Courts randomly summon potential jurors for service. Though it varies by jurisdiction, names are most often drawn from voter registry lists or from the department of motor vehicles. Some states even draw potential jurors from real estate and tax return records.

If you are unavailable to report, every jurisdiction has a process to allow you to postpone your service to a more convenient date. You cannot postpone your service indefinitely, however. Most states will only allow you to push jury service off a couple of times. Be sure to read your jury summons fully in order to find out how to confirm your postponement.

In all jurisdictions, you are legally required to respond to your jury service notice. Failure to do so may result in a host of criminal penalties, including fines of over a thousand dollars and even jail time.

Jurors are requested to dress in a manner respectful for the court. Furthermore, be aware that you will be required to pass through a metal detector each time you enter the court. Leave any excess metal and jewelry at home to speed up this process.

The process varies immensely by jurisdiction, with some courts requiring you to report to the courthouse and others allow you to call in before hand. If you report to the courthouse, be prepared to remain the entirety of the normal working hours, often 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. You will usually know if you’ve been selected to serve on a jury after one day.

After you report to the courthouse, you may be called into the courtroom with a panel of other potential jurors. The panel members are sworn to answer questions about their qualifications to sit as jurors in the case. You may be asked about your occupation, family, education, and history. This process is known as voir dire, a latin word that translates as “to say what is true.” The lawyers of either side may ask that members of the panel be excused or exempted from service, which is known as a challenge. A challenge may be made either for cause, such as if the juror is personally acquainted with the parties, or for no reason at all. If you are not dismissed, you will sit on the jury and serve until the trial concludes.

Every case is different. While sometimes cases will last several weeks, the overwhelming number of them will be resolved with two or three days.

You will be compensated for your jury service, but not handsomely. All states pay at least $5 a day, while federal courts pay $40 a day. Some states reimburse transportation expenses, such as mileage and parking fees, and offer a subsistence allowance covering meals.

Whether or not your job compensates you for time spent at jury duty, you cannot be fired for completing your service. Again, laws vary by jurisdiction, but your job is safe. In fact, if your boss threats to fire you, consequences for them can be severe, including fine and jail time.

Once you complete your jury service, whether or not you actually sat on a jury, it is unlikely that you will be called again for at least a few years. Most court’s pool of juror names are replenished every three or four years.

Because federal and state courts are distinct, just because you served on one does not mean that you are relieved from serving on the other.

While we cannot make any promises, statistics strongly show that if you are selected to serve on a jury you will find the experience incredibly rewarding. The vast majority of respondents suggest that they felt important, accomplished, patriotic, and empowered and that they would readily serve again.