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“May It Please the Court…” A Social-Cognitive Primer on Persuasion in Legal Contexts

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Handbook of Trial Consulting

Abstract

The key to success for any attorney lies not in the mastery of law or in the ­serendipity of a perfect fact pattern, but in the ability to persuade. A persuasive attorney can redefine the contours of law to suit his/her needs and resurrect a flawed set of facts right before jurors’ eyes. For the past 30 years, social psychologists have studied persuasion and a host of variables that influence this process. In the spirit of the current volume, we examine the theoretical background and empirical ­support for two information-processing models of persuasion. We also consider how the psychological literature reviewed can help trial consultants provide more informed and effective advice to their clients when preparing for court.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, California State University, 18111 Nordhoff Street, Northridge, CA, 91330-8255, USA

    Bradley D. McAuliff

Authors
  1. Bradley D. McAuliff
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  2. Leslie Ellis
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  3. Mark Phillips
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Correspondence to Bradley D. McAuliff .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. , Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska/Lincoln, Burnett Hall 338, Lincoln, 68588-9296, Nebraska, USA

    Richard L. Wiener

  2. Dept. Psychology, University of Nebraska, Burnett Hall 335, Lincoln, 68588-0308, Nebraska, USA

    Brian H. Bornstein

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McAuliff, B.D., Ellis, L., Phillips, M. (2011). “May It Please the Court…” A Social-Cognitive Primer on Persuasion in Legal Contexts. In: Wiener, R., Bornstein, B. (eds) Handbook of Trial Consulting. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-7569-0_3

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