Mock juries and legal focus groups provide a true-crime fix, as well as sometimes generous pay

LOS ANGELES, CA, USA, June 28, 2023/EINPresswire.com/ -- People who love true-crime dramas have the opportunity to engage in a fun and economically rewarding side hustle -- participating in legal focus groups and mock trials. Both can provide a true-crime fix, while paying sometimes generous stipends for the participant's time.

"Legal focus groups and mock juries can be a fun and lucrative way to spend an afternoon," says Kathy Kristof, founder and CEO of SideHusl.com, a website that researches, reviews and rates more than 450 ways to make money with flexible, part-time gigs.

What's involved?

Being a mock juror is somewhat like being a real juror. But there’s less waiting around in court hallways and considerably better pay. During the pandemic, most mock juries were convened online, with jurors watching presentations from home computers. Today, mock trials are also being held in person. These presentations typically take between four and 10 hours and can pay anywhere from $150 to more than $300.

In some cases, mock jurors participate as a group, much like they would at trial, interacting and discussing various elements of a case in person or via Zoom. But mock jurors can sometimes be enlisted for solo engagements, where they either watch a video presentation or read a case online and then render their opinion.

Legal focus groups

Legal focus groups are a bit different. They typically are used by attorneys who want to decide how to structure or present their case. So they're typically dealing with the steps prior to what would be presented at a mock trial. Focus groups can also look specifically at pieces of a case -- or at how a jury might determine damages. Some lawyers use legal focus groups to evaluate the most sympathetic type of juror for their cause. Others use them to determine what elements might be missing to make a case more compelling.

Like mock jurors, participants in legal focus groups are there to provide advice to the legal team. They illuminate areas where the jury might be confused or skeptical. And they may signal weakness in a witness testimony. These opinions help lawyers strategize before they get in front of a real jury, when the client’s life or livelihood is on the line.

What's required

Mock jurors typically must be over the age of 18; a U.S. citizen; have no felony convictions; and not be involved in the legal industry as a judge, lawyer, paralegal or aide. Sometimes, people who work for insurance or media companies are also excluded.

By and large, mock trials and legal focus groups also require participants to live and/or work in the general geographic area where the trial will be held. That's to increase the chance that the mock trial/focus group panel has similar societal biases or beliefs as the people who will eventually be empaneled to serve on the real jury.

Where to sign up

Law firms and legal consulting firms advertise for mock jurors on Indeed, Facebook and other sites. However, a number of online platforms allow prospective participants to sign up to join mock-juror pools whenever they're formed.

Realize, however, that mock trials and legal focus groups are not held every day. They tend to be reserved for complex and high-dollar cases. As a result, anyone wanting to participate in mock trials would be wise to sign up with several sites to improve the chance of getting semi-regular work.

Some online sites that invite mock jurors to sign up include First Court, LegalFocusGroup, SignUpDirect and Online Verdict.

Kathy Kristof
SideHusl.com
+1 818-640-0730
kathykristof@sidehusl.com
Visit us on social media:
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Instagram
YouTube

Legal Disclaimer:

EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.