Why is There a Lack of Experience Among Civil Jury Trials?

Rachel Olszewski

Among the classic symbols of the American justice system, including the gavel, scales of justice, and the judge, there is the jury. It’s a jury trial that allows a regular person to go up against a company or institution that harmed them and seek justice for their injuries. The right to respectfully argue a case before a jury is a privilege not overlooked by civil trial attorneys. But despite the historic verdicts and momentous victories for victims, the number of civil jury trials, both federal and state, is diminishing.

This is important to anyone who has suffered a personal injury. If someone caused you harm and you seek legal litigation, the case will likely go through to civil court for a civil trial. When the number of civil trials is going down, it’ll be hard to find a team of attorneys who can match the experience at Scartelli Olszewski, P.C. Our attorneys have years of civil jury trial experience under our belts. You can trust us to seek the compensation you deserve.

What Does the Evidence Say About Civil Jury Trials?

Data from past decades has shown that trials are becoming less common in civil litigation. Explanations for this downward trend include the growth of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) methods and the increasing costs of civil jury trials.
In addition to the decline in trial numbers, we are seeing growth in the number of civil attorneys. This negative correlation has led to many young attorneys being inexperienced with jury trials.

The Experience of Civil Trial Attorneys

In an extensive survey performed among Texas litigators, staggering percentages of young attorneys reported that they have never tried a case by jury. 30% of respondents with 10 years of litigation experience had never tried a case, and only 36% had experience with two or more trials.

The Importance of Experience in Civil Trial Attorneys

You may be thinking, why does it matter if attorneys don’t have much experience with trials since trials are less common now? The answer is simple: perspective and preparation.

Having extensive experience in taking cases before a jury establishes a valuable outlook on potential compensation and the merits of a case. While less common now, trial by jury is still the case outcome when ADRs fail to lead to a settlement.

Then the lack of experience grows amongst civil trial attorneys, and the attorney’s confidence in their ability to succeed shrinks if the case ends up going to trial.

Additionally, an attorney with little to no trial experience will likely be motivated to settle the case through ADRs, which could have a negative impact on the recovery for the client.

What Should You Do If You Think You’ll Face a Civil Jury Trial?

If you are looking for a lawyer to help you with your personal injury case, do your research to ensure that the attorney you contact is well-versed in trying cases before a jury. Going to trial is not the only possible outcome, but you need a lawyer who is competent in all areas of litigation to fight for your best interest.

Luckily, you have Scartelli Olszewski, P.C. Our attorneys have extensive experience with representing clients in civil jury trials and with avoiding them. This means that we can handle whatever situation is thrown at us to get you the compensation you deserve. Let Scartelli Olszewski, P.C. help you. Contact our Scranton law firm today to learn how we can help.