By Dr. Ken Broda Bahm: Written in the context of the civil rights and Vietnam war protests of the Sixties, there is an old Buffalo Springfield song with a line about the marchers, “Singing songs and carrying signs [that] mostly say, ‘hooray for our side.’” That ‘hooray’ is what the political psychologists call “partisan affect,” […]
Be Alert to Partisan Affect Read More »
By Dr. Ken Broda Bahm: It is the season for strong denials from powerful men in entertainment and politics. To pick just one from the crop of current examples, the U.S. Senate candidate from Alabama, former judge Roy Moore, has recently been accused of a number of inappropriate relationships when he was in his early
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By Dr. Ken Broda Bahm: A fair proportion of the legal advocacy in America today is taking place via written communication. With only a small percentage of cases actually ever seeing a jury — three percent, or less — cases are more and more often reaching their ends based on written motions. Summary judgment decisions
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By Dr. Ken Broda Bahm: On October 1st, a gunman opened fire on a crowd of concert attendees, injuring nearly 500 and killing 58. In response, the President offered condemnation and condolences, but said the event should not be politicized and offered no policy changes. Thirty days later, a man drove a rented truck through
Expect Empathy to be Driven by Similarity Read More »
By Dr. Ken Broda Bahm: Sexual harassment is a constant issue. But sometimes there is relative silence on the subject, and sometimes there are waves of attention. Right now, one of those waves seems to be cresting. With the repeated harassment claims and settlements at Fox News, and the number of women accusing Hollywood producer
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By Dr. Ken Broda Bahm: As special counsel, Robert Mueller, files the first charges stemming from the investigation of events surrounding Russia’s involvement in our presidential election, the issue of corruption touching on the government looms large. In Chapman University’s 2017 “Survey of American Fears,” just released in time for Halloween, the results put “corruption of government officials”
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By Dr. Ken Broda Bahm: What counts as good legal persuasion differs from one country to the next. Different cultures, different legal rules and systems, and different fact finders all make a difference. But one thing stays consistent no matter the venue or the tongue: Legal persuasion boils down to people using communication to influence
Trial Lawyers, Improve Your Emotional Intelligence (7 Reasons and 3 Ways) Read More »
By Dr. Ken Broda Bahm: “It was written all over his face.” That’s what we say when we think someone’s expression has told a truer tale than their words. It is the kind of statement that shows that we naturally pay a great deal of attention to the face when we are trying to assess
When Assessing Emotions, Listen, Don’t Look Read More »
By Dr. Ken Broda Bahm: Every persuader, and legal persuaders in particular, understand that bias is both pervasive and powerful. The idea that potential jurors will be carrying attitudes and experiences that could influence their decision is the norm and not the exception. As a trial attorney, your goal is to eliminate it. In practice,
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By Dr. Ken Broda Bahm: What do I mean when I say the witness should treat cross-examination questions like a flashlight in a dark room? I mean that the questions are designed to shine a light on some things and to purposefully leave other things in the dark. Imagine, for example, a series of questions
Treat Cross-Examination Questions as a Flashlight in a Dark Room Read More »