On my way home after a long day of jury selection in a California Superior Court, it puzzled me that in this million dollar civil lawsuit all the attorneys relied on sticky notes stuck to the back of a legal pad to keep track of juror information during Voir Dire. Sticky notes are great because they can be quickly moved around as jurors shift seats like musical chairs. However, a sticky note fell from the podium and floated to the floor during the questioning of a juror at the absolute wrong time. That was the “ah hah moment” for me. There must be a better way.
I had seen sticky notes stuck to the back of legal pads and manila folders in almost every courtroom in California. One attorney taped together big pieces of cardboard to create a seating chart to hold the sticky notes, and then plopped it on counsel table like a whale in a swimming pool. Then during the lunch break, the cardboard seating chart was carefully escorted out of the courtroom so that the sticky notes did not fall off. Not very cool. Not very effective either. Hence the creation of The Jury Case.
After many trips to the arts and craft store, the first model was made in 2013 and then prototypes were manufactured. The design was revised after consulting with judges, attorneys, jury consultants as well as with Bob Blumberg and his team, and The Jury Case kit with all its components was launched for distribution by Blumberg Excelsior, Inc. in March of 2015.
It features a durable vinyl grid in the form of a trifold (“The Jury Case“) that holds tight the sticky notes (“Juror Tags”) and folds up to be carried around with the notes in place. The Juror Tags are customized to allow easy recording of the juror name, seat number, job, marital status and children, and provide space to add personalized shorthand notations. If you need more space to record information or posit questions, the Supplemental Tags stack on top. Keep track of your challenges and those of your opponent on the Peremptory Tags. For large venires the Panel Cards come in handy, and the Juror Polling Pad is perfect to record the votes after the verdict.
By all accounts, The Jury Case kit has proven to be an effective tool in courtrooms around the country. Clarence Darrow said, “Never forget, almost every case has been won or lost when the jury is sworn”, and there is ample evidence that he is right. This product will allow attorneys for many generations to master the art of jury selection and serve the interests of their clients. It all started with a sticky note falling from a podium in a California courtroom.
Kenneth Spencer
Los Angeles Litigation Attorney and
Inventor of The Jury Case