Gen X Vs. Gen Y Jurors

July 18, 2006

The June issue of Law Practice has an interesting article about the difference between Gen X and Gen Y jurors. In The Newer Generations in the Jury Box: Who Will Favor Your Cause? the author contends that: Generation X jurors tend to:

Want more data and the source behind it but presented in a concise, technological (screen-view) way
Focus on the pragmatic and how a case relates to their own lives
Be fairly entrepreneurial and impressed with parties who take ethical risks in business
Hearken back to many traditional values that we typically correlate with older jurors, in particular with a focus on “personal responsibility” and “self-reliance”
Want the “bottom line” on conclusions the experts draw

Generation Y jurors tend to:

Want even more presented technologically than do the technologically savvy Generation X jurors
Be the best-educated generation of all time, with an ability to think more analytically about case facts as a result
Be more interested in teamwork and “getting along” in the deliberation room
Be more interested in 9-to-5 jobs with a reliable employer, giving them respect for parties who follow through on their commitments
Feel less suspicious than other generations do toward the government, indicating an opportunity to impress them with a party’s ability or inability to meet governmental or industry standards

As a Gen Xer, I can say that these observations are pretty much right on – except for being impressed with parties who take ethical risks in business. Maybe it would depend on the particulars, but in general, I don’t think that messing around with ethics is a good thing. I can absolutely identify with the “personal responsibility” and “self-reliance” values. Probably comes from being a latch-key kid. I would also want to see hard data along with the source behind it, particularly if it is presented in a concise, technological way. And as a Gen Xer, I can definitely appreciate getting the “bottom line.”