Jill P. Holmquist, J.D.

Jill P. Holmquist, President of FAI, specializes in helping attorneys recognize jurors’ biases and identify case-critical decision-making points, so they can improve the persuasive power of their trial presentations. She develops voir dire and supplemental juror questionnaires. She frequently assists in jury selection, where her many years of experience, intuitive insight, and juror profile analyses are invaluable in exercising peremptory challenges. In addition, she teaches counsel to identify and succeed at cause challenges.

Ms. Holmquist has nearly 30 years’ experience providing consulting services in contract disputes between large businesses, patent infringement, and plaintiffs’ cases from employment matters to wrongful death and catastrophic personal injuries arising out of negligent, reckless and willful conduct in a wide variety of cases. These matters have included child sexual abuse, products liability, nursing home malpractice, and semi crashes. Verdicts have ranged from millions of dollars to hundreds of millions of dollars.

Ms. Holmquist is admitted to practice law in California and Nebraska, although she works exclusively as a trial consultant. She has presented trial lawyers’ workshops and seminars nationwide on subjects such as the use of focus groups and mock trials in litigation, juror bias, jury selection, and the use of supplemental juror questionnaires, as well as jury persuasion.

Ms. Holmquist is an enlightening author whose articles dealing with focus groups,  juror bias, and jury behavior have been published in numerous trial law publications. In addition, she served on the Board of Directors of the American Society of Trial Consultants (ASTC) from July 2011 – June 2015, including as the President of ASTC for the 2015 term.

Ms. Holmquist received a law degree from Boston University in 1993 and a B.A. with distinction from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1985, where she was elected to Phi Beta Kappa.

Martin Q. Peterson, Ph.D.

Chief Scientist of FAI, Dr. Peterson is a pioneer in the field of litigation science. With more than 50 years’ trial consulting experience, Dr. Peterson has plumbed the depths of jury behavior, persuasion, and story crafting.

He specializes in understanding and detecting common juror behaviors that originate at the biological level and that directly affect jurors’ experiences and perspectives. His expertise allows him to see and explain how jurors process information and make case decisions. Dr. Peterson adds powerful insights to every phase of trial, particularly witness preparation and trial strategy.

He has participated in numerous trial lawyers’ workshops and seminars nationwide for both plaintiff and defense bars.

Dr. Peterson was awarded a Ph.D. in Human Biology from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, in 1969. He earned his Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees in Anthropology from the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, in 1964 and 1959, respectively.