Expert witnesses are all too often going into depositions, hearings, and trials with little or no preparation from counsel.
As a consultant who helps prepare expert witnesses for depositions and trials, I always ask the expert:
How much preparation did the retaining lawyer provide you?
The answers range from:
– None
– Spoke for 30 minutes at Starbucks
– Met for dinner the night before
– About an hour, but this was nowhere near enough
Lawyers have an obligation to the expert and their clients to properly prepare their expert witnesses for deposition and trial. The excuses for lack of proper preparation include lack of time, expense, spontaneity, etc. are all without merit and can and do lead to poor performances by the expert.
Attorney Michael Duffy will be speaking on expert witness preparation at the SEAK National Expert Witness Conference to be held on April 25-26, 2015 in Washington, DC.
Expert Witness Preparation for Trial: Direct and Cross-Examination
Michael W. Duffy, Esq.
Attorney Duffy will explain how experts should be rigorously prepared for trial. He will discuss introduction of the expert, getting to the point, qualifications, opinions, and methodologies. Attorney Duffy will demonstrate how experts can be primed to excel during their cross-examination by anticipating lines of inquiry. Atty. Duffy will explain the importance to the expert’s success of each and every trial detail for courtroom setup, technology, eye contact with jury, and other significant intangibles.