A View from the Courtroom: How COVID-19 is Affecting Jury Trials

As courts are beginning to open, litigants and their counsel are forced to navigate the “new normal” of courtroom proceedings. Videoconferencing tools are allowing cases to progress with virtual depositions, oral arguments and even bench trials, but there is still some skepticism surrounding whether a jury trial can proceed in a similar manner and be as effective. With these dramatic changes reshaping litigation strategies, clients should lean on their advisers to stay informed about what is happening in both federal and state courts around the country, and what the pandemic means for the future of jury trials.

Please join McDermott’s team of experienced trial litigators and jury consultant Jason Bloom as they discuss what a jury trial looks in the “new normal,” including:

• How to effectively embrace remote hearings
• How to conduct jury research
• What a jury gallery looks like now, and how they participate
• How the pandemic and the shutdown may affect how jurors decide cases