attorney

Attorney

Jeffrey D. Boyd

Bar Admissions

  • Ohio
  • Washington

Court Admissions

  • Supreme Court of Washington
  • Supreme Court of Ohio
  • United States District Court, Southern District of Ohio
  • United States District Court, Western Division of Washington
  • United States District Court, Eastern Division of Washington
  • United States Court of Appeals, 6th Circuit
  • United States Court of Appeals, 9th Circuit

Education

  • The Ohio State University College of Law, Columbus, Ohio, J.D. – 1982
  • Kent State University, Kent, Ohio, B.A. in Psychology, with honors – 1979

Professional Recognition

  • “Best Lawyers” (peer-reviewed honor) (2017 – present)
  • American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) (invitation only)
  • Professionalism Award – Washington State Association for Justice
  • “Super Lawyer” (peer reviewed honor) (2012-present)
  • Wiedemann Wysocki National Finance Council Award, American Association for Justice
  • President’s Award, Ohio Association for Justice
  • Distinguished Service Award, Ohio Association for Justice

Find Me Here Too

  • SuperLawyers
  • Linkedin
  • AVVO

Professional Memberships

  • Mandatory Arbitration Program, 2010 – Present
  • American Association for Justice (formerly Association of Trial Lawyers of America)
  • American Society of Trial Consultants
  • Central Ohio Association for Justice (formerly Franklin County Trial Lawyers Association)
  • Clallam County Bar Association
  • Columbus (Ohio) Bar Association
  • Jefferson County Bar Association
  • Melvin M. Belli Society
  • Ohio Association for Justice (formerly Ohio Academy of Trial Lawyers)
  • Ohio State Bar Association
  • Public Justice (formerly Trial Lawyers for Public Justice)
  • Washington State Association for Justice (formerly Washington State Trial Lawyers Association), member
  • Washington State Bar Association
  • Western Trial Lawyers Association
  • American Board of Trial Advocates

Professional Leadership

  • Eagle Member, Washington State Association for Justice
  • Board Member, Washington State Association for Justice
  • Executive Committee, Washington State Association for Justice
  • Editor, Trial News, Washington State Association for Justice
  • Legislative Steering Committee, Washington State Association for Justice
  • Trial News Editorial Board, Washington State Association for Justice
  • Convention Co-Chair, Washington State Association for Justice
  • Leaders Forum Member, American Association for Justice
  • Jury Bias Litigation Group, American Association for Justice
  • State Delegate, American Association for Justice
  • Adjunct Faculty, Legal Advocacy, University of Washington School of Law (2012 -present)
  • Faculty, National Institute for Trial Advocacy (NITA), (2012 – 2014)
  • President, Franklin County Trial Lawyers Association
  • Editor, Quarterly Comment, Central Ohio Association for Justice
  • Editor, Ohio Association for Justice Advisory
  • Editor, Ohio Trial, Ohio Association for Justice
  • Executive Director, Ohio Association for Justice (2007-2009)
  • Trustee, Ohio Association for Justice

Publications

  • Author, “Trying Your Case in Alternate Venues,” Jury Trials During the Pandemic Webinar Series, American Association for Justice (2020)
  • Author, “7 Elements for Building a Juror-Centric Story,” Trial, American Association for Justice (2020)
  • Author, “Lessons Learned from Listening to Real People,” The Verdict, Trial Lawyers Association of British Columbia (2020)
  • Author, “Lessons Learned from Listening to Real People,” Trial Talk, Colorado Trial Lawyers Association (2020)
  • Author, “Lessons Learned from Listening to Real People,” Trial Trends, Montana Trial Lawyers Ass’n (2019)
  • Author, “Using Focus Groups to Discover and Meet the Needs of the Jury,” The Bulletin, South Carolina Association for Justice (2018)
  • Author, “Insurance Bad Faith – What Jurors Think About Insurance,” The Prairie Barrister, Nebraska Association of Trial Attorneys (2018)
  • Author, “Learning from Real People–Knowledge is Power,” Trial Lawyer, Oregon Trial Lawyers Ass’n (2017)
  • Author, “What’s on Jurors’ Minds?” Trial, American Association for Justice (2017)
  • Author, “Insurance Bad Faith – What Jurors Think About Insurance,” Trial News, Washington State Association for Justice (2016)
  • Author, Preparing for Voir Dire, Trial News, Washington State Association for Justice (2015)
  • Author, Them vs. Us, Trial News, Washington State Association for Justice (2014)
  • Author, In Praise of Rubbing Shoulders, Trial News, Washington State Association for Justice (2014)
  • Author, No, Trial News, Washington State Association for Justice (2014) • Author, Critical Thinking About Critical Thinking, Trial News, Washington State Association for Justice (2014)
  • Author, Getting to Know Judge Ramseyer, Trial News, Washington State Association for Justice (2014)
  • Author, Focus Groups and Juror Perspective, Trial, American Association for Justice (2013)
  • Author, “Personal Responsibility – Am I my Brother’s Keeper?, Trial News, Washington State Association for
    Justice (2013)
  • Author, The Challenges of the Modest Case, Trial News, Washington State Association for Justice (2013)
  • Author, You are Not so Smart (and Neither am I)!, Trial News, Washington State Association for Justice
    (2013)
  • Author, Your Portal to Your Practice, Trial News, Washington State Association for Justice (2013)
  • Author, “Accidents” Don’t Happen, Trial News, Washington State Association for Justice (2013)
  • Author, Using Focus Groups to Discover and Meet the Needs of the Jury, Trial News, Washington State
    Association for Justice (2012)
  • Author, Fighting to Protect Cancer Victims Outside the Courtroom, Trial News, Washington State Association
    for Justice (2011)
  • Author, A Review of Psychological Science in the Courtroom, Consensus and Controversy Trial News,
    Washington State Association for Justice (2010)
  • Contributing Editor, Tort Law Journal of Ohio, published by West Publishing (2006-2008)
  • Author, Sanctions in the Era of Zealous-less Advocacy, Tort Law Journal of Ohio (2007)
  • Author, Franklin County Annual Review of Auto Crash Verdicts, Franklin County Trial Lawyers Association
    (1999-2005)
  • Author, How To Try A Personal Injury Case Without Medical Testimony, Ohio Trial (1999)
  • Author, Reclaiming the Courtroom: How to Use Expert Witnesses Most Effectively, Expert Witness Update,
    Wiley Law Publications (1998)
  • Author, How to Efficiently and Effectively Conduct a Rule 103 Arbitration, Bar Briefs, Ohio State Bar
    Association (1996)
  • Author, The First Eight in the Box, Ohio Trial (1995)
  • Co-Author (with Dr. Amy Singer), Picking a Jury in a Civil Case in Ohio, Ohio Trial (1995)
  • Author, The Savoie Trilogy, Ohio Trial, Fall, 1994;
  • Brief, Amicus Curiae before the Ohio Supreme Court, on behalf of the Ohio Academy of Trial Lawyers, Cabe
    v. Lunich, 70 Ohio St.3d 589 (1994)
  • Author, Stopping the Drunken Driver: A Matter of Conscience, Ohio Trial (1993)
  • Author, Getting Medical Records, Bills and Opinions into Evidence at Trial, Ohio Trial (1991)

Notable Lectures

  • Speaker, “Keeping It Even Simpler; Pandemic Era Lessons & Juror Centric Strategies Learned from Focus Groups,” Oregon Trial Lawyers Association (2022)
  • Speaker, “The Big Four Questions; The Most Important Questions Your Jury Needs Answers For At Trial,” American Association for Justice, Annual Convention (2022)
  • Speaker, “Building an Insurance Case that Jurors Will Love,” Washington State Association for Justice, Insurance Law Seminar (2021)
  • Co-Chair and Speaker, Jury Bias Seminar, American Association for Justice Annual Convention (Virtual) (2020)
  • Speaker, “Rules for Getting the Most Out of Your Focus Groups,” American Association for Justice Case Plus (2020)
  • Speaker, “Evidence,” WSBA Litigation Committee Seminar, Seattle, WA (2018)
  • Speaker, “Jury Research: Focus Groups—Finding the Moral Tone That Resonates with Jurors,” American Association for Justice Annual Convention, Denver, CO (2018)
  • Speaker, “Winning Lessons from Focus Groups,” Washington Employment Lawyers Association Annual Meeting, Seattle, WA (2018)
  • Convention Co-Chair, Washington State Association for Justice, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (2017)
  • Speaker, “Using Focus Groups to Discover and Meet the Needs of the Jury,” American Association for
    Justice, Jury Bias – A Day at the Races Seminar, Louisville, KY (2016)
  • Speaker, “D-I-S-C: Who’s Your Jury Going to Be?” Western Trial Lawyers Association, Winter Conference,
    Steamboat Springs, CO (2016)
  • Speaker, “Juror Attitudes in Complex Cases: How Real People Think About Tough Trial Issues,” Idaho Trial
    Lawyers Association, Annual Convention, Sun Valley, ID (2015)
  • Speaker, “Juror Attitudes in Complex Cases: How Real People Think About Tough Trial Issues,” Multnomah
    County Bar Association, Portland, OR (2015)
  • Speaker, “Putting It All Together – What Focus Groups Tell Us About What Is Important,” Washington State
    Association for Justice, Winning with Witnesses Seminar, Seattle, WA (2015)
  • Speaker, “Bad Faith. Good Stuff.,” Western Trial Lawyers Association, Winter Conference, Lake Tahoe, CA
    (2015)
  • Co-Chair, Rodney Jew’s Re-Focus Seminar, Washington State Association for Justice, Seattle, WA (2014)
  • Speaker, “Lawyers are from Mars. Jurors are from Venus. What Lawyers Can Learn from Focus Groups,”
    Inns of Court, Portland, OR (2014)
  • Speaker, “Focus Groups – Feeling Good or Learning How To Win?” Washington State Association for
    Justice, Luvera Seminar, Skamania, WA (2014)
  • Speaker, “Focus Groups – Feeling Good or Learning How To Win?” American Association for Justice, Annual
    Convention, Baltimore, MD (2014)
  • Speaker, “Focus Groups and Juror Perspective in Premises Cases,” Western Trial Lawyers Association,
    Winter Conference, Lake Tahoe, CA (2014)
  • Speaker, “How Jurors Really Think; A Live Focus Group Evaluation of a Personal Injury Case,” Multnomah
    County Bar Association, Portland, OR (2014)
  • Speaker, “What Generation XYZ Expects From Your Association – the “New Millennium,” National Association
    of Trial Lawyers Executives, Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA (2013)
  • Speaker, “4 Trial Tips You Can Start Using Today,” Western Trial Lawyers Association, Summer Conference,
    Maui, HI (2013)
  • Speaker, “How Jurors Really Think – A Live Focus Group Evaluates a Personal Injury Case,” Multnomah
    County Bar Association, Portland, OR, May 2013
  • Speaker, “What Were They Thinking!?!” Idaho Trial Lawyers Association, Couer d’Alene, ID (2012)
  • Speaker, “Insurance Coverage Litigation,” Law Review CLE, Seattle, WA (2012)
  • Speaker, “Trial Tips,” National CLE Conference, Vail, CO (2011)
  • Speaker, “5 Tips That Will Improve Your Next Trial: Tested Techniques That Will Carry You From Voir Dire To
    Verdict,” Washington State Association for Justice, Downtown Seattle Roundtable, June, 2011 (2011)
  • Speaker, “5 Tips That Will Improve Your Next Trial: Tested Techniques That Will Carry You From Voir Dire To
    Verdict,” Washington State Association for Justice, East King County Roundtable, Bellevue, WA (2011)
  • Speaker, “What Were They Thinking: Tips Learned from 12 Years of Doing Focus Groups, How They Work,
    and How They Can Improve Your Practice,” Mississippi Association for Justice Annual Convention, New
    Orleans, LA (2010)
  • Speaker, “What Were They Thinking: Tips Learned from 12 Years of Doing Focus Groups, How They Work,
    and How They Can Improve Your Practice,” Washington State Association for Justice, Downtown Seattle
    Roundtable (2010)
  • Faculty, College of Trial Advocacy, Ohio Academy of Trial Lawyers, Columbus, OH (2006)
  • Speaker, Masters of Voir Dire, Ohio Academy of Trial Lawyers, Columbus, OH (2006)
  • Speaker, “Technical Tools for the Trial Advocate,” Ohio Attorney General’s Seminar Columbus, OH(2004)
  • Speaker, “Using Technology at Trial,” Ohio State Bar Association, Columbus, OH (2003)
  • Speaker, “Symbol” Coverage in Scott-Pontzer Litigation,” Ohio Academy of Trial Lawyers, Annual
    Convention, Columbus, OH (2003)
  • Faculty, College of Trial Advocacy Skills Workshop, Ohio Academy of Trial Lawyers, Capital University School
    of Law, Columbus, OH (2001)
  • Speaker, “A High Tech Mock Trial of a Scott-Pontzer Case,” Co-Chair, Ohio Academy of Trial Lawyers,
    Regional Seminars (2001)
  • Speaker, “Case Evaluation,” Columbus Bar Association, Columbus, OH (2000)
  • Speaker, “Jury Attitudes,” Ohio Employment Lawyers Association, Columbus, OH (2000)
  • Speaker, “Using Focus Groups To Win,” Ohio Academy of Trial Lawyers, Regional Seminars (1999)
  • Speaker, “Case Evaluation,” Columbus Bar Association, Columbus, OH (1999)
  • Speaker, “Expert Witnesses,” Ohio CLE Institute, Columbus, OH (1998)
  • Speaker, “Automobile Crashworthiness – GM, the Type III Door Latch, and the Seat-Belt-in-the-Door,” Ohio
    Academy of Trial Lawyers, Annual Convention, Columbus, OH (1997)
  • Speaker, “Alcohol, Drugs, Seatbelts,” Ohio Academy of Trial Lawyers, Tort Reform Seminar (1996)
  • Speaker, “Liquor Liability and the Underage Drinker,” American Association for Justice, Annual Convention,
    Boston, MA (1996)
  • Speaker, “Ethical Representation of Clients – Avoiding Mistakes,” Ohio Academy of Trial Lawyers, Annual
    Convention, Columbus, OH (1996)
  • Speaker, “Litigating a UM/UIM Case,” Ohio Academy of Trial Lawyers, Insurance Law Seminar (1996)
  • Speaker, “Plaintiff’s Pleadings and Motion Practice,” Civil Litigation in Ohio, Ohio CLE Institute (1995)
  • Speaker, “Tort Action Against the Drunk Driver: Post-Cabe,” Ohio Academy of Trial Lawyers, Annual
    Convention, Columbus, OH (1995)
  • Speaker, “Scheduling and Trial of a Civil Suit: Plaintiff’s Perspective,” Ohio Academy of Trial Lawyers, Annual
    Convention, Columbus, OH (1994)
  • Speaker, “Punitive Damages and the Drunk Driver,” Ohio Academy of Trial Lawyers, Regional Seminars
    (1993)
  • Speaker, “Bad Faith,” Ohio CLE Institute, Hot Topics in Insurance Law Seminar (1993)
  • Speaker, “Bad Faith,” Ohio Academy of Trial Lawyers, Insurance Law Seminar (1990)

Jeffrey D. Boyd

Since his graduation from law school in 1982, Jeff Boyd has established a remarkable legal legacy. Jeff began his path to law in Kent, Ohio, where he attended Kent State University. Upon graduation with a bachelor’s degree in psychology, he enrolled in The Ohio State University College of Law in Columbus, Ohio, where Jeff spent much of his career, working both as a partner at large law firms and as the head of his own law office. During this time, he also served as the President of the Franklin County Trial Lawyers Association and as a Board member of the Ohio Academy of Trial Lawyers, for which he received the President’s Award.

In 2009, Jeff moved to Washington state and formed Nelson Boyd Attorneys with Deborah Nelson. He maintains law licenses in both Ohio and Washington.

Throughout the course of his career, Jeff has tried over 100 civil jury trials to verdict, an impressive accomplishment that is rare even among experienced trial lawyers. Jeff has represented hundreds of people who were injured as a result of motor vehicle collisions, motorcycle collisions, unfair treatment by insurance companies, wrongful death, and legal malpractice.

Throughout his career, Jeff has provided personalized service to each client he works with. His approach to law has always been based on digging into the specifics of a case in order to see the larger picture more clearly, which requires personal interaction with the client and an understanding, working relationship.

Jeff is also president of Boyd Trial Consulting and has worked as a trial consultant throughout the United States since 1998. As a result of his extensive trial experience, other lawyers regularly hire Jeff to assist them with their cases. He provides a variety of trial consulting services including interactive focus groups, mock trials, theme development, strategic analysis, witness preparation, jury selection, creation of demonstrative evidence, and trial coaching to enable other lawyers to effectively present their cases at trial. Clients of Nelson Boyd benefit from Jeff’s expertise because they not only have a trial consultant as their lawyer, but they also do not have to pay additional fees for Jeff to conduct a focus group, if necessary, on their case.

Jeff is active in the legal community, locally and nationally. He served as an adjunct faculty member at the University of Washington School of Law, teaching trial skills to law students. He is also an Eagle member of the Washington State Association for Justice, where he serves on the Executive Committee, the Board of the Directors, and the Editorial Board of the Trial News. In addition, he is a Leaders Forum member of the American Association for Justice, where he is a co-chair of the Jury Bias Litigation Group. He is also a member of the American Society of Trial Consultants, the prestigious invitation-only American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) and has been named a Super Lawyer every year since 2012. In 2020, he was honored to receive the Washington State Association for Justice’s “Professionalism Award.”

In his spare time, Jeff is an avid sportsman and a hobbyist, enjoying road biking and skiing as well as photography and hot rods. He lends the same passion to his professional pursuits that he brings to his personal life, reveling in the combination of intellectualism and street smarts demanded by a career in law.

award-winning representation