Expert Witnessing: Know the game before you play it

Are you interested in becoming an expert witness, but don’t know if it’s the right career path? Are you looking for answers to questions such as:

• Am I qualified to be an expert? 
• Where do I fit in as an expert? 
• How do I become a successful expert? 

Or maybe, you are a novice expert witness looking to improve on your past performance and want to strengthen your deposition and trial skills. Have you ever:

• Left your deposition feeling defeated? 
• Given trial testimony that was underwhelming to the jury? 

Whether you are new to expert witnessing or a novice in the profession, being a successful expert requires knowledge and training.

Don’t sit on the sidelines 

While the expert witnessing world can often seem remote and inaccessible for a beginner or threatening and arduous for the novice, these difficulties should not be a barrier to participation. We believe that qualified professionals should be called upon to testify in the legal system. As a past article in the Society of Actuaries noted:

"The American justice system is a hallmark of our democratic government. We . . . have both the privilege and responsibility to participate professionally in that system, as expert witnesses and in other roles, with respect to matters involving our areas of expertise."

Learning the Fundamentals 

The goal of education is to foster and reveal the inherent potential within each individual. Your expertise is your own, the product of years of dedication on your part; our goal is to help you fully realize that expertise to assist the justice system. M&A has designed a short course to give professionals the expert’s perspective on successful navigation of the complex legal world. To find out more about our Effective Expert Witnessing Online Course go to www.expertwitnessing.com where you can preview Lesson One, review the course syllabus, and learn about the course presenters.

Submitted by Wendy N. Pearson (President) and Eric Chase, P.G.