The Influence of Opening Statement/Closing Argument Organizational Strategy on Juror Verdict and Damage Awards

This study examines the influence of the organizational strategy used to structure opening statements and closing arguments on presentation effectiveness in a simulated civil trial. Two organizational structures, a narrative and a legal-expository format, were manipulated to produce a 2 (plaintiff organizational strategy) × 3 (defense organizational strategy) experimental design. Results indicate that a mixed organizational strategy (narrative opening/legal-expository closing) is more effective for the plaintiff than a strict narrative strategy, and either a mixed or strict legal-expository organizational strategy is more effective than a strict narrative strategy for the defense.