About Dr. Mark Sobus

A Unique Combination of Law and Psychology

For over three decades, Dr. Mark Sobus has been at the forefront of trial consulting, combining rigorous social science research with deep legal expertise. His background is distinctive: he holds both a JD (Order of the Coif) and a PhD in Social Psychology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s nationally renowned Law and Psychology Program—one of the few programs in the nation that integrates these disciplines.

This dual expertise allows Dr. Sobus to approach jury research from both a legal practitioner’s perspective and a behavioral scientist’s analytical framework, providing clients with insights that are both legally strategic and empirically grounded.

Building Industry-Leading Firms

Dr. Sobus’s career spans senior leadership roles at the nation’s premier litigation consulting firms. He served as Senior Vice President at DecisionQuest, Inc., one of the oldest and most respected trial consulting firms in the country. He was a partner at R&D Strategic Solutions, LLC, and spent 13 years as a Partner and Founder of EDGE Litigation Consulting, LLC, building it into a nationally recognized firm.

In 2025, Dr. Sobus joined forces with longtime colleague Dr. Dan Jacks to create two innovative companies designed to meet evolving client needs.

Core Expertise & Services

Trial Strategy & Research Services

The Act4 & Stitch Advantage

Two Approaches, One Goal: Winning Answers

Dr. Sobus and his team understand that different cases require different approaches. That’s why they created two distinct platforms:

Act4 Consulting

For cases requiring traditional, high-touch trial consulting and in-person engagement.

• In-person mock trials with recruited jurors
• Comprehensive witness preparation
• In-court jury selection support
• Multi-day strategy sessions
• Full-service trial consulting

Best for: High-stakes cases, complex trials requiring extensive preparation, and matters where in-person dynamics are critical.

Stitch Risk Assessment

For fast, data-driven insights delivered efficiently and cost-effectively.

• Online jury research with venue-matched participants
• Rapid turnaround, often within 2–3 weeks
• Empirical risk assessment and verdict prediction
• Jury profiling to support jury selection
• Theme and narrative testing

Best for: Corporate portfolio risk assessment, cases requiring quick strategic insight, cost-conscious research, and early-stage case evaluation.

What Clients Tell Us They Need

Through decades of experience, Dr. Sobus has identified the core questions trial teams must answer to succeed:

• Identify persuasion problems – What’s not working in your case presentation?
• Uncover non-obvious challenges – What are the hidden risks you haven’t considered?
• Validate thematic approaches – Are your themes resonating with jurors?
• Obtain empirical risk assessment – What’s the realistic exposure?
• Develop jury profiling models – Who should you keep and who should you strike?

Both Act4 and Stitch are designed to deliver these answers with the right methodology for each case.

Education

• Ph.D., Social Psychology – University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Law and Psychology Program
• Juris Doctor (JD) – University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Order of the Coif
• M.A., Social Psychology – University of Nebraska-Lincoln
• B.S., Psychology – Mount St. Mary’s University

Professional Background

• Founder & Partner | Act4 Consulting (2025–Present)
  Traditional jury research and trial strategy firm
• Founder & Partner | Stitch Risk Assessment (2025–Present)
  Online jury research and risk assessment platform
• Partner & Founder | EDGE Litigation Consulting, LLC
  13 years building a premier national jury consulting firm
• Partner | R&D Strategic Solutions, LLC
• Senior Vice President | DecisionQuest, Inc.
  One of the nation’s oldest and most respected trial consulting firms

Thought Leadership

Selected Publications

Dr. Sobus is a prolific author whose work has helped shape best practices in jury
research, trial strategy, and juror decision-making.

• “How Social Media Can Help and Hurt the Process of Strategic Jury Selection”
  (with Dr. Suzanne Davis), For the Defense, October 2015
• “The Missing Link: Connecting Key Evidence to the Jurors”
  (with Dr. Dan Jacks), Defense Counsel Journal, January 2008
• “Jury Research: Ensuring You Get All It Has To Offer”
  (with Dan Jacks), in Managing Products Liability Risks: A Comprehensive Guide,
  Aspatore Books, December 2005
• “Strategic Jury Selection: Limiting Mistakes in a Difficult Process”
  (with Dr. Suzanne Davis), For the Defense, June 2004
• “The Appeal of Junk Science”
  (with Dr. Dan Jacks), For the Defense, July 2003
• “Jurors’ Views of a New Class of Plaintiffs”
  (with Dr. Dan Jacks), For the Defense, April 2002
  (reprinted in Texas Paralegal Journal, Summer 2003)
• “The Risks of Attacking the Plaintiff”
  (with Dr. Dan Jacks), For the Defense, December 2002
• “Defending Against Claims of Medical Negligence”
  (with Dr. Dan Jacks), For the Defense, June 2001
  (reprinted in Texas Paralegal Journal, Spring 2003)
• “Meeting Jurors’ Expectations of Insurance Companies”,
  For the Defense, January 2001
• “Ghost of Pennzoil-Texaco: Hidden Risks of Arguing Alternative Damages”,
  Defense Counsel Journal, October 2000
• “Commensurability: Understanding Jury Research and Juror Information Processing”,
  Defense Counsel Journal, July 1998

Recent Speaking Engagements

Dr. Sobus is a sought-after speaker at major legal conferences and industry events.

2025

• “How to Mitigate, Prevent, and Manage Nuclear Jury Verdicts” –
  Energy Attorneys’ Marketing Conference, Houston
• “Trial Strategy in Oil & Gas Disputes” –
  Oil, Gas, and Energy Resource Law Section, Houston

2024

• “Nuclear Verdicts Impacting the Energy Industry” –
  Institute for Energy Law (Webinar)
• “Persuading a New Generation of Jurors in a World of Traumatic Events and Short
  Attention Spans” – American College of Trial Lawyers, San Antonio
• “Energy on Trial” – Houston Energy Law Section

2023–2021

• “Takeaways From Jury Research in Railroad Case” –
  CSX Annual CLE Conference
• “Is COVID-19 Having an Impact on Juror Decision-Making?” –
  3rd Annual Toxic Tort Defense Summit
• “Of Railroads and Reptiles” –
  CSX Annual CLE Conference

Selected topics include:

• Nuclear verdicts in energy litigation
• Juror decision-making in the post-COVID world
• Strategic jury selection in oil and gas cases
• Corporate credibility in the post-Enron environment
• Persuading skeptical jurors
• Railroad litigation and FELA defense
• Insurance bad faith jury attitudes
• Medical malpractice jury persuasion
• Chemical product liability defense

Philosophy & Approach

Data-Driven, Experience-Informed.

Dr. Sobus’s approach combines rigorous empirical research with three decades of practical experience. He believes in:

• Respecting Jurors’ Decision-Making Pathways
  Understanding how jurors process information and reach decisions—rather than how attorneys assume they should.
• Empirical Validation Over Assumptions
  Testing trial strategies with real jurors before trial instead of relying on untested theories or intuition alone.
• Connecting Evidence to Juror Values
  Building a bridge between case facts and the values, concerns, and expectations that matter most to jurors.
• Identifying the Non-Obvious
  Uncovering persuasion challenges that are not apparent from the facts or pleadings alone.
• Cost-Effective Solutions
  Matching the appropriate research methodology to each case’s strategic needs and budget.
• Honest Risk Assessment
  Providing candid evaluations of case strengths and vulnerabilities to support sound strategic decision-making.

The “Respect to Connect” Methodology

Throughout his speaking and writing, Dr. Sobus emphasizes the importance of respecting jurors’ perspectives and values as a prerequisite to persuasion. This means:

• Understanding what jurors care about, not what you think they should care about
• Speaking to their concerns directly and authentically
• Avoiding approaches that talk down to or dismiss juror attitude
• Building credibility through transparency and respect

Geographic Scope

Primary Markets

Texas and Louisiana (in-person services)

National Practice

43 states

Home Base

Kingwood/Houston, Texas (30+ years)

Dr. Sobus’s deep knowledge of Texas venues—from rural East Texas to urban Houston to the Texas Panhandle—is complemented by extensive experience across the nation, allowing him to adapt strategies to local juror attitudes while applying proven methodologies.