Verifying Expert Witness Licensing

The story of the ballistics expert who killed himself after being confronted with evidence that he had lied about his credentials illustrates the importance of researching experts before they are retained.

Licensing information can be found online and is easily searched to verify the currently-held licenses claimed by an expert. Many organizations, such as the American Board of Surgery, have their own websites where one can check the licenses of experts. Search Systems links to over 35,000 public record databases. By running a search for the type of record (license), the jurisdiction (e.g.: Ohio), and the occupation (e.g.: accountant), the user is given a list of databases where the licensing information can be found. Using the metasite Portico , one can verify licenses for occupations such as doctors, contractors, architects and more.