For more than 50 years, the Virginia Association of Defense Attorneys (VADA) has been providing resources, information, and networking for Virginia attorneys. Their mission is to help those who practice law in our state to learn from one another and enrich their skillset with ongoing education. Each year, VADA holds a conference to discuss crucial civil defense topics, and how they can apply to different fields.
At this year’s VADA conference, held October 10th through 12th, our firm partner and leading Richmond personal injury lawyer Irvin V. Cantor participated on a panel to discuss voir dire, or the jury selection process. As the only plaintiff’s lawyer on the panel, Attorney Cantor provided the conference attendees with his wealth of experience in securing jury verdicts, particularly in traumatic brain injury cases. Having handled more than 400 of these cases in his 37-year-long career, Attorney Cantor is one of the reasons our firm at Cantor Grana Buckner Bucci has been included on lists like Best Lawyers in America® and Top 10 Virginia Super Lawyers.
What is Voir Dire, and Why Does it Matter in Civil Law?
Voir dire is French for “to see to speak,” but it is often interpreted as “to bring forth the truth” within the context of the American legal system. Bringing forth the truth is exactly what plaintiff’s attorneys should seek to do in the civil cases they try, as they examine the pool of prospective jurors to help reduce bias and let the facts prevail. To accomplish this, a successful personal injury attorney has to know how to foster a real connection with their jurors, and ensure that the jury is comprised of individuals who will fairly hear both sides.
In speaking on this subject during his panel, “Tell Me Something Good – Maximizing the Jury Selection Process and Case Evaluation,” Attorney Irvin V. Cantor shared both his compassion for the injured and his admiration for the fairness of our civil court system. Joining his colleagues Attorney Kevin L. Keller from Willcox & Savage and William Tunner from Thompson McMullan, Cantor spoke to some of the same principles included in his co-authored book, The Art and Science of Mastering the Jury Trial. Our firm was honored to participate in this enlightening event and hopes to be in attendance for next year’s conference.
