Interview to identity the most knowledgeable and sympathetic witnesses within a group

The discovery process and the Mintz Group's parallel fact-gathering often yield long lists of potential witnesses (suppliers, customers, ex-employees, etc.) who might or might not be inclined to come forward, and who might or might not have relevant knowledge.

We are routinely asked to find the best few witnesses in a bigger group. We start by listening carefully to how the litigator defines what he/she is looking for in a witness and using that to create an interview template. We plan not only the questions to be asked, but how to introduce ourselves, what we are prohibited from discussing, etc.

Many of us at the Mintz Group view ourselves as professional interviewers, expert at getting significantly more people to talk in significantly more detail than could someone for whom interviewing is not a primary responsibility.