Photo by Tingey Injury Law Firm on Unsplash
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tim Rank visited Science Court this week, providing tips on best practices for the legal team to prepare for trial. He stressed the importance of emotional appeal and teaching moments in opening statements. “You are telling a story,” Rank said. According to Rank, members of the legal team should prepare for their opening statements by acknowledging both their arguments and the other side’s counter-arguments, clearly explaining key topics, and telling the jury what to watch for during the trial.
The legal team is working to integrate Rank’s advice into their trial plans. “It was instructive to hear from his trial experience as a prosecutor, what his guiding principles are when attempting to build a successful case and opening statement,” legal team member Arunn Suntharalingam said. Suntharalingam is working to build a case for a voluntary national service program.
Aside from preparing the trial structure, members of the science team presented summary reports of the major findings from their research. One of their most significant findings suggests that for a service program to be successful, groups must be heterogeneous and focused on a common mission.
We are recruiting for the Science Court jury. If you’re interested, you can sign up to be considered for the jury. To sign up, you’ll need to submit a short questionnaire to help us ensure the jury is heterogeneous. Also, we would love to hear your input on our current case. Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @scicourt. Listen to our most recent podcast episode about the public health and psychology of service programs on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.