Skip to content

Your First Case

This page walks through creating a new case file, importing your jury questionnaire, and configuring your panel before voir dire begins.

Before you start

You'll need:

  • An activated copy of JuryBinder (at least one unused trial credit)
  • Your jury questionnaire in Excel format (.xlsx), if available
  • The number of jurors to seat and alternates required

Step 1: Create a new case

From the JuryBinder welcome screen, click New Case.

If you haven't used JuryBinder before, you'll be prompted to set up your identity first — enter your name and email so your contributions are attributed correctly in multi-user sessions.

You'll then configure the case:

Field Description
Case name Displayed in the header and embedded in the case file
Case type Criminal or civil — affects default terminology
Jury size Number of jurors to seat (not including alternates)
Alternates Number of alternate jurors required
Strike limits Peremptory strikes available to each side

Click Create Case. JuryBinder creates a new .jbinder file and opens it.

Each new case uses one trial credit

Creating a case registers a trial ID with the license server. This requires a brief internet connection. After the case is created, all further work is offline. See How License Keys Work for details.

Step 2: Import your questionnaire

If your court provided a pre-trial jury questionnaire in Excel format:

  1. Go to File → Import Questionnaire
  2. Select your .xlsx file
  3. JuryBinder reads the juror rows and question columns and populates the panel

If you don't have an Excel questionnaire, you can add jurors and questions manually from the All Responses tab.

Questionnaire format

JuryBinder expects the questionnaire in a standard tabular layout:

  • Row 1: Question headers (e.g., "Q1: Where do you live?", "Q2: Occupation")
  • Rows 2+: One row per juror, with answers in the corresponding columns
  • First column: Juror seat number or name

If your questionnaire doesn't match this layout exactly, contact support and we can help you prepare the import file.

Step 3: Configure your identity

Click the colored dot and your name in the header to open Identity Settings.

  • Display name — shown in the UI and attributed to your notes and flags
  • Email — used for merge identification in multi-user sessions
  • Color — your attribution color; choose something distinct if working with co-counsel

Step 4: Save your case

JuryBinder auto-saves your work to the browser's private storage as you go. At any time, click Save to write the current state to a .jbinder file on your device.

On desktop (Chrome/Edge), JuryBinder can save directly to the original file location — you'll see a Saved indicator in the header. On iPad, use Export to write the file to your Files app or iCloud Drive.

Next steps

With your case open, explore the main views:

  • All Responses — the grid of all jurors and all questions
  • By Juror — deep-dive on a single juror
  • Flag Rules — set up automatic flagging before voir dire begins
  • Strikes — manage peremptory and cause challenges