Lisa DeAngelis, Director

UMass Boston | College of Management | Center for Collaborative Leadership

Jury Duty – An opportunity to demonstrate leadership?

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As I sit in the waiting area with the other prospective jurors and watch the orientation video, I reflect on the importance of this “civic obligation.”  The video offers insight into the long history of jury duty and I am surprised to learn (or re-learn) that Massachusetts was the first to allow African-Americans to serve, that civil servants were not allowed to serve for many years, and that it was decades after women won the right to vote before they were allowed to serve.

 

The purpose of jury duty is to ensure that the defendant has a trial by their peers.  It is interesting to think about how that might have been possible with so many groups restricted from the process.

 

At the same time, it underlines the importance of fulfilling this obligation.  When the size of a jury is 12 people, each voice and perspective is critically important to ensuring that justice is served.  As the orientation video stated, each person brings all that they need to their jury service.  It is the collective education, life experience, and perspective of the jurors that enables them to determine the appropriate verdict.  This, to me, seems to offer an opportunity to demonstrate collaborative leadership.

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