THE TSI LIBRARY:
Dedicated to Winning in Court
Knowledge is power and we’re pleased to share our accumulated wisdom with you. We invite you to read, download, and share these articles with your colleagues, then bookmark the page. We'll be adding new articles regularly.
​
We also encourage you to share your knowledge with us. Whether you share your war stories, celebrate your triumphs, or vent your frustrations, we look forward to hearing what you've learned at trial. You'll retain copyright to your articles and we'll retain the right to edit for relevance, clarity, and length. Together, we'll advance the art of jury persuasion---a win/win for us all.
Send submissions to: thestrategicimage@att.net
DISCOVER THE POWER OF CONCEPTUAL PERSUASION
There is only one true measure of a good legal graphic: does it persuade the jury to “buy in” to your client’s point of view? That, after all, is the point of any court-room presentation and it makes no sense to spend your time (or your client’s money) creating graphics that won’t have a positive impact on the jury’s vote.
Even with the best of intentions, however, many graphics fail to deliver. They simply have not been designed to change jurors’ hearts and minds. To discover where the problem lies, let’s take a look at the panoply of legal graphics.
The most commonly produced type of courtroom graphic is...
21 THINGS A SKILLED ORATOR NEVER DOES
Ask any group of people what five things they’re most afraid of and you will invariably find “public speaking” near the top of the list.
The reason is simple: most people have a very human fear of being “exposed.” They share a universal reluctance to be put in a position where others can view, judge, and perhaps criticize them.
​
But media trainers and speaking coaches all know that there is a simple solution to stage fright: focus on your audience’s needs, not on yourself. After all, you’re on that stage or in that courtroom because you want to persuade, convince, or inspire your audience to...
GET GREAT GRAPHICS AT A REASONABLE COST
In the Age of PowerPoint, practically everyone is, or tries to be, a graphic artist. Lawyers are not exceptions. But while it’s certainly arguable that a trial attorney’s time might be much better spent filing motions or developing case strategy during the run-up to trial, legions of litigators will make a stab at creating their own visuals for court, nonetheless.
Some DIY lawyers will be successful: they will create images that actually sway the jury to see the case as their clients do. Most DIY-ers, sad to say, will not. Lured into a false sense of security by the deceptively easy-to-use PowerPoint, they’ll churn out slide decks full of bullet charts and consider the job done. Then the verdict will come in...
"A remarkable
book for
business owners
and executives alike.
Apply it and prosper."
​
Harvey Mackay,
Author of the #1
New York Times
best-seller:
​
Swim With the Sharks
without Being
Eaten Alive
PUBLISHED WORKS:
Taylor, Karyn J. “The Pros and Cons of Grammar School-Level Graphics in Court.” A response to “Looks Like Science; Must Be True! Graphs and the Halo of Scientific Truth,” by Aner Tal, Ph.D. The Jury Expert, 27:2 (May 2015):1-3. www.thejuryexpert.com/2015/05/looks-like-science-must-be-true-graphs-and-the-halo-of-scientific-truth/
Taylor, Karyn J. "The Science of Persuasion: The Surefire Ways to Win the Hearts and Minds of Any Audience (and Thereby Advance Your Career!)," Create the Business Breakthrough You Want: Secrets and Strategies from the World’s Greatest Mentors. Brian Tracy, Mark Victor Hansen, Robert G. Allen, Karyn J. Taylor, et. al. Palo Alto, CA: Mission Publishing, 2004. (Available from The Strategic Image).