Program Details
2026-04-23 13:00:00
Over 1,000+ webinars
Course Overview
2026-04-23 13:00:00
2h CLE Credits
Intermediate
2
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm ESTThis session provides a foundational and strategic examination of Reptile Theory, tracing its origins, the behavioral psychology behind it, and how fear-based narratives, safety-rule framing, and community protection themes drive instinctive juror decision-making. Participants will explore how reptile arguments are built and deployed across the entire litigation lifecycle, from pleadings and discovery through depositions and trial, and how corporate policies, industry standards, and safety violations are used to construct plaintiff narratives that fuel nuclear verdicts and social inflation.
Attorneys will gain practical insight into when reptile strategies are most effective, including in catastrophic injury, trucking, and product liability matters, and how opposing counsel frames safety rule violations to amplify damages exposure. The session concludes with an honest assessment of the ethical considerations surrounding emotionally persuasive trial techniques and the risks of overreliance on fear-based arguments.
Rachel York Colangelo
Daniel Wolfe 2:10 pm - 3:10 pm ESTBuilding on Session I, this session shifts to the practical defense strategies attorneys need to recognize, neutralize, and overcome reptile tactics before and during trial. Participants will learn how to identify reptilian questions and safety-rule framing in depositions and cross-examination, prepare witnesses to avoid damaging safety admissions, deploy targeted motion practice to limit reptile-style arguments, and construct counter-narratives grounded in reasonableness, context, and factual accountability that resonate with jurors without sacrificing credibility.
Attorneys will also receive practical guidance on addressing reptile themes during voir dire and jury selection, identifying juror attitudes toward corporate responsibility, and leveraging opening statements, expert testimony, and closing arguments to reframe the case on defense-favorable terms. The session concludes by examining the role of jury consultants and behavioral insights in modern trial preparation, the most common mistakes defense attorneys make when responding to reptile arguments, and concrete strategies for minimizing reptile influence and controlling damages exposure in high-stakes litigation.
Rachel York ColangeloDaniel WolfeRachel York Colangelo, Ph.D., is the National Managing Director of Jury Consulting at Magna Legal Services. With two decades of experience in litigation consulting, Dr. Colangelo has provided litigation support for a wide variety of civil and criminal matters across the country, with a particular focus on jury decision-making. Her work encompasses the full range of litigation consulting services, from pre-trial jury research and case analysis to trial strategy development, witness preparation, voir dire consultation, jury selection, in-court assistance, and post-trial juror interviews. She has consulted on numerous multi-million dollar and high-profile cases spanning a broad range of practice areas, including commercial litigation, property and contract disputes, antitrust, securities, intellectual property, accounting fraud and malpractice, legal and medical malpractice, negligence, personal injury, and product liability.
Dr. Daniel Wolfe is Senior Director of Jury Consulting at Magna Legal Services, a full-service litigation consulting and strategic communications firm with offices across the United States. With over 35 years of jury consulting research experience and more than 2,500 cases to his credit, Dr. Wolfe provides research-based and experiential data analysis to trial teams nationwide and oversees the standards and practices of the jury consulting team nationally. He works on high-profile and large-exposure litigation involving matters such as antitrust, product liability, intellectual property, professional malpractice, environmental, and securities, consulting across a variety of industries including automotive, airline, pharmaceutical, petroleum/petrochemical, biotech, and medical. An expert in witness preparation, voir dire, and jury selection, Dr. Wolfe is also skilled in providing quantitative and qualitative analyses of venues through focus groups and mock trials and has been in the national spotlight on numerous occasions for his work on high-profile criminal and civil cases involving celebrities and professional athletes.
Rachel York Colangelo, Ph.D., is the National Managing Director of Jury Consulting at Magna Legal Services. With two decades of experience in litigation consulting, Dr. Colangelo has provided litigation support for a wide variety of civil and criminal matters across the country, with a particular focus on jury decision-making. Her work encompasses the full range of litigation consulting services, from pre-trial jury research and case analysis to trial strategy development, witness preparation, voir dire consultation, jury selection, in-court assistance, and post-trial juror interviews. She has consulted on numerous multi-million dollar and high-profile cases spanning a broad range of practice areas, including commercial litigation, property and contract disputes, antitrust, securities, intellectual property, accounting fraud and malpractice, legal and medical malpractice, negligence, personal injury, and product liability.
Dr. Daniel Wolfe is Senior Director of Jury Consulting at Magna Legal Services, a full-service litigation consulting and strategic communications firm with offices across the United States. With over 35 years of jury consulting research experience and more than 2,500 cases to his credit, Dr. Wolfe provides research-based and experiential data analysis to trial teams nationwide and oversees the standards and practices of the jury consulting team nationally. He works on high-profile and large-exposure litigation involving matters such as antitrust, product liability, intellectual property, professional malpractice, environmental, and securities, consulting across a variety of industries including automotive, airline, pharmaceutical, petroleum/petrochemical, biotech, and medical. An expert in witness preparation, voir dire, and jury selection, Dr. Wolfe is also skilled in providing quantitative and qualitative analyses of venues through focus groups and mock trials and has been in the national spotlight on numerous occasions for his work on high-profile criminal and civil cases involving celebrities and professional athletes.
Requirements
The Alabama State Bar MCLE Commission requires attorneys to complete 12 credits, including 1 ethics, by December 31 of each year. All credits must be reported by February 15 of the following year. A maximum of 12 credits, including 1 ethics credit, may be carried over for 1 year only.
Formats
