Jessica Hoffman graduated from Duke with honors in 2007, obtaining a J.D. and a Masters in Psychology.

She geared her education toward trial consulting and was trained and mentored for three years by nationally renowned trial consultant, David Ball, PhD.  With David she learned how to run focus groups and mock trials, how to strategize a case, and how to edit opening statements and closing arguments to make them more persuasive.  She also conducted numerous interviews with jurors post-verdict.  Jessica has interned with Richard Gabriel, a well-known consultant out of Los Angeles, where she moderated focus groups, wrote questionnaires for jury research, accompanied attorneys to voir dire, wrote reports for attorneys following focus groups and mock trials.  She had the opportunity to begin constructing a database of jury selection questions. 

While in law school, Jessica worked with Neil Vidmar, Ph.D. on the Arizona Project, observing video of real juries deliberating to a verdict – a privilege only a handful of people in the United States have had due to the highly confidential nature of the videos. 

Since graduation, Jessica has contracted her services to various other trial consultants and attorneys on an as-needed basis.  She has also collaborated with Mark Modlin, N.S., N.C.C., a consultant out of Kentucky, to write articles on “Preparing for and Effective Mediation,” “How to Write a More Effective Closing Argument,” and “How to Write an Effective Opening Statement,” all of which have been submitted for publication.