Alayna Lutz, Ph.D.
Alayna Lutz, Ph.D.
Alayna Lutz has specialized in jury decision-making for twenty years. Dr. Lutz earned her doctorate from the Interdisciplinary Social Psychology program at the University of Nevada, Reno. Throughout her academic and professional career, she has conducted research on juror and victim behavior.
Dr. Lutz has worked with trial teams nationwide on hundreds of cases involving civil and criminal litigation. She has special expertise in forming juror profiles, crafting voir dire questions, and developing effective case themes for trial.
Her contributions include several publications and CLE presentations on topics like jury persuasion, effective trial techniques, and juror psychology.
Education
- Ph.D. (Social Psychology), University of Nevada, Reno
- M.A. (Social Psychology), University of Nevada, Reno
- B.A. (Psychology and Criminal Justice, Honors Degree), University of Delaware
Prior Experience
- Research Consultant, Office of Court Research, NY Unified Court System
- Graduate Research Assistant, Criminal Justice Dept., University of Nevada, Reno
- Graduate Research Assistant, Grant Sawyer Center for Justice Studies
- Lecturer, Sociology Department, Truckee Meadows Community College
Selected Publications and Presentations
“Picking a Jury: The Art and Science of Jury Selection,” New Jersey State Bar Association, July 2018
“Keeping Snakes Out of the Jury Box – An Analysis of ‘The Reptile Method’,” ALM Corporate Counsel, Jan 2017
“How to Captivate Jurors like a Hollywood Movie Director,” DRI’s For the Defense, July 2016
Memberships
- Society for Empirical Legal Studies
- American Psychology-Law Society
- Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society