Strategy
When solving a dispute, having the appropriate strategy is imperative. Creating and understanding the map to success is our forte. We deliver insightful, practical solutions by identifying the most persuasive approach for your critical challenges and helping craft strategies to win cases rather than simply research results.
Venue
A large part of determining theme and the cadence of your message depends on your venue. Let us do the research on your proposed venue – providing guidance on your prospective jurors, potential judges and the area in general to result in recommendations representative to your specific case.
Judges & Arbitrators
If your trial is in a venue in which you are unfamiliar, let us do the legwork to research your judges and arbitrators, or create a comparison of the prospective parties involved.
Witnesses
Witness selection and preparation can never be undervalued. The wrong witness, or the right witness, improperly prepared can ruin your case. You simply cannot put a value on witness preparation – determining who should testify, if you should bring a rebuttal witness, and recommendations on how to best utilize you witnesses at any stage of the proceedings.
Mediation
Having been in the business for more than 35 years, we can anticipate the jury’s response to a particular situation. We analyze the specifics of your case to boost your position or to create a counter-argument against the opposition in mediation.
Trial
Trials can be stressful, but our team has a reputation for successfully preparing trial teams for “life in the trenches.”
Our team has been through it all, from preparing witnesses, crossing the opponent’s witnesses, to making real-time decisions, our experience that is unrivaled in the industry.
Consulting
Complex litigation is just that – complex. We’ve been in the industry since 1984, and have clients who have been with us nearly as long. Over the years, gathering and interpreting evidence, and determining the best way to relay the message to the jury has been the cornerstone of our business.
Jury Selection
Selecting the right members for you jury can make your case. Our team brings the experience, insight and instinct to assist you identifying the jurors who are best for your case, and patterns your ideas and messages to suit your jurors.
Voir Dire
Crafting effective voir dire is an art as trial teams need to think inside, as well as outside, of the box. Through a case-specific analysis and team approach, preferred-plaintiff and defense juror profiles are developed, and used as the foundation for voir dire questions. This specific line of questioning assists with determining biases, and advocating for who to select, or reject, those who will be most beneficial to your case.
Supplemental Juror Questionnaire
The more information you have about your jurors the better. Many courts allow supplemental questionnaires, which provide very brief, focused questions deriving from your case. Our database contains a multitude of questions to use as a foundation in forming this tool.
Witness Preparation
Since most trials rely on the strength of its witnesses’ credibility, confidence and clarity, your goal for any witness is to share their information in the best way for your desired outcome. Being tasked with such a critical piece of the trial can be difficult on your witness, and they can make or break your case. Our team helps prepare your witnesses, building skills to respond to questions, controlling the level of detail of answer, setting up potential jurors in a mock trial, observing and providing feedback in pre-trial prep sessions.
Theme Development and Presentation Design
Using pre-trial research and observations, our staff designs a trial communication strategy detailing the timing of information and evidence, how and when it should be presented, and with what witness. This model for theme development helps ensure that the desired message is received and retained.
Opening/Closing Statement Consultation
Based upon research conducted pre-trial, recommendations are made to assist counsel in crafting strategies to deliver memorable and persuasive opening and closing statements to your jurors.
Graphics Consultation
Images can be worth thousands of words, and thousands of dollars in trial. Today’s jurors expect visually enticing imagery that tells the story. Our in-house artists, animators and videographers can take the most complex ideas and turn them into masterful story lines that resonate with your jury.
Research
Sometimes, counsel gets so involved in preparing their case that a critical piece of information goes overlooked. Our team digs deep to provide conclusions and recommendations to ensure that no stone goes unturned, no important information is missing, and that the appropriate information for your jurors is being presented.
Issue Identification Focus Group
One of the most beneficial pieces of trial preparations is a focus group, a first-glimpse and your case through the eyes of a typical juror. By taking your case for a test drive you expose the weaknesses, or challenges that may have been overlooked, and allow yourself time to address them prior to trial. Focus groups can gauge juror perception of the witnesses and trial team, as well as retention of important concepts, terms and issues. They also serve as a platform to test themes, “what ifs” and different types of evidence that can be used in trial.
Mock Trial
As close to a real trial as you can get, but with time to make the necessary changes to impact the main event. Our team conducts in-house recruiting of participants, and provides the space, presentation tools, recording of the session and an observation room for counsel.
Juror Profile
The value of knowing your jurors cannot be understated. Our research techniques have been designed exclusively for successful litigation. Through these surveys and observations, clients better understand the biases, prejudices and perceptions jurors will likely possess, to more accurately predict juror response and behavior.
Shadow Jury
During trial, you cannot know what the jury is thinking, but you can have a good idea by using shadow jurors. By recruiting a demographically similar group of shadow jurors to observe the trial, you can create an advantage that will allow the trial team to adjust its messages to better convene the key points to jurors. DANCEL has recruited hundreds of shadow jurors, whose instantaneous feedback has proven essential to success in the courtroom.
Trial Monitoring
Observation and analysis during trial can assist with fine-tuning key messages and take-aways. We offer feedback regarding the progress of the trial, assessing juror reactions to witnesses, and providing information to improve the performance of not only witnesses, but also counsel.
Technology
Trial teams must be fluent in presentation technology. When the stakes are high, you don’t want “technical difficulties” jeopardizing your presentation. That’s where our team of experienced consultants and technicians comes in. We can assist you with equipment and courtroom set-up to create the best-possible presentation for your jurors.
Trial Support
As an attorney, your focus should be on your story and the case itself, not on ensuring all the right monitors are functioning. DANCEL’s trial team provides state-of-the-art software and equipment for management of exhibits, creating and editing trial graphics, and even filming depositions. We are skilled at handling even the smallest details. Worried about your War Room? We handle that detail as well, and we’re with you every step of the way in creating and recalibrating your presentation as the trial evolves.
Trial Technicians
Jurors expect an organized, savvy presentation – not “just another PowerPoint.” Our professionals go beyond the standard, and utilize state-of-the -art hardware and software to create compelling presentations and graphics as well as document management. We’ll take over the hot seat so your team can focus on the presentation.
Creative Graphics/Visuals
Our team of highly-skilled graphic designers, medical illustrators, animators and videographers realize that visual strategy is not only an art, but also a science.
Our team works tirelessly to tell your story through key themes and concepts, using the following tools:
Graphics and Timelines
Images can both be worth thousands of words, or thousands of dollars in trial. Good graphics and timelines inform and educate your jurors, and serve as a retention aide. Throughout the years, we’ve taken countless complex topics, and created easy to understand graphics and timelines to help tell the clients story.
Medical Illustrations
Our team has a Certified Medical Illustrator (CMI) and animation specialist, along with multiple two and three-dimensional artists who can take medical files and turn them into custom illustrations to tell your client’s specific story for plaintiff or defense.
Animations
Animations allow the jury to almost witness an event first-hand. In our visual society, a video or animation is more likely to be retained by jurors. From automobile accidents to medical procedures and everything in between, our animation specialist has re-created it.
Colorized X-Rays
By taking your client’s actual x-rays to create color-enhance graphics of injuries, DANCEL’s Certified Medical Illustrator accurately portrays the extent of your client’s injuries in a way your jurors will understand and remember.
Day-In-The-Life/Loss of Love
Humanizing the emotion or impact of an injury can be achieved through a Day-In-The-Life or Loss of Love video, utilizing powerful interviews and imagery. Our videographers have helped clients win hundreds of millions of dollars using this medium.
Video Inspections
Sometimes the best way to convey the story is by conducting an inspection of a particular item or structure. The right video can make, or break, a case.
Drone Footage
Unmanned aerial vehicles are changing the way counsel sees things, literally. Our FAA-licensed UAV pilot has assisted in creating videos and still images for a variety of cases, providing a different perspective to the jurors.
Audio/Visual Enhancements
Have grainy surveillance footage? Maybe you need something marked or flagged. Our skilled video editors can enhance some of the poorest quality footage and turn it into a compelling piece of evidence.
Video Depositions
In addition to complex audio/visual work, our videographers also travel to conduct video depositions. Duplications also fall within our team’s scope of work.