Bill Kanasky, Jr., Ph.D. talks about the importance of effective listening skills by the witness during testimony. Listening is a skill that must be taught by a neurocognitive expert because the brain is not wired naturally to listen, particularly to the degree required during questioning. Bill dispels the myth that witnesses should engage in active listening during their testimony. Active listening is a communication tactic whereby the listener is analyzing the gestures, body language, tone...

Steve Wood, Ph.D. & Bill Kanasky, Jr., Ph.D. discuss part 2 of the operant conditioning topic and how opposing counsel uses operant conditioning to derail witnesses during both deposition and trial testimony. Operant conditioning is the creation of an association between a behavior and the outcome and can include positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, and punishment. It's important to understand that negative reinforcement is not the same as punishment; negative reinforcement is...

Brenda Smith, Attorney with Dvorak Law Group, joins Bill Kanasky, Jr. Ph.D. to discuss the importance of conducting an early, thorough assessment of witnesses before beginning deposition prep and to make a connection with witnesses before even starting prep. This early assessment allows the litigation team to address any issues in advance of deposition prep so the preparation can be more impactful and deliver positive outcomes.  Brenda and Bill talk about working with witnesses who may be...

Bill Kanasky, Jr., Ph.D. talks about the biggest mistake defense attorneys are making at deposition, which is the erroneous assumption that the beginning of the deposition, when plaintiff's counsel is questioning the witness on background information, is not important. The witness (and the attorney) need to understand that those background questions are part of the setup for the plaintiff attorney and are critical for establishing good habits in responses from the witness that will need to be...

Dr. Jonathan Glenn, Director of Diversity and Inclusion at Alma College, joins Steve Wood, Ph.D. to discuss mentorship. Jonathan talks about the power of mentorship and describes both formal and informal mentorship and how they differ. Jonathan shares how great mentors are able to see things within others that they can't see within themselves. Strong mentors challenge "safe dreams" and push others to dream even bigger. Jonathan describes some of the challenges with getting mentorship from...

Bill Kanasky, Jr., Ph.D. shares the issues with a witness he is training for trial testimony and the witness's problem with pivoting, which he did extensively in his deposition. This witness's deposition included responses that went on way too long, responses that came way too quickly, including speaking over the questioner, and most of his responses to questions about facts were pivoting responses like "Yes, but....". Witnesses must accept facts - facts are facts. Bill describes how he will...

Fred I. Lederer, Director of the Center for Legal & Court Technology (CLCT) and Daniel Shin, Cybersecurity Researcher for CLCT join Steve Wood, Ph.D. to discuss the topic of deepfakes in litigation. Fred and Daniel provide the background and history of CLCT and how the center has expanded its focus to new and emerging technologies including machine learning and AI. Daniel defines what a deepfake is, how deepfake technology is being used and applied, and the group discuss the implications...

Bill Kanasky, Jr., Ph.D. answers podcast listener mail: - How can my client be better prepared for litigation before the court case is even filed? - Do online jury projects work? - If the witness only has two hours, is that enough for witness preparation and training? - How long does it take to properly train a witness? - When should I talk about damages at trial? - My witness is using marijuana to deal with their anxiety about the case. What should I do? - What are the top opening statement...

CSI Litigation Consultant Ava Hernandez, M.A. joins Bill Kanasky, Jr., Ph.D. to discuss witness mental health. Often, fact witnesses that are preparing for deposition may be suffering from psychological issues that could impact their performance during prep and especially during the actual deposition. Bill and Ava talk about how witnesses that have been summoned to testify could be dealing with anxiety not just about the litigation itself, but also other issues in their personal and...

Steve Wood, Ph.D. & Bill Kanasky, Jr., Ph.D. discuss the concept of operant conditioning and how it can be used with witnesses, particularly during deposition prep. Dr. Wood defines operant conditioning as the creation of an association between a behavior and the outcome. There can be both positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement, though its important to understand that negative reinforcement is not the same as punishment. Negative reinforcement is the elimination of a negative...

Bill Mitchell, Founding Partner, Cruser & Mitchell joins Bill Kanasky, Jr., Ph.D. to discuss negotiation in litigation. Bill Mitchell shares his philosophy on managing litigation and comments on the lack of focus on the negotiation phase of litigation vs. the outsized focus on trial, when fewer than 1% of cases go to trial. Bill talks about mistakes that he sees defense attorneys making including not identifying the leverage point for every case and not being an open communicator and...

Gene Kissane, Partner at Cole Scott & Kissane, John Nunnally, Attorney at Ragsdale Liggett, and Billy Davis, Partner at Bovis, Kyle, Burch & Medlin join Bill Kanasky, Jr., Ph.D. to talk about the hottest topic in the legal industry today: Artificial Intelligence. The group discuss their initial perspectives on how they think AI is going to impact the legal field and litigation, what the discussions are about AI in their firms, and how they are using AI today. They talk about whether...

CSI Litigation Consultant Ava Hernandez, M.A. joins Steve Wood, Ph.D. to discuss the concept of dogmatism in jurors. Ava defines what dogmatism is and shares the different perspectives of psychologists about whether dogmatism is a personality trait or is domain specific. Steve and Ava talk about open and closed systems of thinking and how dogmatism doesn't allow an individual to change their perspective, even in the face of evidence that contradicts their beliefs. They also discuss how to...

Plaintiff trucking attorney Joe Fried, Founding Partner of Fried Goldberg LLC, joins Bill Kanasky, Jr., Ph.D. to talk about a wide range of topics in trucking litigation including the importance of sincere and effective communication in the litigation process, the definition of a nuclear verdict, how Joe approaches a case from the outset, and how juror anger is only one of the factors influencing nuclear verdicts. Bill and Joe also discuss the hesitancy on the defense side of settling, the...

Jacqueline Altman, Partner at Naman Howell & Jason Goodnight, Partner at Fraden, Farris, Quillin, Goodnight, Roberts + Ward join Steve Wood, Ph.D. to talk about the gig economy. They discuss the complications and challenges from a litigation perspective for this growing, but still relatively new, industry. Jacq and Jason describe what the gig economy is, how broad it is, and how little case law exists today specific to the gig economy. The group discuss the similarities and differences of...

Steve Wood, Ph.D. and Bill Kanasky, Jr., Ph.D. answer podcast listener questions:  - How will AI change the legal industry and who will benefit the most, plaintiffs or defendants?- Are all nuclear verdict juries angry? How do I spot angry jurors in voir dire?- How do I handle witnesses who are dealing with personal issues?- Why do witnesses have such a deep desire to pivot and why are Yes/No answers so unsatisfying for witnesses to give?- Do attorneys welcome you with open arms when you are...

Bill Kanasky, Jr., Ph.D. talks about attorneys who "parachute" into a case late. These parachuting situations are happening more often, especially when the excess carrier gets involved and brings in their heavy hitter, but the geographic and culture differences of an outsider can have a material impact on jurors. It is possible for parachuting attorneys to win over a jury but there are some very specific things that must be taken into consideration by the outside attorney:  1. Be authentic -...

Oscar Lara, Shareholder at Rincon Law Group, joins Steve Wood, Ph.D. and Bill Kanasky, Jr., Ph.D. to talk about translators for non-native English speakers or foreign-born witnesses and the challenges of working with interpreters during witness preparation and for testimony. Much of Oscar's  practice involves working with many Spanish-speaking witnesses and he shares the challenges of working with these witnesses, of using interpreters during witness prep, and the difficulties associated with...

Steve Wood, Ph.D. & Bill Kanasky, Jr., Ph.D. talk about their latest paper published in CLM Magazine on Preventing Nuclear Settlements at Deposition and the dangers of pivoting during deposition. Steve and Bill discuss the risks to witnesses who are encouraged by defense counsel to pivot during testimony and how cases where witnesses are told to pivot settle for higher amounts than they should. They talk about the strategic and economic risks of pivoting and how a witness that pivots...

Bill Kanasky, Jr., Ph.D. talks about the difference between witness prep and witness training and how the combination of the defense attorney with a witness training expert is the perfect partnership. Some attorneys don't understand or appreciate the difference between witness prep and witness training. Witness prep is the attorney's job going over documents and exhibits and developing the legal strategy. Witness training is focused on working with the witness on their cognition, behavior,...

Dr. Steve Wood shares what to look for in a corporate representative and a list of five (5) essential elements for someone to serve as an effective 30(b)(6) witness: 1) Humility - The individual has to feel comfortable saying "I don't know". 2) Patience - The witness needs to wait for the questioner to finish asking their question before responding. They also have to be patient with the  deposition and litigation process as a whole. 3) Emotional poise - The witness must avoid making emotional...

Dr. Bill Kanasky, Jr. talks about a list of words that the brain normally doesn't think of as bad words but which can be really bad words if a witness says them, or agrees to them, in deposition or trial testimony. These are trap words that lock witnesses into inflexible positions and are a big reason why witness effectiveness training, prior to testimony, is crucial to litigation success. The Bad Word List (aka the anti-reptile word list): always/never; must/should; required/obligated/duty;...

Dr. Kyle Boone, Clinical Neuropsychologist and Clinical Professor at UCLA, joins Bill Kanasky, Jr., Ph.D. to talk about Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) in litigation. TBI claims are increasing exponentially and Dr. Boone gives an overview of concussions and mild traumatic brain injuries and discusses assumptions, myths, and truths about the diagnosis of a mild TBI. Dr. Boone and Dr. Kanasky, Jr. discuss how these issues play out in litigation, what defense attorneys need to be aware of in TBI...

Bill Kanasky, Jr., Ph.D. talks about egregious conduct in the trucking and transportation industry. Bill describes the importance of accurately assessing your case early with focus groups to find out what jurors might think about the case. Bill also lists specific behaviors and topics that jurors consistently have issues with in trucking and transportation cases: 1) Dash cam video; 2) Unenforced policies; 3) Log falsifications; 4) Driver substance abuse; 5) Poor hiring practices; 6) Cell...

Bill Kanasky, Jr., Ph.D. and Steve Wood, Ph.D. discuss who's to blame when things go poorly with a case. Bill and Steve share stories of when and how jury consultants get blamed or are set up as the fall guy for situations when depositions, jury selections, or trials turn out badly for the defense. They talk about the risk in accuracy, reliability, and predictability when cutting corners with jury research and the importance of a methodical, scientific process for recruiting, screening, and...