Shelley C. Spiecker, Ph.D.
Senior Litigation Consultant

Experience
Shelley Spiecker, Ph.D., has been advising attorneys and developing strategic trial solutions for over 15 years. Her experience spans the realm of civil litigation, from simple personal injury litigation to complex, multiparty cases. With a doctorate in legal communication, Dr. Spiecker has extensive experience in the design and analysis of mock trial and focus group research. She has conducted hundreds of post-trial juror interviews, and uses her experience and knowledge of juror decision making to advise clients on case strategy, courtroom persuasion, and jury selection.

Dr. Spiecker combines her communication training and teaching experience to assist with witness preparation for deposition and trial, conduct advocacy training courses, and lecture nationwide on jury decision making and effective public speaking. Her studies of the tactical use of innuendo in the courtroom, and her analyses of effective opening statements and closing arguments have been recognized as valuable contributions to the trial consulting field.

Selected Publications

Broda-Bahm, K., Boully, K. R., Lisko, K. O., Spiecker, S. C. (September 2009)  "Corporate America in Lean Times: Do Today’s Jurors Have Shallow Sympathy for Deep Pockets?" Inside Counsel.

Worthington, D.L., & Spiecker, S.C. (April 2009). Explorations of Juror Reasoning: Extending our Understanding of the Influence of Attorney Opening Statement/Closing Argument Organizational Strategy. Communication Law & Ethics Division of the Eastern Communication Association, Philadelphia, PA.

Broda-Bahm, K., Boully, K. R., Lisko, K. O., Spiecker, S. C. (September 2008) "Are Judges Becoming More Like Jurors?" Inside Counsel.

Broda-Bahm, K., Boully, K. R., Spiecker, S. C, Lisko, K. O.  "Arbitration v. Jury Trial: What is the Real Difference?" Inside Counsel, September 2007.

Spiecker, S.C. and Worthington, D. (August 2003).  The Influence of Opening Statement and Closing Argument Organizational Strategy on Juror Decision Making.  Law and Human Behavior.

Selected Speaking Engagements

"Building Your Foundation: The Five Pillars of a Persuasive Construction Case" Presentation at the Construction SuperConference, San Francisco, California (December 2009).

"Has the Down Economy Changed Jurors' Perceptions of the Energy Industry?" Presentation for GeoMet, Inc., Houston, Texas (November 2009).

“Conflict Resolution Workshop” Holland & Hart, LLP.  Denver, Colorado (October 2009).

“Has the Down Economy Changed Jurors’ Perceptions of the Energy Industry?” Litigation and Liability Issues for Oil & Gas Companies, Houston, Texas (September 2009).

“Becoming a More Effective Witness” Lit Education Retreat Presentation for The Doctor’s Company, Eugene, Oregon (August 2009).

"See Your Jury Case:  Effective Jury Research" Presentation to the Colorado County Attorneys Association 2009 Annual Conference, Vail, Colorado (June 2009).

"The Trial of a Private Royalty Lawsuit to Judge and Jury" Presentation at the Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation Special Institute on Private Oil and Gas Royalties, Denver, Colorado (December 2008).

"What is the Real Difference?  Arbitration v. Jury Trial." Presentation at the TerraLex 2008 Americas Regional Meeting, Denver, Colorado (June 2008).

"Anti-Oil Industry Bias:  How Deep Does it Go?  How Best to Avoid It?"  Presentation at the Institute for Energy Law 59th Annual Oil and Gas Law Conference, Houston, Texas (February 2008).

"Helping Your Client Come Out on Top in an Anti-Corporate Climate."  Presentation at The Defense Trial Counsel of West Virginia, Roanoke, West Virginia (May 2006).

"Public Perceptions of Corporate America."  Panel Chair and Panelist at the 28th Annual Corporate Counsel Institute, Dallas, Texas (May 2006); Houston, Texas (April 2006).

"How Juries Perceive Oil and Gas Companies."  Presentation at the 4th Annual Energy Litigation Conference, Houston, Texas (October 2005).

"Persuading Today's Oil and Gas Fact Finder."  Presentation to the American Petroleum Institute's General Committee on Law, Orlando, Florida (April 2005).

"Effective Defense Strategies:  Persuading the Fact Finder in Brain Injury Litigation."  Presentation to the Excess Surplus Lines Claims Association, Boca Raton, Florida (January 2005).

"The Care and Feeding of Lawyers and Witnesses:  Challenges in the Lawyer-Witness-Trial Consultant Relationship."  Presented to the 2004 ASTC National Conference, Memphis, Tennessee (June 2004).

"Preparing Your Expert for Deposition."  Presentation for the ATLA Trial Advocacy College, New Orleans, Louisiana (January 2004).

"Jury Persuasion in Class Action Litigation."  Presentation for the National Business Institute Class Action CLE program, Denver, Colorado (2003).

"The Art and Science of Jury Persuasion."  Presentation for the Association of Defense Trial Attorneys, Napa Valley, California (April 2003).

Professional Activities
•Member, American Society of Trial Consultants

•Member, Communication and Law Commission of National Communication Association

•Member, American Association of Public Opinion Research

•Member, American Psychological Association - Psychology and Law Division

•Advisory Board Member, Institute for Energy Law

Education
The University of Kansas (Ph.D., Legal Communication and Communication Studies), 1998

The University of Kansas (M.A., Communication Studies), 1995

The University of Kansas (B.A., Communication Studies), 1993