Paid Online Juror Summary
Jurors play a critical function in the justice system and while some people think a jury can only play this role inside a courtroom, know that you could become a paid online juror right inside your home. Will you be an eligible online juror? Read on.
Attorneys prepare for each trial, and this could mean they might need some people’s feedback regarding a particular case. Attorneys may seek websites that offer online mock juror services so they can try their arguments and get feedback from qualified online jurors.
What An Online Juror Does
In most instances, lawyers or legal professionals will post their case summary with verdict question on an online juror website. These are the cases for which the online jurors will help analyze. If you sign up to these websites, they will use your demographics and details to know if you are qualified for a certain case or not. They will look at whether the case filing was in your federal district or county. If they determine your eligibility, you will receive an invitation email from them to review a case as a paid online juror.
If you qualify as online juror, the tasks you will perform may include listening to audio files, watching video presentations, reading case files and materials and providing answers to questions regarding the case. At the end of the presentation, you need to give your feedback (possibly according to what an attorney would ask or what you think about the defendant/plaintiff) and explain your decision.
This will indicate to the attorney how effective his case is and if he has a good chance to win in the trial. The results from a mock jury trial will give the attorney some useful insights when arguing with the opposing counsel in court. You can perform these tasks at your convenience. The case will close when there are already enough responses.
Be sure to read the details from each website so you will know exactly how it works and what it requires from its online jurors. At eJury, for example, a case gets tried to at least 50 people who will provide an attorney with a significant amount of insights to help him establish the settlement value, to find evidence strengths/weaknesses, to learn public attitudes, to improve actual jury selection and to come up with more convincing arguments.
Qualifications
Restrictions and qualifications for an online juror may vary in each country, but the differences are only minor. They look for online jurors who:
- are of legal age. Legal age varies per location or state. In most places, the legal age is 18, while in others, it is 19.
- are citizens of that country. Understandably, these online juror jobs are open only to people living in a country where they practice jury trial procedures, such as the United States.
- have basic skills in reading, writing and mathematics.
- have no mental or physical impairment that could stop them from completing their tasks.
- have not been convicted or under indictment of a felony charge.
- are not lawyers, legal assistants or paralegals themselves.
- have no relation by blood or by marriage to the defendant, plaintiff or attorney.
The exact qualifications or requirements also vary per online jury website. Look at Figure 1, for example.
Figure 1
This is from ejury.com. These qualifications include a minimum of 18 years old, US citizenship, sound mind, good moral character, ability to read and write, no felony charge, no legal accusation, no misdemeanor and not under any indictment.
The website also looks for potential online jurors who are not an active attorney, not associated with or hired by a law firm, not marriage or blood related to a practicing attorney, not working as an insurance adjuster and not associated with liability claims adjusting.
Skills and Attributes
An effective online juror needs to be honest and truthful, same with an actual juror. Lawyers and local courts working with the online jury companies require you to be truthful and thorough in providing the objective answers to their questions.
You will have a considerable amount of information for a case so you need the skills for organization and following a method in going through the materials. You must read every detail with an objective mind and understand them well.
Keep in mind that there is no right or wrong answer. You must only practice honesty in making your replies and providing your feedback depending on what you have understood about the case. In the video below, you could learn more about the mock jury jobs.
Technical Requirements
As a work at home online worker, the basic tools of the trade you need to have are computer and internet connection. This is not like other online jobs like video editing that needs advanced computer systems so you probably need a decent computer set up and reliable internet connection. Ask straight from the website you wish to join to know the exact technical requirements (if these details are not in the FAQ page). You might also need a headset or earphones for listening to audio files.
Online Juror Companies
You could start searching online for websites offering online or mock jury services. Below are some companies that you might find.
1. There is ejury.com that often has large panels of online jurors. These panels act as focus groups. From the website, you may find a sample case that an eJury panel once used. It is reassuring to browse through its website because it has readily available information about the company, about online jurors and attorneys.
2. From the website of JuryTalk, you could read that you can work as a research juror for the company in its mock trials and focus groups. The Wilmington Institute Network conducts the procedures. The responsibility of a research juror is to listen to the presented case and provide an opinion about it. When you visit its website, you might have second thoughts about joining this website because it lacks the crucial details you would want to know beforehand, such as pay rate and payment methods.
3. VirtualJury is another company out there that offers mock jury services. This also has an affiliation with The Wilmington Institute Network, but its website has more readily available information. As you browse through the website, you know that this online focus group will only provide the private juror fee once you receive an invitation to take part in its jury panel. You will get your check through mail within 2 weeks of your participation.
4. JuryTest is a website that collects and analyzes jury reaction to evidence, arguments and testimony for a case. You will readily find the information you need from the website which will help you decide if you will sign up or not.
5. OnlineVerdict is another known focus group website where you could join as an online juror. The website has many useful information not only about online jurors. Its homepage even provides a list of other home survey opportunities.
How To Apply/Join
If there are websites and companies that specifically hire professionals like online bookkeepers and English tutors, there are also those that look for online jurors. You just read about these online juror websites above.
The key is to sign up with more mock jury companies so you can increase your chances of getting a job. However, be sure to first read and learn more about a particular company so you will know if your time will not go to waste. You may look for third party reviews from people who have previously or are working for that company. Just like with anything you do online, be sure to stay away from websites that will ask you to pay for signing up because they are most likely scams. Other signs of possible scam sites are when they ask for financial information such as credit cards and bank accounts.
Signing up with online jury companies requires that you fill out forms and questionnaires. You will probably provide your name, address, age, email address, phone details, driver’s license, ethnic/racial background, political affiliation, educational level, occupation, marital status, spouse’s name, spouse’s occupation and household income.
All these details are necessary because the selection process for qualified online jurors involves their demographics. From Figure 2, you could see some questions in the sign up form for OnlineVerdict.
Figure 2
The Juror Signup page will ask you to enter your complete name, birth details, complete address, citizenship, age group, marital status, gender, and employment status. Other questions include whether you have a state ID or a driver’s license, if you are a registered voter, if you can read and write English unassisted, if you have any felony conviction, if you have an immediate family member who is a lawyer or paralegal, and what ethnical background you have.
You need to indicate your annual family income, highest level of education, political stance, if you have an involvement in a lawsuit, and if you have previously served in a jury.
Potential Income
Working as an online juror will let you get up to $60 per case. The exact fee for each case could vary in each company you have joined. There are online juror companies that recruit in person mock juries and the pay for such a position may be higher, but this will require more time on your part since you need to travel.
Working as an online juror does not pay much. Yet, if you have a free time to spend, better spend it on things that will allow you to earn money. Reviewing a case could take about 20-60 minutes. Payouts vary according to factors such as the number of questions and type of case. You will get more payment from a longer case. They often send check payments via mail, and you could get them within a month after you have completed the task.
It is better to read the payment information of each website so you know which will pay more and which will provide your preferred payment method. Figure 3 shows an example of online juror payment information.
Figure 3
This is from JuryTest. It says here that your pay will depend on the length of each case, type of feedback you submit and your speed in submitting your response. You will know upfront how much you will get from reviewing a particular case so you can accept or decline it. This company offers $5 to 50. You may opt to get payment via check or via PayPal.
Figure 4
Figure 4 shows another example and this time, it is from eJury. You may get $5 to 10 per case, and you could readily see the amount at the top of every case. You will get your payment via PayPal.
Work Schedule
From the discussion above, you have learned that there is no exact work schedule when working as paid online juror. In fact, there is not even an assurance that you will work in a week. This is because you will only work once you receive an invitation email to take part in an online juror focus group. You may even accept or reject based on the payment.
You might need to check your inbox regularly if you do not want to miss any invitation.
The screenshot from Figure 4 also shows that a 6-page case will take about 35 minutes to review. The number of cases you could get will depend on the county you live in. They established the company in Dallas and Tarrant counties, and if you live within these areas, you could expect to get an average of one case per week.
Benefits / Bonus/ Increase/ Training Provided
This job is all about providing your opinion about a particular case, and it is something that anyone with a sound mind could do. Therefore, there is no special training necessary. Perhaps the only benefit you could get is flexibility in terms of time and schedule.
Figure 5
Figure 5 is from OnlineVerdict and it shows the possible benefits you could enjoy when you work as its online juror. You review a case from home and you will get paid for it. Perhaps this is a more productive way of spending time than watching dramas or playing games. Besides, you will get only about one case per week, so it seems like a good way to stimulate your mind every once in a while to review cases.
Conclusion
PROS
CONS
These online juror jobs are occasional jobs you could take. They would not even pass for a part time job since there is no guarantee that you will have work in a week. Still, you may sign up to as many websites you wish to join. This way, you can have more chances of working and receiving even a minimal amount of extra money just for providing your opinion about a case.