Rick M. Goldberg, MA

Trial & Jury Psychologist

Board Certified (APA)

Adjunct Faculty Member, University of California, Santa Barbara

Rick Goldberg is a nationally respected trial psychologist and one of the most trusted minds in litigation strategy today. With over 30 years of experience, Rick has shaped the outcomes of high-stakes civil, commercial, and criminal cases across the country. His expertise is sought not just by elite trial lawyers—but by insurance executives, claims professionals, and corporate representatives who know the real battle is often won long before opening statements.

His ability to prepare difficult witnesses—executives, white collar crime defendants, parties in contentious custody disputes and high-stakes property cases, or experts under fire—is unmatched. He knows exactly how to uncover what jurors will resist, what they’ll believe, and what moves them to act. Whether the challenge is emotional volatility, technical testimony, or corporate defensiveness, Rick transforms uncertainty into clarity and credibility where it matters most.

He also understands the unique pressures faced by insurers and self-insured corporations. Rick works closely with claims handlers and risk managers to help evaluate exposure, navigate posture, and sharpen resolution strategy. He bridges the worlds of trial and claims—ensuring decisions are rooted in real jury psychology, not gut instinct or outdated assumptions.

Rick is the creator of PREVAIL—a proprietary litigation simulation platform that gives your team the next best thing to having Rick in the war room 24/7. With access to synthetic jurors, case pressure-testing, and real-time decision analytics, PREVAIL delivers Rick’s strategic insight, jury instincts, and trial-tested methodology on demand—early enough to shift posture, reframe risk, and win smarter.

Clients don’t come to Rick for theory. They come to win—and to know when not to go to trial at all.

Areas of Expertise

Rick is a nationally recognized trial psychologist with over 30 years of experience helping lawyers, insurers, and litigation teams win high-stakes cases. He has worked across every major practice area—civil, commercial, criminal, and family—and is known for his command of juror psychology, trial storytelling, and high-risk witness preparation. His core areas of expertise include:

Designing and executing focus groups, mock trials, and shadow juries
Preparing difficult or vulnerable witnesses for deposition and trial
Creating trial graphics and demonstratives that clarify and persuade
Developing case themes and narrative strategy that jurors remember
Crafting voir dire plans and jury selection strategies
Managing in-court technology and presentation flow
Supporting trial teams with real-time dynamics and message discipline (see Legally Talk Like TED)

When it comes to witness preparation, Rick doesn’t coach—he transforms. His goal is to level the playing field and ensure your client walks into the deposition or courtroom with confidence, clarity, and credibility. Drawing from his background in behavioral psychology, litigation strategy, and high-stakes facilitation, Rick and his team help witnesses:

Eliminate anxiety, defensiveness, and confusion
Emphasize their strengths while neutralizing risk areas
Master what they say, how they sound, and how they carry themselves
Spot and handle the tactics opposing counsel will use to provoke or discredit
Process emotional reactivity so they show up believable, composed, and real

Rick knows that great testimony isn’t luck—it’s built. With precision. With purpose. And with the right team behind it.

Body of Work

Rick has served as a lead trial consultant for law firms, corporations, and insurers across the U.S. and internationally. His casework spans complex commercial litigation, catastrophic personal injury, intellectual property disputes, high-conflict family law, MDLs, criminal defense, and antitrust actions.

Rick’s strategic support has been deployed in courtrooms from Houston, Austin, and Dallas to California, Puerto Rico, and New York—and globally in jurisdictions including Brazil, France, England, Kazakhstan, South Africa, and Australia. Across these diverse venues, Rick has designed trial strategy, developed persuasive case themes, and led the creation of demonstratives and courtroom animations that distill complex evidence into compelling, jury-ready narratives.

He has worked extensively on matters involving high-stakes expert testimony and cutting-edge technologies in the fields of biotechnology, chemistry, semiconductors, software, and oilfield services. Whether supporting a bench trial in federal court or preparing a jury case in a challenging venue, Rick’s approach is always the same: clarify complexity, shape the narrative, and drive outcomes.

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Communication Studies from University of California, Santa Barbara.
Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology from the University of Santa Monica.
Board Certified by the American Psychotherapy Association as a Professional Counselor (BCPC)
Adjunct Faculty, Department of Communication, UC Santa Barbara

Joe Jamil

JAMAIL & KOLIUS

" I believe in what Goldberg does so much that I asked him to go behind the scenes with me and contribute a chapter to my book. That’s how much trust I place in his insight and his work. You’ll find him right alongside Willie Nelson and Darrell Royal — people I consider legends in their fields. I worked with Goldberg on cases where the stakes were as high as they come, and I can tell you: he has a gift for cutting through noise, finding the truth that matters, and shaping it into a story a jury can believe in. Rick doesn’t just consult — he partners with you, and he makes your fight his fight. That’s rare, and it’s why I count him in the same company as the greats."