community attitudes surveys
Data-Driven Insight into Juror Bias and Community Sentiment
DRC’s Community Attitudes Surveys (CAS) provide trial teams with a statistically rigorous understanding of community bias in the relevant jurisdiction. By surveying more than 500 jury-eligible members of the community, DRC uncovers how potential jurors in a specific venue perceive the parties, issues, and evidence in the case. By discovering latent biases and mapping demographic and ideological fault lines, DRC helps trial teams craft deselection profiles and refine trial strategy before voir dire begins. People are complex, and no juror is just one thing. After running millions of statistical analyses, DRC’s proprietary data analytics identify combinations of factors that predict the best and worst jurors for your case.
Whether you’re litigating in a high-profile jurisdiction or evaluating a change of venue, our CAS methodology delivers clarity, precision, and actionable intelligence.
“Truly indispensable jury services. Don't go to trial without consulting them first.”
Michael L. Bloch, Partner, Bloch & White LLP
“I cannot imagine working on an important case without this team. Their insights regarding case strategy and persuasive demonstrative aids are an invaluable asset to my firm.”
Jay Eisenhofer, Managing Director, Grant & Eisenhofer, P.A
“The best thing they do is when they brainstorm with us and the client and work with us on trial themes and strategies.”
Business Owner, DRC Client
“The rigor and candor with which they examine the facts, they let you know what your blemishes are. They do a better job at analyzing the other side than the other side does, which is really important.”
In-house Counsel, DRC Client
“Friends don't let friends go to trial without the DRC team.”
Partner, Freshfields US LLP
Why Community Attitudes Surveys Matter
Jurors don’t enter the courtroom as blank slates. They bring with them opinions shaped by media exposure, personal experience, and community norms. Our surveys go beyond surface-level sentiment. We analyze how combinations of characteristics, such as generation, occupation, education level, and political affiliation, interact to shape juror decision-making.
DRC’s Community Attitudes Surveys help you:
- Identify pervasive biases in the community
- Understand how demographic and ideological factors influence verdict outcomes
- Develop deselection profiles based on statistically significant combination effects
- Evaluate the benefits of a change of venue motion
- Refine voir dire strategy and supplemental juror questionnaires
our approach
DRC’s CAS methodology is built on the principles of behavioral science, statistical rigor, and legal relevance. We begin with a venue analysis to determine the demographic composition of the venire, using data from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, and other federal sources. Based on this, we establish quotas for our survey participants that match the demographic breakdown of the venire.
Surveys are distributed to jury-eligible participants and completed through a secure online platform. We verify the identities of survey respondents, employ attention-tracking guardrails, and apply statistical weighting to ensure the sample reflects the target population.
- Our Process Includes
- What You Get
Our Process Includes
- Venue analysis and demographic matching
- Identity verification and participant screening
- Survey construction tailored to case-specific issues
- Attention checks and fraud detection (e.g., reCAPTCHA, straight-lining, speeding)
- Statistical analysis of main effects and interaction effects
- Comparison of CAS results with focus group data for validation
What You Get
- A detailed report on community sentiment and bias
- Deselection profiles based on demographic and ideological indicators
- Recommendations for voir dire and juror questionnaires
- Data to support or oppose a change of venue motion
- A strategic roadmap for jury selection and trial messaging
Trusted by Trial Teams & Fortune 500 Companies Nationwide
DRC’s CAS has been used in some of the nation’s most sensitive and high-stakes litigation. Our surveys have withstood judicial scrutiny and have been instrumental in shaping jury selection strategy and trial outcomes.
Why DRC
DRC’s Community Attitudes Surveys are engineered for courtroom relevance. Our team includes trial lawyers, psychologists, and data scientists who understand how jurors think and how to measure what they believe. For nearly three decades, DRC has helped trial teams see beyond the courtroom to the community that will decide their case. We don’t just measure attitudes. We translate them into strategy.
We build our surveys in-house, ensuring each one is:
- Statistically valid and demographically representative
- Tailored to the issues and parties in your case
- Designed to uncover bias and inform deselection strategy
commit to outcomes that matter.