Jennifer is no stranger to a courtroom. She was first chair of her very first trial the day after she was sworn into the bar, having never taken Trial Advocacy in school. Shortly thereafter, Jennifer held the post of trying the most cases of any Plaintiff’s attorney in her home county, averaging four to six jury trials and 6-8 bench trials annually. She has tried cases in three states, in both federal and state courts. Jennifer learned in the trenches how trial practice looks and feels in real life, not just in a classroom. She learned that trial can feel very sink-or-swim, regardless of your educational background or level of experience.
That is what inspired Jennifer to offer Trial Consulting services to her colleagues. These services come in three parts:
- Trial Preparation
- Witness Preparation
- In-Court Consultation
Trial Preparation
Trial preparation has got to be the most daunting job of a civil litigator. Sometimes the hardest part is knowing where to start. The other hurdle is the sheer amount of work to be accomplished in a short amount of time, all while balancing the interests of all your other clients.
Jennifer helps her consulting clients synthesize their strategy, create a plan for trial and therefore trial prep, and actually accomplish that preparation. This includes assisting in drafting cross-examinations of defense experts, compiling designations of preserved testimony to be played at trial, drafting direct examinations of plaintiffs’ witnesses, organizing exhibits, and being the second set of ears and eyes in the crafting of voir dire, opening statements, and closing arguments.
Don’t do all the heavy lifting alone. Get a second set of eyes – and hands – on the task so you can keep your energy up for trial and ensure you are still available for your other clients’ needs in the meantime.
Witness Preparation
Jennifer developed a method of witness preparation called the R.I.S.E. Method that has been featured on TrialGuides for use in lay witness and expert testimony preparation. This includes plaintiff testimony preparation. Jennifer will spend weeks with your client/witnesses, teaching them the basics and art of testifying as well as preparing them for their anticipated direct and cross-examinations.
To learn more about Jennifer’s R.I.S.E. Method and witness preparation services, click here.
Trial Consultation
You’ve prepared your case to the best of your abilities, setting aside all your other work – and personal/family life – for months. You step into the courtroom, and the following things occur all at once: defense counsel hits you with a last-minute conferral, the court has a question about your plans to proceed, the jury is on its way in for voir dire, and you’re trying to juggle nerves, pressure, and exhaustion.
Having your team there to help is crucial. Your paralegal is behind you to hand you exhibits, your co-counsel is reviewing their opening statement or direct examination notes. And someone needs to do quick research to answer the questions of defense counsel and the court while all hands are on deck for voir dire.
In addition to vast trial experience, Jennifer observes trials as much as possible – because we all have personal styles and new methods to share and learn. Jennifer can act as a trial consultant to watch the jury’s responses (overt and covert), do on-the-fly legal research or outreach, perform last-minute witness preparation, and give you feedback you may not see from the blinders you have to wear to keep the train on the tracks. Bring in a consultant who has enough emotional distance from your case that she can see the trial through an unbiased and critical lense and give you the support you need to get to the win.
Contact Jennifer O’Connell Moore at 720.696.9088 or jennifer@queenerlaw.com to discuss consulting services for your case discovery today!