Hailey Drescher, PhD, is a Senior Consultant with Trask Consulting, a litigation strategy, jury research, and trial consulting firm. Dr. Drescher consults on high-stakes civil and criminal cases in state and federal courts. Her unique blend of interpersonal communication expertise, social influence training, and a theater performance background make her a transformative asset to case preparation and trial.
Dr. Drescher earned her PhD in Communication Studies, with an emphasis in Legal Communication, from the University of Kansas. Her research, publication, and presentation topics include jury decision-making, preparing witnesses for deposition, damage awards in patent cases, enhancing the efficacy of expert testimony, juror misconduct, and Supreme Court rhetoric. She has taught and lectured for courses on legal communication, communication in conflict resolution, and persuasion. She earned a master’s degree in Communication Studies from the University of North Texas and an undergraduate degree in Theatre Performance from the University of Evansville in Indiana.
Dr. Drescher aids counsel to prepare witnesses for deposition and trial, craft case themes, identify sympathetic and non-sympathetic jurors during voir dire, and strategically communicate complex information to jurors. She is adept in quantitative, qualitative, and experimental design methodologies ensuring rigorous testing and analysis of community attitude surveys and pre-trial research.
Praise for Hailey
“I have worked with Hailey on several occasions in EDTX. (Also, I have the unfortunate experience of being opposite her client.) She has great insights that help lawyers focus their trial preparation activities toward an understandable and persuasive presentation at trial, even in cases with complex issues and confusing storylines. She runs focus group exercises with efficiency and she has the knack for explaining the vast amount of data produced from the participants in a way that a lawyer can use in developing trial themes. During trial, her suggestions are invaluable. My most recent work with her was in a trial where I had the opportunity to participate in discussions with the jurors after the case concluded. What I heard was an overwhelming revelation of just how good Hailey does her job. Her insights into each juror during the jury selection process, as well as her thoughts on their reactions during trial, were 100% confirmed by our conversations with each juror. I kid you not – 100%. She was dead on. I cannot recommend Hailey more strongly. She is a joy to work with and her insights are flawless. You have to be able to trust the intuition of any trial consultant. Hailey is beyond trustworthy.”
-Michael E. Jones, Potter Minton
“We recently tried a complex antitrust/trademark infringement case in the EDTX. The journey to trial was somewhat bumpy, and by the time we reached trial, the other seven defendants had settled leaving our client as the sole defendant. Hailey helped keep the ship steady and afloat. She has an uncanny knack for distilling complex and arcane issues into understandable themes. She helped guide us through a mock exercise and astutely seized on what played and what didn’t. Hailey was critical to our successful trial outcome. There just is no substitute for her expertise in picking a jury. She was informed and prepared, and we ended up with an excellent jury. Her feedback during trial helped us shape and refine our approach. Her real-time input was invaluable in adjusting as the trial proceeded and taking stock each day to understand where we stood. Beyond her sheer competence and expertise, she is a delight to work with and an excellent teammate. I look forward to working with her again.”
-Jeffrey L. Poston, Crowell & Moring LLP
“We recently tried a challenging, hard fought jury trial in state court in Colorado with Hailey by our side. It was a family dispute with hundreds of millions of dollars and control of multiple companies at stake. Having Hailey on our team was one of the best decisions we made. As soon as we hired her, she immediately dug in and mastered the facts and the case’s complicated history. She set up a great mock, and she helped us glean critical lessons from the exercise. She was invaluable in the lead-up to jury selection and worked closely with us to make the right calls during voir dire. And thankfully she stayed with us all the way through trial, giving us great insights, keeping everyone calm, and adding value every day. She was a key part of the team, and she helped us bring home a complete defense verdict. Hailey is one of those rare people who is equal measures warm, kind and steady, but also fierce, sharp as a tack, and full of good intuition. We can’t wait to work with her again.”
-Hamilton Hill, Bartlit Beck LLP
“Having retained jury consulting firms over the last 35 years of practice I know what a difference a really good firm can make in a difficult or complex case. I have used Trask & Associates exclusively for the last 15 years because of the quality of the consulting services they bring to my cases, and the results I have achieved when I bring them into a case. I recently tried a can’t win case where Trask team member Dr. Hailey Drescher was there providing insight and advice during voir dire. With Hailey’s help I was able to seat the best possible jury resulting in a unqualified victory in a case where all odds were against us. Without question Hailey’s assistance and acumen in picking the jury was instrumental in winning that case.”
-J. Randall Jones, Kemp, Jones & Coulthard, LLP
“I had the pleasure of working with Hailey Drescher for the first time during jury research and a lengthy trial in 2017. She is responsive, professional, hands-on, and practical. Like Tara, Hailey became a member of our team and quickly understood the issues and our strategies for winning the case, which we did to the tune of $25 million for our client. I have very much enjoyed working with Tara for the past 15 years, and I look forward to working with Hailey again in the near future.”
-Maria Wyckoff Boyce, Hogan Lovells US LLP
“Having tried two cases with Hailey, including one in which we won more than $150 million for our client, I can’t imagine going to trial without her. Hailey is whip-smart, intuitive, and really knows how to help lawyers convey their themes and tell a story. She helps in all aspects of trial preparation and trial. Just as important as her intellect and savvy are her soft skills – she works seamlessly with the trial team and is a joy to be around.”
– Cristina Rodriguez, Hogan Lovells
“I don’t hesitate to recommend Hailey to large, sophisticated clients and always receive overwhelmingly positive feedback once she joins the team. Usually the clients ask why we didn’t bring her on sooner. Hailey’s skill with witnesses is off the charts. Her insights are so above and beyond anything we learn in law school, and the clients and witnesses immediately trust her instincts. In a recent hard-fought federal trial where both sides had jury consultants, she worked closely with the trial team preparing a mock trial focus group which was so influential on our clients they requested she stay involved to assist with trial witness preparation and jury selection. On the eve of trial and the courthouse steps, Hailey’s calls are always spot on.”
-Janet G. Stellpflug, Ropers Majeski PC
