is To Finish
As you stand before the judge, you hear your opposing counsel say “your honor we have already addressed that issue, there is no need for those questions. The jury panel has already been instructed on the law.” The judge looks at you and in a low voice says “counsel your response?” “Your honor, I am unclear as to the prosecutor’s… keep reading »
Author: Lawkop on January 14, 2012
Your Amygdala
People who study how jurors make decisions talk a lot about the amygdala. Previously, scientists have concluded that the amygdala is the part of your brain responsible for fear. However, like most things in life, this blanket conclusion is not entirely accurate. Here is a much better explanation: Click keep reading »
Author: Lawkop on January 7, 2012
Category: Legal Storytelling
The Package
I bought a back support for my office chair at Bed, Bath and Beyond. It works wonderfully. It even has a heating function. However, I still feel that there is something wrong with it. The item I wanted was the last one on the self. The cardboard packaging was torn in several places. Someone had attempted to recreate the box… keep reading »
Author: Lawkop on January 4, 2012
Deep Narratives for Lawyers
Deep Narratives are story patterns that are repeated so many times, in so many different forms, that they become part of our subjective reality (many times, regardless of their truth). They become the building blocks of your world views. Deep narratives become permanent structures in the brain. Scientists believe they actually affect your
Author: Lawkop on January 3, 2012
Category: Legal Storytelling