When hundreds of millions of dollars are on the line, there is no margin for guessing how a jury will respond. Mock jury and focus group services give attorneys the one thing that matters most before trial: real feedback from real people who mirror the actual jury pool. At The Trial Concierge, Beverly “Splash” Abbott has built her national reputation on running trial research that is rigorous, deeply strategic, and built around what your specific case actually needs — not a one-size-fits-all simulation.
Beverly brings a background unlike any other trial consultant working today. As the only consultant in the field with a medical degree (RN, MBA, LNCC), a former trauma nurse, and the person who stays in the courtroom from jury selection through the final verdict, she approaches mock jury research the same way she approaches trial: nothing is left to chance. With over half a billion dollars in verdicts and settlements across 22 states, she does not just run mock trials — she uses them to build a case strategy that wins. According to the National Center for State Courts, understanding juror behavior and decision-making patterns is one of the most critical preparation factors in high-stakes civil litigation.
What Is a Mock Jury Trial?
A mock jury trial is a controlled simulation of real trial proceedings, run before the actual court date. Attorneys present their arguments, key evidence, and witness testimony to a recruited panel of mock jurors who reflect the demographic and attitudinal profile of the likely jury in the venue. Their reactions — what they find persuasive, what they question, what they misunderstand — become the foundation for refining your strategy before it is too late to change course.
This is not a rehearsal for the attorneys. It is intelligence gathering. The goal is not to hear what your legal team already believes; it is to learn what a room of real people actually thinks when they hear your case for the first time.
Simulating the Trial Process
Beverly builds each research session to mirror the actual trial environment as closely as possible. Mock jurors review the same types of evidence, testimony formats, and case themes your jury will encounter. The sequence matters — jurors receive information in the same order they would at trial, so their reactions reflect the cumulative effect of your presentation, not just isolated pieces of it.
Juror recruitment is handled with the same discipline as the research itself. Mock jurors are matched to the venue’s demographic profile and are never reused across separate research projects. When the audience reflects who will actually decide the case, the feedback becomes genuinely predictive rather than aspirational.
Why Attorneys Use Mock Jury Services
Attorneys working on complex, high-value civil cases use mock jury research to gain something their own team cannot provide: objective perspective from people who have no stake in the outcome. The process surfaces how jurors actually respond to case themes and witness credibility — not how the legal team hopes they will respond. It exposes weaknesses in evidence before opposing counsel can exploit them. And it gives a clear picture of how the other side’s arguments might land, so attorneys walk into the courtroom ready for the full range of what could happen.
In-Person and Online Mock Jury Research
Beverly conducts mock jury research in both in-person and online formats, and the right choice depends on the case. Each has distinct strategic advantages that affect the quality and type of feedback you receive.
In-person mock trials provide the most realistic simulation of the actual trial environment. Attorneys can present in a physical setting with a courtroom-style setup — podium, counsel tables, and a live juror panel. This format allows direct observation of juror body language, audible reactions to evidence, and the kind of energy shift in a room that video cannot fully capture. For cases where delivery, presence, and in-the-moment persuasion are central factors, in-person research is the higher-fidelity option.
Online mock trials offer a flexible, cost-effective alternative that has become a genuine strategic tool for many high-stakes cases. They eliminate the logistical demands of a physical setup, allow participation from a broader geographic pool, and can be organized on a faster timeline when a trial date is approaching. For cases where reaching specific demographic profiles across multiple regions matters — or where budget efficiency is a priority without sacrificing feedback quality — online research delivers meaningful results. Beverly has run both formats across cases in 22 states and will recommend the approach that best fits your case’s specific preparation needs.
How Beverly Conducts Mock Jury Research
Every research project Beverly runs starts with the same question: what does this specific case need to learn? That shapes everything that follows — the structure of the session, the evidence selected, the questions posed to mock jurors, and how the feedback is analyzed.
Beverly works directly with the trial team to identify which arguments and pieces of evidence are most critical to test. She builds the research environment around those priorities, ensuring the session produces actionable data rather than general impressions. Once the framework is set, mock jurors are presented with evidence, testimony, and case themes in a sequence that replicates what they will encounter at trial. Their deliberations are observed, structured feedback is collected, and findings are synthesized into clear strategic recommendations the trial team can act on immediately.
Where Beverly’s approach differs from most consultants is what happens after the research. She does not hand off a report and step away. As someone who stays engaged with a case from first consultation through verdict, she uses the research findings to help attorneys sharpen their witness preparation, refine their trial graphics and presentation strategy, and align their overall case analysis with what the mock jury data revealed. The research does not exist in isolation — it informs every piece of trial preparation that follows.
What Comes Out of a Mock Jury Research Session
The deliverable from a well-run mock jury research project is not a document — it is a clear picture of where your case is strong, where it is vulnerable, and what needs to change before trial. Beverly’s research sessions consistently surface:
- Which case themes and narratives resonate with jurors and which fall flat or create confusion
- How jurors evaluate witness credibility and what signals raise doubt
- Where evidence is misunderstood, underweighted, or perceived differently than the trial team intended
- How the opposing side’s arguments may land — and how to respond to them effectively
- What adjustments to opening statements, closing arguments, and overall case framing will produce the strongest impact
- Settlement value data based on realistic juror verdict ranges
These findings are delivered with the specificity needed to act on them. Beverly does not traffic in vague impressions — her research produces the kind of strategic clarity that changes how a case is tried.
Focus Groups and Targeted Case Research
Not every case calls for a full mock trial. Focus groups allow attorneys to test specific elements of a case — a single liability theory, a particular witness, a piece of demonstrative evidence, or a damages argument — without simulating the entire proceedings. Beverly uses focus groups when a trial team needs targeted intelligence on one high-stakes question rather than a broad evaluation of the full case.
Focus group research is also a valuable tool earlier in litigation. Running a focused research session during case development can surface problems with the core theory before significant resources are committed to a direction that may not hold up in front of a real jury. Beverly has worked with trial teams on cases at every stage of preparation, from early case assessment through last-minute pre-trial refinement, and she tailors the research format to where the case actually is.
Why Trial Teams Work with Beverly
Most trial consultants run their research and then leave. Beverly does not. She is the consultant who stays in the courtroom from the first day of trial through the verdict — a standard she holds because she believes the work of trial preparation does not end when opening statements begin. Her mock jury research is designed with that commitment in mind: it is built to be used throughout trial, not just checked off the preparation list.
Her results speak to what that approach produces. The largest verdict in Washington state history ($42 million, Spokane), the largest verdict against Ford ($56.7 million, Colorado), and consistent work on cases valued at $200 million and above. Attorneys who work with Beverly work with someone who operates at the highest level of the field — and who structures her fees as a partnership, winning when they win.
Beverly’s services also extend to courtroom and mediation presentations, so mock jury findings translate directly into polished visual strategy for trial day. The entire preparation process connects.
Frequently Asked Questions About Mock Jury Services
What is the difference between a mock trial and a focus group?
A mock trial simulates the full trial process — opening statements, evidence presentation, witness testimony, and deliberations — using a recruited jury panel. A focus group tests a specific aspect of a case, such as one witness’s credibility, a single damages argument, or a particular piece of evidence. Both formats produce actionable feedback; the right choice depends on how much of the case needs to be tested and at what stage of preparation the trial team is working.
How far in advance of trial should mock jury research be conducted?
Ideally, mock jury research is conducted at least 60 to 90 days before trial to allow the trial team time to act on the findings — refining witness preparation, adjusting presentation strategy, and addressing identified weaknesses. That said, Beverly has run productive research sessions on much shorter timelines when case circumstances require it. Earlier research also allows for multiple rounds of testing as the case strategy evolves.
How are mock jurors recruited and selected?
Mock jurors are recruited to match the demographic and attitudinal profile of the actual jury venue. This means screening for factors like age, education, occupation, prior jury experience, and general attitudes relevant to the case type. Jurors are never reused across separate research projects, which ensures the integrity of each session’s data. Beverly’s recruiting process treats the panel composition as a core part of the research methodology — not an afterthought.
Can mock jury research be done online, or does it need to be in person?
Both formats are fully viable, and Beverly conducts research in both. In-person research provides the highest-fidelity simulation of the actual trial environment, including real-time observation of juror body language and group dynamics during deliberations. Online research offers flexibility, faster scheduling, broader geographic reach, and cost efficiency without sacrificing feedback quality. The choice depends on the case’s specific needs, the venue’s jury demographics, and the trial team’s timeline and budget.
What does Beverly deliver after a mock jury research session?
Beverly delivers a structured analysis of mock juror feedback that goes beyond data summary — it includes specific strategic recommendations for how the trial team should respond to what the research revealed. This covers case theme adjustments, witness preparation priorities, evidence presentation changes, and opening and closing argument refinements. Because Beverly stays engaged with a case through trial, the research findings inform every phase of preparation that follows the session.
Do mock jury results hold up in actual trial?
Well-run mock jury research using a properly recruited, demographically matched panel produces feedback that is meaningfully predictive of how real jurors will respond. The reliability of the data depends heavily on the quality of the process — how jurors are recruited, how the simulation is structured, and how the findings are analyzed and applied. Beverly’s approach is built around that discipline at every stage, and her track record across high-stakes litigation in 22 states reflects it.
Ready to Test Your Case Before Trial?
Beverly “Splash” Abbott is one of the most sought-after trial consultants in the country — the only one with a medical degree, the one who stays through every day of trial, and the one whose track record includes the largest verdicts in Washington state and Colorado. She works on a selective basis with attorneys preparing for the highest-stakes civil litigation in the country, and she brings that same standard of preparation to every research project she takes on.
If you are preparing for trial and need to know how your case will actually land with a jury, reach out to The Trial Concierge to discuss your case and how mock jury research can give your team the advantage it needs to walk into the courtroom prepared.