Forensic Anthropology, Inc. Consultants
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 to 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 with appropriate cause challenges to biased jurors without offending jurors.
Ms. Holmquist has nearly 30 years of experience providing consulting services in broad range of cases. These include intellectual property matters such as patent infringement, contract disputes between businesses, and plaintiffs’ cases, from employment matters to wrongful death and catastrophic personal injuries arising out of negligent, reckless, and willful conduct. These matters have included child sexual abuse, product liability, nursing home malpractice, and semi-truck crashes. Verdicts in cases she assisted on have included a nearly
$1 billion verdict in a products liability case and a $2.54 billion patent verdict.
Ms. Holmquist 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, supplemental juror questionnaires, and jury persuasion. She is an enlightening author whose articles dealing with focus groups, juror bias, jury behavior, and AI have been published in numerous trial law and bar association publications.
She is admitted to practice law in California and Nebraska, although she works exclusively as a trial consultant. She served on the Board of Directors of the American Society of Trial Consultants (ASTC) from July 2011 to 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.
The Chief Scientist of FAI, Dr. Peterson, is a pioneer in litigation science. With more than 50 years of 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 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 the 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.