Rick M. Goldberg, MA

CEO

Trial & Jury Psychologist

Board Certified (APA)

Adjunct Faculty Member, University of California, Santa Barbara

Rick Goldberg is the co-founder of LIT IQ, a proprietary litigation intelligence platform designed to bring continuous decision-maker research into every stage of a case. Using venue-specific data, behavioral modeling, synthetic jurors, and AI-driven case simulation, LIT IQ allows legal and claims teams to pressure-test evidence, witnesses, themes, liability, damages, and settlement strategy as the case evolves. In many ways, LIT IQ puts Rick’s methodology in the war room 24/7, giving teams the ability to test a case, measure how perceptions are changing, and identify risk early enough to do something about it.

Rick is also a nationally respected trial psychologist and litigation strategist with more than 35 years of experience helping lawyers, insurers, and corporate decision-makers evaluate and manage high-stakes cases. His work has influenced civil, commercial, criminal, family law, and complex insurance matters across the country, often long before a jury is seated or an opening statement is delivered.

Rick also works closely with insurers, claims professionals, and self-insured corporations to evaluate litigation exposure, test settlement posture, prepare witnesses, and sharpen trial strategy. LIT IQ was designed to extend that same kind of decision support throughout the life of a case, giving teams a way to continuously test how jurors, judges, and arbitrators may react as new facts, witnesses, and strategic choices emerge.

It bridges the gap between claims and trial by bringing decision-maker psychology into the process early and keeping it there. Instead of relying on instinct or waiting until the eve of trial, teams can use LIT IQ to measure risk, pressure-test strategy, and make better decisions at each stage of the case.

Clients don’t come to Rick for theory. They come to make better litigation decisions, strengthen the cases that should be tried, and recognize the ones that shouldn’t be. LIT IQ is designed to help them do that continuously.

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 Professor, Department of Communication, UC Santa Barbara