Social science research tells us that the second biggest mistake is failing to incorporate graphics. Why are graphics so important? Because without them, a jury will typically forget 65-85% of what it's heard long before deliberations begin.
OUR MISSION:
Eliminate Your Case's Weakest Links
As a litigator, you have a lot riding on every case. Satisfied clients, financial security, and career advancement all come from wins, not losses.
But each case is only as strong as its weakest link, and while lawyers fret over less-than-stellar witnesses or missing bits of evidence, the fatal weaknesses in most cases rarely stem from these specifics. Rather, cases are won or lost because of two very different problems:
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Judges tell us that the most consistent mistake lawyers make in court is failing to craft a concise case story. As one Appellate Court judge put it, litigators often “throw in everything but the kitchen sink” hoping to see what sticks. But that merely overwhelms the jury and annoys the judge.
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The cure for both mistakes lies in adding demonstrative evidence to your presentation. Not only can graphics condense reams of information into easily digestible bites and simplify even the most complex case, but they can help jurors remember up to 85% of what they’ve seen and heard.
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While graphics are crucial to winning, not just any graphics will do. To have maximum impact, demonstratives must provoke a visceral response and appeal to jurors' hearts as well as minds. These powerful "Conceptual Graphics" are the key to juror persuasion, and at The Strategic Image, Conceptual Graphics are our stock-in-trade. To design them we take a comprehensive, psychologically-based approach---one that weaves the "Bottom-Line Takeaway Message" of each graphic into a plausible and compelling case story.
Developing the story starts with investigating the preconceived notions, biases, and attitudes the judge or jury will most likely to bring to court. Next we determine which case facts or pieces of evidence will most likely be jurors' psychological “hot buttons.” Then, and only then, can we design litigation graphics to be truly persuasive in court.
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The advantages of taking this strategic approach to visual storytelling are well known to jury consultants and psychologists. But few legal graphics firms exploit them. Bent on doing volume turnover, most graphics firms simply regurgitate your hand-drawn sketches and deliver pretty pictures that do little to change hearts or minds.
At The Strategic Image, we are a horse of a different color. We view your entire case presentation---from Opening Statement to Closing Argument---as one story told in three acts, then design graphics for use throughout that will compel jurors to "buy in" to your client's point-of-view. Doing anything less simply leaves you at the mercy of your case's weakest links.
We invite you to explore Our Services, then to be the odds-on favorite on your next trip to court.
TESTIMONIAL
Just a note to inform you that we have finally prevailed in (our case) for which you provided such helpful graphics.... You have always worked with me in a most supportive, imaginative and productive fashion...(and)...we have found you to be not only a highly effective communicator, but also a knowledgeable, supportive and effective participant in our litigation and continuing professional education efforts. Thanks so much. I look forward to working with you again in the near future.
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Robert K. Wrede, Of Counsel
RUSS AUGUST & KABAT