SHK Law Partners Brian J. Kim and Maureen Hennessey Featured in Groundbreaking Trial Guides Book
SHK Law partners Brian J. Kim and Maureen Hennessey have contributed their expertise to a groundbreaking new book by Trial Guides titled The Most Important Juror: Embrace the Winning Story in Jury Selection, Opening Statement, and Rebuttal. This innovative book, spearheaded by renowned trial consultant Jesse Wilson, presents a transformative approach to courtroom storytelling, emphasizing powerful jury selection methods, opening statements, and closing arguments that deeply resonate with jurors.
Transformative Storytelling in the Courtroom
Jesse Wilson’s acclaimed victim-to-victor approach forms the foundation of this book. Alongside contributions from esteemed trial lawyers nationwide—including SHK Law’s own Brian J. Kim and Maureen Hennessey—Wilson guides readers on how to move beyond traditional courtroom scripts to embrace authenticity and emotional resonance.
In The Most Important Juror, trial attorneys learn to effectively tackle jury biases and defense strategies by embracing and addressing these challenges head-on, transforming perceived weaknesses into strengths that empower their client’s narrative.
The Choto Case: Mastery in Jury Selection and Narrative Framing
A central highlight of the book is the detailed analysis of SHK Law’s landmark case involving a plaintiff named Choto. Attorneys Brian Kim and Maureen Hennessey successfully secured an $18.79 million verdict against McDonald’s in a slip and fall incident resulting in severe spinal injuries. Despite the plaintiff’s active lifestyle and previous medical conditions, Kim and Hennessey crafted a compelling narrative by strategically reframing the case from victimhood to resilience and determination.
Chapters 4 and 5 offer readers an in-depth examination of jury selection techniques employed in the Choto case, highlighting how crucial those initial minutes with jurors can be. The attorneys effectively used mini-opening statements and targeted questioning to reveal and address jurors’ hidden biases, creating emotional connections and establishing a narrative foundation that engaged the jury from the outset.
Jury Selection: The First Crucial Moments
Wilson emphasizes the pivotal nature of the initial jury interactions. Attorneys Kim and Hennessey illustrate how embracing the uncomfortable aspects of the case—what Wilson calls “Embrace the Suck”—allowed them to establish authenticity, trust, and rapport with jurors. This approach enabled them to openly confront biases and defense arguments early, laying the groundwork for a compelling and emotionally resonant trial narrative.
Powerful Opening Statements and Direct Examination
Beyond jury selection, the book explores the crafting of compelling opening statements and effective direct examinations, showcasing how Kim and Hennessey skillfully navigated these stages in the Choto trial. By strategically confronting defense bias head-on during the opening statements, they set a narrative trajectory that resonated throughout the trial.
Kim and Hennessey’s methods demonstrate the importance of balancing factual precision with emotional storytelling, ensuring jurors remain engaged and deeply invested in the client’s journey and the moral implications of their verdict.
Closing Arguments and Rebuttal: Sealing the Narrative
The book further addresses the critical, yet often overlooked, phase of rebuttal. Here, readers learn how to structure their case’s moral argument from jury selection through closing arguments, ensuring consistency and coherence. Kim and Hennessey’s insights underscore how powerful rebuttals reinforce jurors’ emotional commitments, prompting them to view the case through the moral lens established early in the trial.
Purchase Your Copy
For trial attorneys seeking transformative strategies in courtroom advocacy, The Most Important Juror is an essential resource for trial attorneys and a groundbreaking book on witness preparation. Learn directly from SHK Law partners Brian J. Kim and Maureen Hennessey, and many other distinguished trial professionals, how to craft compelling narratives that yield significant verdicts.
Contact SHK Law
If you are seeking representation from an experienced legal counsel, contact Brian J. Kim and the team at SHK Law at (818) 960-0011 or info@shklaw.com for a consultation.