A great way to learn more about the strengths and weaknesses of any case is to do a “focus group” (with the permission of the client, of course). Although a law firm can hire a professional facilitator, we have found a way to do our own focus groups at a fraction of the cost that otherwise would be paid to an outside facilitator.
Recently we invited 10 people to be part of a focus group on a complex case involving four key issues. (At the last minute, two persons canceled. This was not unexpected and is the reason we invite a few more people than we actually need.) That left us with a group of eight, which is an ideal size for a focus group.
Members began arriving at 5:45 PM for a light meal of sandwiches, chips, soft drinks, and cookies. We then began the focus group promptly at 6:00 PM.
We paid each participant $50 for two hours. With their permission, we video-recorded their deliberations with a GoPro camera set to wide-angle lens. We also audio-recorded their deliberations using Plaud, a device that attaches to a cellphone and then links to the cloud to produce a written transcript within minutes of the recording.
By our 8:00 PM self-imposed deadline, we had gathered amazing insights from ordinary folks, had captured it all on video, had an PDF transcript, and had valuable additional information from members filling out a post-review evaluation of the focus group process.
The insights and information gained far outweighs the cost of less than $500 to do the focus group.
If you’re looking for a powerful, low-cost way to better understand how a jury might perceive your case, consider running your own focus group. With the right approach, the return in insights can be tremendous—without breaking the bank. Ready to see what a few hours and a few hundred dollars can reveal about your case? Andersen & Linthorst can show you how. Try it yourself and discover the difference.
