Glossary · Civil Procedure
Voir Dire
voir-dire-55ab893fa872b9a7-2026-07-28
- Type
- Glossary
- Jurisdiction
- National
- Date
- 2026-07-28
- Topic
- Civil Procedure
The process of questioning prospective jurors to uncover bias and decide who will sit on the jury. Lawyers and the judge probe jurors' backgrounds and opinions, and each side may strike jurors for cause or use a limited number of peremptory strikes. The term also describes preliminary questioning of a witness, often an expert, to test qualifications before testimony.
Definition
The process of questioning prospective jurors to uncover bias and decide who will sit on the jury. Lawyers and the judge probe jurors' backgrounds and opinions, and each side may strike jurors for cause or use a limited number of peremptory strikes. The term also describes preliminary questioning of a witness, often an expert, to test qualifications before testimony.
Voir Dire. The process of questioning prospective jurors to uncover bias and decide who will sit on the jury. Lawyers and the judge probe jurors' backgrounds and opinions, and each side may strike jurors for cause or use a limited number of peremptory strikes. The term also describes preliminary questioning of a witness, often an expert, to test qualifications before testimony. Example: During voir dire, counsel asked whether any prospective juror had ever been sued by a former employer.