Inoculation Theory and Legal Communication

Inoculation theory is well suited to be strategically applied in the legal and courtroom contexts. Previous studies have assessed inoculation strategies intended to preempt a mock jury perception that an expert witness is a “hired gun” in civil and criminal trials. Other studies have shown inoculation to be a superior strategy to sponsorship in dealing with “bad facts,” which refer to unfavorable information about a client expected to be brought up by the opposing counsel during a trial. This chapter will focus on previous applications of inoculation in the legal context and offer additional areas where inoculation-based strategies could be effective.