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Hazardous waste expert witnesses may write reports and testify on hazardous waste sites, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), and hazardous waste mapping. In the news, whistle-blower Donna Busche was fired from her position as manager of environmental and nuclear safety at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation waste treatment plant construction site. Hanford, located on the Columbia River in the state of Washington, ranks as the most polluted nuclear weapons production site in the US. The Columbia is the fourth largest river in the United States and drains into the Pacific. Hanford was a top secret project in the 1940s with the task of building the atomic bomb. Decades of plutonium production for US nuclear weapons have resulted in cleanup costs estimated at $2B/year. (Below is a Hanford exposure map,)

Ms. Busche worked for URS Corp., which is assisting in building a $12B plant to convert nuclear waste into glass but construction of the plant itself has been stopped due to safety concerns. Busche and others have filed complaints with the federal government over design and safety of the facility.

At http://www.whistleblowers.gov/, the US Department of Labor describes whistleblower protection programs.

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In The Internet of Things, for Better or Worse, computer security expert witness Steve Burgess writes on networked devices. Burgess Forensics has offered computer forensic and electronic discovery as well as expert witness testimony since 1985.

“The Internet of Things.” Sounds like a carnival ride or a zombie movie doesn’t it? But it’s not that and it’s not a new idea. Bill Joy of Sun Microsystems was talking about networked home appliances & devices at the turn of the last millennium when he announced the advent of Jini, Sun’s java-based network architecture for connecting said appliances. The Internet of Things is nearly the same concept – networked devices, with the added feature of being accessible from the Internet.

What kinds of devices make up the Internet of Things (“IoT”)? Anything Internet-connected, which can currently include everything from computer to coffeemaker, from range to refrigerator, from baby monitor to burglar alarm, from car to crockpot. And because they’re Internet-connected some people are afraid that these devices may be subject to malware that will cause them to become zombies.

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On his blog, insurance claims expert witness and “Claims Coach” Kevin M. Quinley CPCU, AIC, ARM, RPA writes Risk Managers: Use These 8 Tips for Better Meetings with Underwriters.

The risk manager’s ability to procure insurance coverage and to do so on the best financial terns depends in large part on the discretion of the insurance underwriter. Underwriters are the insurance company gatekeepers. They decide whether or not to offer coverage terms and, if so, at what price.

Meet with Underwriter

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In EFFECTIVE VALUATION & LITIGATION SUPPORT IN CORPORATE SECURITIES LAWSUITS, forensic accounting expert witness Richard M. Squar, CPA, CVA, ABV, CFF, MBA-Taxation, writes:

LITIGATION SUPPORT FROM THE BUSINESS VALUATION EXPERT

What characteristics and support does the effective valuation expert provide to the board of directors in corporate securities litigation that is a tremendous asset in the case?

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The ABA TECHSHOW 2014 will be held at the Hilton Chicago with conference dates March 27-29 and expo dates March 27-28. ABA Techshow contacts may be found here. From http://www.techshow.com/conference/, here are tips on attending.

Planning for ABA TECHSHOW

Once you’ve registered, spend some time looking over the Conference Schedule – our dynamic list of educational tracks, sessions, and speakers. The ABA TECHSHOW Board has organized the schedule into multiple tracks, or general topic areas. There are also vendor tracks, meet-the-author opportunities, lunch ‘n learn sessions, and the ABA TECHSHOW 2014 Keynote Speaker, Rick Klau!

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In recent years, psychiatrists have been asked to consult in the security clearance process. In The Psychiatrist in the Security Clearance Process, psychiatry expert witness Brian Crowley, MD, DLFAPA, writes:

Psychiatrists are asked to participate in the security clearance process in either of two ways. First, treating psychiatrists are occasionally asked to give a professional opinion as to whether or not a patient, or former patient, is suitable for a security clearance. The doctor will receive a call or a fax from a federal investigator, usually asking to meet briefly with the doctor, and stating he has a release signed by the patient. Typically only one question is asked:

Does the person under investigation have a condition that could impair his or her judgment, reliability, or ability to properly safeguard classified national security information?

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The deadline for California Attorneys in Compliance Group 3 to complete their Minimum Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) credits for the current compliance period is January 31, 2014. Compliance Group 3 includes all licensed California attorneys whose names end with letters N through Z. Those attorneys have until February 3 to report their completion of these MCLE activities to the State Bar of California. California attorneys are required to report their MCLE compliance to the Bar via their “My State Bar” profile.

Minimum Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) refers to the approved continuing legal education required, by statute, of California attorneys. California Attorneys are required to complete a total of 25 hours of approved credit every three years.

California Attorneys can earn up to 12.5 of their required hours via self-study activities. All of these self-study activities can be earned online. Internet For Lawyers has updated all of its online California self-study MCLE exercises for the current reporting period.

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Forensic pathology expert witness Dr. Robert Kurtzman testified in the Grand Junction, CO, case against Heather Jensen. Jensen is charged in the 2012 hyperthermia deaths of her two young sons. Kurtzman described how children succumb to hyperthermia more quickly than adults. Dr. Kurtzman is a Staff Pathologist at the Grand Junction Community Hospital and former Former Mesa County coroner. The Mesa County Coroner’s Office website explains their role:

Deaths may be expected, but others; which are sudden, unexpected, and suspicious or from a violent act are investigated by the Coroner’s Office. The responsibility of the Mesa County Coroner’s Office is to conduct a complete unbiased forensic investigation to determine the cause and manner of death, and to answer any questions which may arise. Questions which seem irrelevant in the initial hours after death can become significant in the following months….

Associated Responsibilities

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On his website, child abuse expert witness Dr. Michael R. Weinraub, FAAP, explains Abusive Head Trauma. Dr. Weinraub is a Board Certified Pediatrician with three decades of clinical practice experience.

Formerly called Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS) this form of child abuse is now called Abusive Head Trauma (AHT). While protecting children from infancy onwards from abusive head trauma (AHT) is of primary importance, recent concerns have been raised in specific cases about the degree of medical certainty of AHT as a diagnosis where a broader differential diagnosis may offer explanations of the findings that are not due to abuse.

A standard of care medical work-up of a case of suspected AHT starts with a medical history including a determination of when the child was last well, if ever; a physical examination and review of prior physical examinations and other findings in the medical records; and consideration of current laboratory and radiology findings resulting in a differential diagnosis. This differential diagnosis consideration of various medical conditions as well as of the timing of the findings will assist the physician in forming an opinion of the causation of these findings. For example, findings of brain swelling may arise from an abusive event or may be secondary to a medical condition such as a seizure that caused hypoxic brain injury and swelling. In the process of a medical work-up, one medical explanation may offer the most reasonable explanation for the findings or a medical explanation may offer a reasonable explanation of the findings equally as well as an abusive cause.

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In Evaluting An Expert Witness For School Safety Cases, school safety expert witness Michael Dorn writes:

Questions to Ask a Potential Expert Witness for School Safety Cases

…Attorneys, judges and insurance professionals are typically already familiar with general questions that should be asked of an expert. Some specific questions that might help more accurately gauge an expert’s suitability for a school safety case before the expert is retained and sent documents to review include:

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