August 30, 2007
"Jury service is an opportunity and an obligation shared by all adult citizens"
Posted by Gordon Smith

That line appears in a form letter I just received from Christine Durham, Chief Justice of the Utah Supreme Court. My name has been "drawn at random" for possible jury service. I am doubting the randomness of the draw. I suspect this has more to do with the fact that I recently registered to vote.

When I told a friend about the letter, he said, "That's good for you, right? I mean, wouldn't you be particularly interested in that because your are a law professor?"

No. Unlike Christine, I have never wanted to be on a jury. I don't care much for litigation of any sort. My only trip to the courthouse as a lawyer was the day I was sworn into the bar.

Anyway, this led to a conversation with one of my colleagues about exclusion of law professors. He felt that law professors would be highly unlikely to make the cut, but I know law professors who have served on juries. Still, I wonder whether I would want one of us on the jury if I were a litigant. Perhaps the decision requires too much context, but as a general matter, wouldn't law professors tend to exert a disproportionate influence over the other jurors?

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