Director of Litigation Support, Jury Consulting (Dallas)

Director of Litigation Support, Jury Consulting

The Company: 

Founded in 1989, The Focal Point is a national legal consulting firm that offers cutting-edge trial solutions. Our mission: Leverage our diverse expertise and creativity to deliver to clients winning persuasion strategies and surefire trial methodologies.

For the past 30 years, The Focal Point team has collaborated with many of this country’s most influential trial lawyers in courtrooms throughout the United States. We have worked on over 5,000 cases and, thus, have experience in a myriad of subject matters. Many of our cases have involved high-profile disputes.

We recognize the serious nature of our clients’ work and the impact it has on people’s lives. We understand that by functioning in collaboration with clients, we are best able to provide them with assistance. Therefore, we work closely with our clients every step of the way—sharing ideas, refining concepts, and perfecting adversarial presentations. At the same time, we try not to take ourselves too seriously, and we strive, as well, to bring creative spirit and a little fun into our work.

At The Focal Point (TFP), we recognize and employ high-level talent, and whenever possible, TFP promotes from within. We value individual initiative and encourage free thinking and innovation. We welcome individuals who are enthusiastic about building a meaningful career. They are encouraged to become contributing members to a company community that values client relationships, meaningful pro bono work and community service, and that seeks to preserve TFP’s well-deserved reputation as the leader in our field. 

In August of 2019, we joined forces with IMS ExpertServices (IMS). IMS is a consultative expert services firm for the most influential global firms. It is dedicated to offering rigorous research, strategic expert alignment, and ongoing services to position clients for success. The alliance will leverage proprietary technology and processes that will enable us to deliver high-touch, people-driven services to attorneys.  For the first time, litigators throughout the country now have an option in the marketplace in which one distinct provider offers them a custom expert witness search as well as premier best-in-class litigation and trial-consulting services.

 

The Role:

We are looking for a highly skilled self-starter to be responsible for leadership and growth of our Jury Consulting team. Based in our Dallas officeand reporting to our COO, the Jury Consulting Director will create and implement the infrastructure needed to lead a first-class service offering. It will accomplish this task by ensuring a strong and effective operation that supports TFP’s business needs. Specific jury consulting experience is not required, but litigation support experience is preferable.

Jury Consulting at The Focal Point

The Focal Point’s jury consultants work to uncover persuasive case theories and themes, which they then turn into winning courtroom presentations. 

Jury Consultants perform:

• Focus group and mock trial research – facilitated research projects that utilize mock jurors to test case themes and arguments
• Witness preparation - designed to enhance the confidence of witnesses and to ensure the clarity and persuasiveness of their testimony 
• Voir dire strategy and jury selection services - assist with the development of voir dire questions, juror research, and provide advice and assistance with the jury selection process

 

What We’re Looking for You to Do:

Operations

Create and implement the infrastructure needed to lead a best-in-class service offering by ensuring a strong and effective operation that supports TFP’s business needs. 

• Manage revenue, utilization, and expense budgets to achieve targets 
• Keep abreast of new and emerging services that can be added to current suite 
• Execute specific policies and procedures to ensure consistent application and coordination across departments
• Possess a strong understanding of the project delivery processes and the interaction between all TFP’s disciplines 
• Build out the jury consulting logistics processes and the participant recruitment and facility provider partnerships across the US so that an effective operation that supports growth is firmly in place
• Work with consultants to ensure that all jury research and strategy consulting solutions are consistently of high quality
• Monitor the quality of all project deliverables to ensure TFP standards are met and client needs are satisfied
• Develop case-specific client surveys to gauge client satisfaction at the completion of work phases
• Research and recommend new best practices to improve service performance, practices that ultimately lead to the institution of improved processes
• Proactively identify internal opportunities and lead training programs, knowledge sharing sessions, and improvement action plans 
• Respond (with appropriate guidance from HR and management team, if necessary) to any internal team concerns or disputes, gather information from stakeholders to propose most equitable resolutions, and adjust internal best practices as appropriate 
• Manage and assign case staffing of team members to ensure optimal client service, project margins, and team utilization and support 
• Lead weekly department meetings to review the calendar, outstanding proposals, and nonbillable projects

 

Leadership

Lead the Jury Consulting Department’s overall success by ensuring that revenue goals are achieved and strategic growth initiatives are implemented and by inspiring and engaging effective consultants who support our company objectives.

• Represent the department to the Executive Committee by communicating strategic recommendations and future plans for growth
• Collaborate with team leaders and members in other service lines to ensure company members will have full understanding of jury consulting and strategy services so as to enable TFP’s seamless offerings of multiple services 
• Support client managers by educating them in jury consulting and strategy services 
• In coordination with Lead Consultant and Research Manager, oversee the development of new case proposals and pitches

• Lead consultants’ development and act as their direct report/supervisor responsible for: 
  • Salary/performance reviews and performance management (in partnership with a Senior Advisor and HR)
  • Identification of growth and training opportunities
  • Ensuring job satisfaction to promote tenure
• Hire and train newemployees and contractors
• Create and manage succession plans
• Ensure the Jury Consulting team is focused on providing excellence in client service so that TFP will be our targeted attorney clients’ first choice for jury consulting services 

 

What Skills and Experience You Should Bring:

•  Demonstrated and proven successful department leadership 
• Prior experience managing a high volume of projects and several direct reports
• Significant legal and technical background knowledge 
• Excellent organizational skills and strong time management skills
• Excellent attention to detail
• Advanced knowledge of departmental concepts, quality control, and scheduling

• Open attitude toward change, ability to adapt behavior or work methods in response to new information, changing conditions, or unexpected obstacles, and ability to not become unsettled when confronted with ambiguity
• Ability to show understanding, friendliness, courtesy, tact, empathy, concern, and politeness to others; to develop and maintain effective relationships with others; to relate well to people from varied backgrounds and different situations; to be sensitive to cultural diversity, race, gender, orientation, disabilities, and other individual differences
• 10–15 years’ experience growing and supporting departments that provide high-level service to top tier clients 

 

Physical Demands and Working Conditions

•  Some late nights and weekends are required 
• Occasional travel to support team on projects
• Tolerance for uncertainty and flexibility to adapt to changing trial and work schedules
• Ability to work effectively with a variety of consultants

 

What’s in It for You?

• Excellent opportunities for career development for those who are motivated to build and support fellow team members
• Competitive compensation, generous benefits, and our commitment to a healthy work-life balance
• A fun, relaxed work environment with great colleagues

 

To Apply:

Please review our web site at www.thefocalpoint.com and tell us why you would be a good match in your cover letter at hiring@thefocalpoint.com. We also appreciate having access to your resume and portfolio.