Articles Posted in Expert Witness Marketing

A reminder from expert witness marketing consultant, strategist & coach Rosalie Hamilton:

Expert Witness Websites – Contact Info?

I hate to bring this up again, but — please include contact information on your website! I had a friend contact me recently for help in finding an expert witness in a particular area of expertise. I found four and went to their websites. Two (TWO of the four!) had NO contact information whatsoever. One had a “Contact” form with several lines of required information. Only one had a phone number, address, and email listed.

Writing an article is one of the best educational marketing tools available to you as an expert witness. In deciding what topic about which to write, answer questions such as these in your article:

• What are the key issues in your field, and how should an expert be able to address them?

• What should an attorney know when they have a case in this area?

In 14 Rules For Working With An Expert Economist, expert witness Dr. Jerome M. Staller offers “rules” to follow that will help your economics expert witness do the best job he or she can for you and your client.

Never cross examine the opposing expert in deposition. Instead, inquire and learn. A deposition should not a warm-up for trial: You want to learn as much as possible and not tip your hand. Aggressive questioning during depositions is almost always counterproductive

Never hide information from your expert. Chances are, whatever facts you withhold from your expert will be known to the opposing side, which could lead to devastating cross.

Legal professionals who visit the JurisPro Expert Witness Directory will soon be able to view video clips of expert witnesses. Attorneys have asked to have video clips of our clients, and JurisPro will be providing them to legal professionals through its Web site. This is another way that JurisPro is clearly conveying the qualifications of its clients.

If you are a JurisPro client, the easiest way to have your video clip made known to legal professionals through JurisPro is to upload the clip to Google video. Once you have uploaded it, then email the link to info@jurispro.com. JurisPro will then link your video with your profile.

Alternatively, you may send a copy of the video clip on a DVD to:

Clients who have listed their qualifications as an expert witness with the JurisPro Expert Witness Directory are now accessible through Sidley & Austin, the #5 law firm in the United States as ranked by AMLaw.

“Through JurisPro Law Librarian Karen Olson’s efforts, JurisPro’s clients are now at the fingertips of tens of thousands of attorneys who practice at some of the most prestigious law firms in the United States,” said attorney Jim Robinson of JurisPro. “JurisPro’s clients can now be directly contacted through the internal network of 12 of the top 20 law firms in the United States, and 35 of the top 100.”

Sidley Austin diversified global practice encompasses the spectrum of corporate, transactional, litigation and regulatory matters. Their practice areas include: litigation, business, healthcare, intellectual property, real estate, products liability, labor and environmental, to name just a few.

Expert Communications provides expert witness training tools and creates marketing plans, materials, and websites for expert witnesses. You can sign up for their free email newsletter, Expert News, with tips, techniques, and information unique to the needs of expert consultants, by clicking here: Expert Communications Newsletter.

One of their most popular resources is the CD and transcript of a presentation by attorney Lee Gunn, “How to Be Picked, But Not Picked Apart,” in which he explains:

– How attorneys pick experts

– What attorneys avoid when choosing experts

– How plaintiff and defense attorneys differ

– The worst thing an expert can do that will get you blacklisted

– What makes an expert stand out and get referrals (a simple thing most experts miss!)

Thinking about becoming an expert witness? A logical first step is to figure out your area of expertise. Slate.com writes:

According to the Federal Rules of Evidence, an expert witness can be anyone with special “knowledge, skill, experience, training, or education.” An expert can testify under the following conditions: The testimony must be based on sufficient facts or data; the testimony must be the product of reliable principles and methods; and the witness must have applied the principles and methods reliably to the facts of the case. In general, expert witnesses are called in when “scientific, technical, or other specialized knowledge will assist the trier of fact to understand the evidence or to determine a fact in issue.”

Always keep in mind that an expert witness must pass the Daubert test. Trial judges evaluate expert witnesses to determine whether their testimony is relevant and reliable. You must demonstrate that the evidence you present as an expert fits the facts of the case and your conclusions were derived from scientific methods.

Your expert witness article should be geared to the attorney who would possibly hire you. In writing for your target market, remember, attorneys are generally impatient, and want usable information that is easy to digest. Therefore, the scope of the article should be narrow with a clear focus, written in a straightforward and clear manner. The style should be as non-technical as possible. Short paragraphs and sentences are usually preferred. Short subheads should be used to break the copy in longer articles.

Prior to submission, have someone competent proof read your article. No matter how much knowledge you have, the article will be rejected if it is poorly written. Indeed, if writing is not your forte’, consider having a co-writer (or even a ghost writer) help to convey your knowledge about the subject matter.

Prior to submitting your expert witness article, learn what types of articles are generally accepted by editor. Request a copy of the publication be sent to you, and read the articles that were previously published. You might want to call and speak to the editor directly before submitting your article. Ask the editor what he or she looks for when reviewing submitted articles. This will aid in writing your article in a format and style that is most acceptable to the editor.

Know the formatting guidelines for submission. Many bar association’s websites contain detailed format guidelines for articles. For example, the Texas Bar Journal requires all articles be double spaced. In contrast, The Wyoming Lawyer wants single spaced articles using 12-point Times font. Some publications want the articles submitted on paper – others request it electronically. A few minutes of research will prevent your article from being rejected for formatting reasons.

When writing your expert witness article, be aware of themes and publication calendars. For example, the Defense Research Institute traditionally uses “product liability” as its theme for its December issue of the “For the Defense.” Experts with an article in this magazine would have their information circulated to over 30,000 defense attorneys.

Your article could also be published on legal websites. For example, the Law Librarians Research Exchange (www.llrx.com) accepts articles and sends out emails to legal professionals about those articles. Another idea is to identify attorneys in your subject area (by looking up their practice area on the Internet), and sending to them your article along with your contact information, with a note stating simply: “This article may be of interest to you. Please contact me if I can ever be of service to you.”