Voir Dire Explained: How I Start Jury Selection in Trial

Today I want to talk about voir dire — the very first part of trial where the attorney and the jury get to have a conversation.

What Voir Dire Really Is

Voir dire is essentially a question-and-answer session.

Your goal is simple:

  • Ask questions
  • Let jurors do the talking
  • Don’t spend too much time introducing yourself

Early on, I used to give jurors a long introduction about who I am and even used a swimming example from my daughter. But I realized:

Time is short. Jurors don’t really care about your background.

So now, I keep it focused on them.

Time-Saving Tools That Build Connection

One of the first things I do is ask permission to use their numbers.

I’ll say something like:
“Jurors, you each have a number. Is it okay if I use those numbers? It’ll make things go quicker — and I want to be mindful of your time.”

That small step does two things:

  • Saves time
  • Shows the jury I’m a real person — not just another “lawyer stereotype”

I also ask permission to use my notes, explaining:

“I don’t want to forget anything important.”

This honesty helps build trust and creates a bond with the jury right from the start.

How to Get Jurors Talking

A common struggle for many attorneys is getting jurors to open up.

Here’s one of my favorite approaches:
Ask them about their passions.

Questions like:

  • “What gets you up in the morning?”
  • “What do you feel proud of?”
  • “What gives you a sense of accomplishment?”
  • “If you had more time, what would you do more of?”

Jurors will give a wide variety of answers — travel, reading, hiking, biking, exercise, or even their job.

Looping the Room

Once one juror shares, you can loop it around the room.

For example:

  • Juror 5 says, “My passion is hiking.”
  • I respond: “Great. Who else enjoys hiking?”
  • Then I connect that to another juror: “Juror 12, I see you nodded — what do you enjoy about it?”

This creates a conversation instead of just a Q&A.

Why This Matters

Asking about passions is more than small talk.

Later in trial, you’ll be asking the jury to value what your client can no longer do.

➡️ If your client used to hike 10 miles a day and now can’t, the jury already understands the value of that loss — because they connected it to their own passions.

Final Takeaway

Voir dire isn’t about you.
It’s about the jurors.

  • Ask permission.
  • Keep it simple.
  • Get them talking about what matters to them.

Do this well, and by the end of trial, the jury will fully understand the value of what your client has lost.

 

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