Focus Groups Before Discovery: Vishal Shah on Case Development Strategy [Ep 174]
How does a small law firm evaluate whether to conduct a focus group?
The expense, the planning and organization, the time it takes: the stakes feel higher when you have a more nimble organization.
Vishal Shah is a plaintiff-side employment lawyer in Boston, MA, who left big law to open his own boutique firm in 2023. He thus knows first-hand the importance of balancing the bottom line and making smart choices for how his firm operates.
And he’s here to tell you: you rarely get a better bang for your buck than through a focus group. Because it’s not just about the value to that particular case, but the strategies, language, vocabulary, and human insight that can be applied to future cases and situations.
The feedback from focus groups helps Vishal and his team spot hidden assumptions, shape depositions, and improve mediation strategy.
Best of all, Vishal walks us through his own process of running a focus group from start to finish: the logistics, planning, advertizing, expenses and implementation.
If you’ve been on the fence about whether a focus groups are worthwhile, today’s conversation presents a very compelling case.
Are you ready to learn more about how focus groups can improve your firm’s efficiency and case presentation? Book a free consultation through the link below:
In this episode, we cover:
- Why focus groups in big law were often treated as a late-stage trial tool after summary judgment.
- How a small plaintiff practice can use focus groups earlier, including before a complaint is filed.
- Why early focus groups help identify weak points, buried assumptions, and themes jurors actually care about.
- How Vishal uses focus groups to test defense themes before opposing counsel ever argues them in court.
- How he keeps the process cost-conscious with virtual sessions, Craigslist recruiting, surveys, and tight case selection.
Learn more about my guest Vishal Shah:
Email: vishal@shahlitigation.com
LInkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shahlitigation/
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