Boardwalk Seminar 2024:
Winning Your Case Through Focus Groups

Program Moderators:

Melissa M. Baxter, Esq. Kline & Specter, P.C. Collingswood, NJ

Jared M. Placitella, Esq. Cohen, Placitella & Roth, P.C. Red Bank, NJ

Program Speakers:

Lauren D. Fraser, Esq. Einhorn, Barbarito, Frost & Botwinick PC Sparta, NJ	Kenneth H. Levinson, Esq. Levinson and Stefani Chicago, IL
Eric T. Penn, Esq. Penn Kestner & McKewan Jacksonville, TX	Robert R. Swafford, Esq. Strike for Cause Trial Consultants Austin, TX

Restricted to Regular Members Only*!

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After hundreds of focus groups across the country, nationally recognized trial lawyers and trial consultants Ken Levinson and Lauren Fraser have learned a thing or two about what makes the most successful trial lawyers successful and what inspires jurors to help our clients. Join them with nationally recognized truck lawyer Eric Penn and jury consultant Robert Swafford to dive into the lessons learned from focus groups and how they can help you.  We will have an opportunity to watch some focus groups in action on a few cases – and their deliberations may surprise you. We will also discuss the current trends and leading thoughts associated with juror bias and overcoming them. Join us for an interactive and lively afternoon, learning cutting-edge strategies to employ before our juries.

1.    Understanding what a jury focus group is and what it is not.
2.    Understanding how focus groups work (and how you can run your own).
3.    The various types of focus groups and what kind will be most beneficial for different cases and why.
4.    Learning the characteristics of the most successful trial lawyers – what sets them apart. 
5.    Identifying jury biases and trends.
6.    Identifying potentially bad/good jurors even with limited voir dire.
7.    Connecting with jurors through the power of language and messaging.
8.    Learning to unpack and analyze the jury focus group feedback to rethink your case. 

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SEMINAR AGENDA

11:30 am - 12:00 pm
Lunch

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12:00 pm - 1:30 pm
The Importance of Focus Groups
Lauren D. Fraser, Esq. • Sparta, NJ
Kenneth H. Levinson, Esq. • Chicago, IL
Eric T. Penn, Esq. • Jacksonville, TX
Robert R. Swafford, Esq. • Austin, TX

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1:30 pm - 3:00 pm
Frame Your Case and Create the Trial Story Using Focus Group Information
Lauren D. Fraser, Esq. • Sparta, NJ
Kenneth H. Levinson, Esq. • Chicago, IL
Eric T. Penn, Esq. • Jacksonville, TX
Robert R. Swafford, Esq. • Austin, TX

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Regular Members Only! The seminar is offered as a service to Regular* Members of NJAJ only. If you would like to join NJAJ, you can call NJAJ Headquarters at 609.396.0096 or you can submit an application at our web site (www.nj-justice.org) and click on Join NJAJ.

*A Regular Member is an attorney, who, for the most part, represents the plaintiff in personal injury cases.

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Boardwalk Seminar® 2024 will feature 29 programs presented  for trial attorneys and includes outstanding local and regional speakers along with top national speakers. 

A cornerstone of NJAJ’s mission is to advance the education and skills of the membership. 

This year's program features three days of thought leadership on topics related to improving the practice of plaintiff trial attorneys. Our faculty includes top litigators from across the country. 

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* * * Special Offer * * *
Join NJAJ & Save $300 on Boardwalk Seminar registration.
If you join the New Jersey Association for Justice when registering for the Boardwalk Seminar 2024, you will receive the member registration fee ($200 less than the non-member rate) and as a part of this special offer you will receive an additional $100 off of the registration fee. Join NJAJ.

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MCLE Credits
New Jersey - (Earn 3.60 Credits/Earn 0.0 Ethics Credits)
New York - (Earn 3.50 Credits/Earn 0.0 Ethics Credits)
Pennsylvania - (Earn 0.0 Credits/Earn 0.0 Ethics Credits)

This program has been approved by the Board on Continuing Legal Education of the Supreme Court of New Jersey for 3.60 hours of total CLE credit.

Of these, 0.0 qualify as hours of credit for Ethics/Professionalism, and 0.0 qualify as hours of credit for Diversity, Inclusion and Elimination of Bias.

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Full-Time Judges, Full-Time Law School Professors, 
Judicial Law Clerks & Law Student Members
Registration is complimentary for the seminar.
Pre-registration is required.

Course Materials
The seminar course materials will be online for attendees to download on April 12, 2024.

Registration on or after April 17th: 
An additional $25 will be added to fees for registering on the day of the program.

REGISTER FOR BOARDWALK SEMINAR 2024

If you have a disability that will require special assistance or services, 
please send a letter describing your needs.