The days of relying solely on a room full of mock jurors and a legal pad of notes are not gone, but they represent only a fraction of what sophisticated jury research looks like today. As data collection has transformed nearly every industry, trial consulting has evolved alongside it, and the attorneys who understand how to harness that evolution are walking into courtrooms with an edge their opponents may not even recognize.
That shift is exactly what The Trial Concierge is built for. Beverly “Splash” Abbott brings a rare combination of medical expertise, psychological insight, and a results-driven approach to trial preparation that incorporates both the science of data and the art of human persuasion. With over half a billion dollars in verdicts and settlements behind her, Beverly understands what it takes to translate research into trial strategy that actually works in the courtroom.
What Big Data Means in a Trial Consulting Context
Big data in trial consulting refers to the use of large-scale information sources to build a more complete picture of the people who will decide a case. This goes well beyond the traditional focus group, which, while still valuable, provides a snapshot rather than a full portrait of community attitudes, potential juror behaviors, and case vulnerabilities.
Modern jury research now draws on publicly available social media activity, demographic data, neighborhood-level socioeconomic trends, prior verdict data from a given jurisdiction, and community attitude surveys to identify patterns that individual interviews simply cannot capture. The National Center for State Courts’ State of the States Survey on Jury Improvement Efforts highlights how rapidly jury operations and juror demographics are shifting nationwide, reinforcing why relying on outdated research methods can leave legal teams unprepared for the actual pool they will face.
The Role Focus Groups Still Play
None of this renders traditional focus group and mock jury research obsolete. In fact, the most effective approach combines both. Big data identifies patterns and flags risk factors at scale. Focus groups and mock juries then pressure-test the case themes and narratives that emerge from that larger analysis against real human reactions. The combination produces a level of pretrial intelligence that neither method achieves on its own.
Beverly uses mock jury and focus group research to validate case strategy, test witness credibility, and surface juror concerns that data alone cannot fully predict. The goal is always the same: to walk into trial knowing how real people are likely to respond to the case before a single juror is ever seated.
How Data Reshapes Voir Dire Strategy
One of the most direct applications of expanded jury research is in voir dire coaching and jury selection strategy. When a trial team has access to jurisdiction-level verdict data, community attitude surveys, and detailed demographic analysis of the jury pool, voir dire becomes far more targeted. Rather than asking broad questions and hoping for revealing answers, attorneys can develop precise lines of questioning designed to surface specific attitudes the data has already flagged as high-risk for their case.
Beverly’s approach to jury selection is built on exactly this kind of preparation. She works with legal teams to develop juror questionnaires that are administered in the courtroom, with The Trial Concierge providing all necessary equipment and copies so the process runs smoothly for the court and judge’s staff. Every question is calibrated to the case, the venue, and the research that preceded it.
Data-Informed Witness Preparation
Expanded jury research also changes how witness and expert preparation is approached. Understanding what a specific jury pool values, what language resonates with them, and what types of testimony tend to lose credibility in a given jurisdiction helps a trial consultant prepare witnesses far more precisely than intuition alone allows. Beverly is recognized nationally for her witness preparation work and travels across the country specifically because of the outcomes she delivers in this area.
Her background as a former trauma nurse and hospital administrator gives her a distinct advantage in cases involving medical complexity, where data about how jurors respond to clinical testimony can be the difference between a compelling expert and one who loses the room entirely.
What Good Research Looks Like at The Trial Concierge
Research without synthesis is just information. The value Beverly brings is her ability to take everything a data-informed approach surfaces and translate it into a trial strategy that attorneys can execute. She covers the following research components as part of her work on complex cases:
- Community attitude surveys: gathering data on how the jury pool in a specific venue views the core issues in the case before trial begins
- Mock jury and focus group testing: pressure-testing case themes, witness presentations, and arguments with demographically matched participants
- Juror questionnaire development: designing in-court questionnaires that surface the specific biases and attitudes the research has identified as risks
- Voir dire strategy: translating research findings into actionable questioning approaches for jury selection
- Ongoing trial monitoring: Beverly stays in the courtroom through verdict, adjusting strategy in real time as the case develops
Each of these components reinforces the others, and together they represent a research approach that goes well beyond what most trial consultants provide.
Work With The Trial Concierge
Beverly Abbott operates at the intersection of rigorous research and courtroom instinct, a combination that has produced results on cases ranging from $200 million to a $1 billion Ford trial. Her contingency-based model means she is personally invested in every case she accepts, and her selective approach to taking on clients means that when she says yes, attorneys get everything she has. A fee schedule is available to accommodate varying case needs, ensuring the right level of support is accessible regardless of where a case stands in preparation.If you are preparing for significant civil litigation and want a trial consultant whose research goes as deep as her courtroom presence, reach out to The Trial Concierge to find out whether your case is the right fit.
