The Law of Jury Selection

Catalog description

This course will focus on the various legal and practical considerations that attorneys must face both during and following the jury selection process. The course will cover: constitutional issues; what must be proven to establish bias; the role of trial consultants (particularly in high profile cases); challenges to the array, challenges for cause and peremptory challenges; timing and procedural limitations; the significance of group dynamics; questioning techniques and the use of questionnaires; problems at trial and during deliberations; and the extent to which the parties may be entitled to examine prospective jurors in various areas of inquiry (such as occupation, education, knowledge of the case, legal and government experience, religious and educational beliefs). Students will participate in mock voir dire, prepare a draft questionnaire, and complete a final paper (7-10 pages).