Tips to Prepare Your Expert Witness

In Prescription for Powerful Expert Testimony, Trial Magazine, May 2007, Deborah J. Gander advises to take these steps in order to get the most powerful testimony from your expert:

1) Make sure that your expert understands the legal elements that you have to prove in order to win your case.

2) If the deposition was months or years before the trial, refresh the expert’s memory before they get on the stand.

3) Set up a mock trial and have another lawyer cross examine your expert. This will help lessen surprises at trial.

4) Start direct examination by having your expert explain their qualifications. This will include schools and areas studied, degrees, awards, certifications, & honors, employment history, job functions that relate to your case, literature or text books that they have written, presentations, teaching, or other academic work.