Lawyers and Juries Communicate Very Differently

lawyer juror communications

Whether you have been involved in litigation as a plaintiff, defendant or as a juror, have a friend who is an attorney or just enjoy watching lawyers on TV, you have probably figured out one thing: lawyers LOVE to talk. A new study reveals, however, that the rest of us don?t necessarily love to listen. In fact, a majority of the population prefers to learn visually. 

Animators at Law, a consulting firm that helps litigators maximize the effectiveness of their communications with judges and juries, releases a first-of-its-kind study today. The study has wide-ranging implications for the legal profession and for those who interact with it. Using a survey designed by communication and learning experts, 387 attorneys and 1657 non-attorneys were surveyed over a three year period to determine how they fit into one of three learning/communication styles: visual (seeing/showing), auditory (hearing/speaking) or kinesthetic (feeling). 

Results of the study show a marked difference between how attorneys and non-attorneys prefer to communicate. For example, only 18% of the non-attorney population learns best by hearing information, as compared to nearly 29% of attorneys. Further, 61% of the general population prefers to learn from visual information, while fewer than half of attorneys prefer to communicate with visual information. Since people tend to communicate the same way they learn, the everyday implications for the courtroom are especially significant. 

Kenneth J. Lopez, Animators at Law?s CEO, noted, this confirms what we have suspected for years. Lawyers want to teach and persuade by speaking, while the juries they speak to want to be shown visual information.? The raw data reveals the communication gap: Attorneys break down as 47% visual, 29% hearing and 24% kinesthetic while non-attorneys are 61% visual, 18% hearing and 21% kinesthetic. Lopez added, ?An attorney offering evidence to a jury only by speaking to them will be under-communicating with 82% of the audience.? 

Animators at Law plans to expand this study by working closely with an academic institution, a government entity or another non-profit organization and is currently seeking a suitable partner. 

For additional information, please contact Animators at Law's CEO, Kenneth J. Lopez at lopez@animators.com or visit http://www.animators.com/ 

Animators at Law is an eleven-year old attorney owned and operated litigation consulting and trial exhibit company comprised of talented information designers and creative attorneys. We regularly serve top-tier law firms and companies in a variety of practice areas and give them an Unfair Advantage? in the courtroom and beyond. Our core business is making complex information interesting and understandable to judges and juries using static trial exhibits, electronic presentations and animation. We also provide in-court support personnel to facilitate the seamless presentation of graphics and electronic evidence. From strategy to presentation, we are creative and reliable perfectionists who help top litigators win at trial.

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