Agenda / Content Covered

1. JURY SELECTION: WHAT THE COURT EXPECTS
   9:00 - 9:45, William G. Hardwick II
   
   1. The Role of the Judge in Voir Dire
   2. Preparation and Coordination with the Court
   3. Who Asks the Questions: Judge or Attorneys?
   4. Determining the Extent of Attorneys' Examination of Prospective Jurors
   5. Attorneys Trying the Case at Voir Dire - How Much Case Information Can You Introduce During Voir Dire?
   6. The Big DON'Ts of Voir Dire Questions
   7. Custom Jury Instructions
2. THE LAW OF JURY SELECTION
   9:45 - 10:15, Melanie M. Stewart
   
   1. Key Statutes and Case Law Affecting Jury Selection
   2. Local Rules and Procedures to be Aware of
   3. Grounds for Challenges for Cause
3. HOW JURORS THINK: WHAT EVERY LITIGATOR NEEDS TO KNOW
   10:15 - 11:00, Sean Antone Hunt
   
   1. How Jurors Learn - Structuring Your Case Theory
   2. How Jurors Perceive Attorneys - Building Rapport
   3. How Jurors Determine Credibility - Preparing Your Witnesses for Testimony
   4. How Jurors React to Different Demonstratives - Turning Exhibits/Aids into Persuasive Tools
   5. How to Address Damages - From Both a Plaintiff and Defense Perspective
   6. Preparing Effective Opening Statements, Closing Arguments and Jury Instructions
   7. How Jurors Deliberate and Make the Decision - Giving Them All the Information They Need
4. PREPARING FOR VOIR DIRE
   11:15 - 12:00, Daniel V. Parish
   
   1. Developing a Case Theme for Jury Selection
   2. Researching Local Demographics
   3. Using Juror Profiles - Creating Your "Ideal Juror"
   4. Preparing Your Pre-Trial Order
   5. When and How to Use Jury Consultants
      1. Assistance in Drafting the Questions
      2. Focus Groups
      3. At Jury Selection and During Trial
      4. Shadow Jury
5. VOIR DIRE AND THE ART OF ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS
   1:00 - 1:45, John E. Dunlap
   
   1. Who Goes First: Plaintiff or Defense? Strategy of Going First or Second
   2. Establishing Your Credibility and Building Trust
   3. Getting to Know Prospective Jurors
      1. Personality Types to Watch for and Use to Your Advantage
      2. Reading the Non-Verbals
   4. How to Conduct an Effective Group Interview
      1. Standard Questions to Always Ask
      2. Practical Tips for Question Construction
      3. Getting the Jurors Talking
      4. Simple Ways of Keeping Track of Which Juror Said What
      5. Preparing Jurors for Delicate/Unpleasant Aspects of the Case
      6. Getting Truthful Answers to Tough Questions
      7. How to Ask Questions When a Positive Answer May "Poison" the Entire Panel
      8. When to Ask Follow-Up Questions in Chambers
      9. Uncovering Biases that will Sink Your Case
   5. How and When to Object to Opposing Counsel's Questions
   6. What NOT to Do in Voir Dire
6. JURY SELECTION STRATEGY
   1:45 - 2:30, John E. Dunlap
   
   1. Identifying Whom to Strike
   2. Different Methods of Striking Jurors
   3. Peremptory Challenges - When and How to Use These Precious Few
   4. Understanding Opposing Counsel's Striking Strategy
   5. Alternate Juror Selection
7. SOCIAL MEDIA USE AND OTHER COMPLEX JURY ISSUES
   2:45 - 3:30, Sean Antone Hunt
   
   1. Change of Venue Requests: When and How They're Used
   2. Mining Social Media for Information About Case Parties, Jurors and Witnesses
   3. Researching Private vs. Public Social Media Accounts - What's Ethical?
   4. Uncovering Juror Misconduct and What to Do About it
   5. State Statutory Efforts to Control Jury Social Media Use - Prevention and Penalties
   6. Attorney Use of Social Media at Trial
8. ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS IN JURY SELECTION
   3:30 - 4:30, Melanie M. Stewart
   
   1. Respect Toward the Court, the Jurors and Opposing Counsel
   2. Candor Toward the Tribunal
   3. Avoiding Contact with Jurors
   4. Zealous Representation at Trial

Accreditation Details:

JOHN E. DUNLAP is a sole practitioner in Memphis, where he is board certified by the Tennessee Continuing Legal Education and Specialization Commission in consumer bankruptcy. His main areas of practice include bankruptcy, workers' compensation, personal injury, ERISA litigation, and Social Security disability. Mr. Dunlap has spoken on consumer bankruptcy and workers' compensation, as well as having spoken for a company called SCES, Sterling Education Services, and for the Memphis Bar Association. He is admitted to practice before the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals and the United States Supreme Court. Mr. Dunlap is a member of the Memphis and American bar associations, as well as the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys. He earned his B.A. degree from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville and his J.D. degree from the University of Memphis.

WILLIAM G. HARDWICK II is a sole practitioner in Memphis, Tennessee, where his main area of practice is general civil practice. Mr. Hardwick previously taught at the Memphis School of Law (legal writing). He is a member of the Memphis and Tennessee bar associations. Mr. Hardwick earned his B.A. degree, with honors, from Rhodes College and his J.D. degree from the University of Memphis.

SEAN ANTONE HUNT is the owner of the Memphis boutique commercial defense law firm, The Hunt Law Firm, where the two-person law firm brings a unique team format to in-house counsel and business clients for their litigation needs. For the past 20 years, he has practiced in the areas of Section 1983 litigation, construction litigation, products liability, personal injury, workers' compensation and insurance defense. Recently, Mr. Hunt has become a Rule 31 trained mediator as well. Mr. Hunt has lectured at seminars on his areas of expertise and has conducted several in-house presentations on workers' compensation issues for his firm's clients. He is a member of the American, Tennessee, Memphis, and National (Ben F. Jones Chapter) bar associations; the State Bar of Georgia; and The Mississippi Bar. Mr. Hunt is licensed to practice law in Tennessee, Georgia and Mississippi. His firm provides defense for clients all over the state of Tennessee and parts of Mississippi and Georgia. He is currently the chair of the Memphis Bar Association's Technology Section and a former chair of the Tennessee Bar Association's Construction Law Section, a former member of the Board of the Memphis Bar Association and a member of the Memphis Bar Association's Communications Committee, where he writes the technology column and various other articles for the Memphis Lawyer Magazine. Mr. Hunt earned his B.S. degree in civil engineering from Tennessee State University and his J.D. degree from Vanderbilt University Law School.

DANIEL V. PARISH is an attorney with Wolff Ardis, P.C., where he handles products liability cases and other personal injury cases, while also working domestic cases such as child support, child custody and divorce matters. Mr. Parish is licensed to practice in the Eastern District of Tennessee. Previously, he worked for Dunn, MacDonald & Reynolds, where his caseload ranged from child support cases to six-figure construction litigation suits. He tried three cases before East Tennessee juries and dozens more before judges in bench trials. Mr. Parish has also successfully argued cases on appeal before the Tennessee Appeals Court sitting in Knoxville. He is a member of the Memphis, Knoxville, and Tennessee bar associations. Mr. Parish received his undergraduate degree, cum laude, from the University of Memphis and his J.D. degree from the University of Miami School of Law.

MELANIE M. STEWART is a member of the law firm Heaton & Moore, P.C. She is a frequent speaker to various professional groups on insurance law. Ms. Stewart is a member of the Tennessee Defense Lawyers Association (president, 2010-2011), the Defense Research Institute, and The Mississippi Bar. She is licensed to practice in Tennessee and Mississippi. Ms. Stewart earned her B.A. degree from the University of Mississippi and her J.D. degree from the University of Mississippi School of Law.