Jury Research Institute

Bryan C. Edelman, Ph.D.

Senior Trial Consultant

Dr. Edelman earned a Ph.D. in social psychology from the University of Nevada, Reno and a LLM in International Law from the University of Kent in the United Kingdom. At the University of Nevada, Dr. Edelman developed a broad foundation in research methodology and statistics. Specializing in the application of social psychology to the legal system, he explored the effects of attitudes, race, stereotypes, attribution and other cognitive processes on how jurors and juries evaluate evidence and make decisions.

Prior to joining Jury Research Institute, Dr. Edelman was employed as a researcher at the Grant Sawyer Center for Justice Studies where he worked on several national surveys, including one which examined the judiciary’s understanding and application of Daubert to the admissibility of scientific evidence. He has also explored judges’ and attorneys’ ability during voir dire to uncover jurors’ exposure to pretrial publicity and their resulting biases.

At the Center, Dr. Edelman oversaw a study of the county’s pretrial release program and also assisted with the development of training programs for foreign justices, court administrators, prosecutors, and defense attorneys who were brought to the United States by the Department of State. In this capacity he co-authored several grants, including one which established a business training center for Afghan women in Kabul.

Dr. Edelman began working as a trial consultant in 1998. He has worked on numerous criminal and civil cases. As a consultant, he applies his training in social psychology, persuasion, group dynamics and social cognition to the courtroom. His particular area of expertise is in complex litigation where jurors are most likely to rely on their prior attitudes, life experiences and heuristics to process evidence and reach conclusions.

Dr. Edeman has served as a presenter at national and international conferences and has written several articles. He recently published a book, Racial Prejudice, Juror Empathy & Sentencing in Death Penalty Cases, on the effects of in-group identification and empathy on jurors’ sentencing decisions in capital cases.

San Francisco Bay Area Office
T: 925.932.6959
F: 925.932.8409

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Education

University of Nevada, Reno, 2003

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

University of Kent (U.K.), 2004

Master of Laws (LL.M.)

Florida State University, 1997

Bachelor of Science