Podcast - Part II: The Do’s and Don’ts of Demonstratives
Podcast - Part I - The Do’s and Don’ts of Demonstratives
Podcast - How Do You Define Success?
Podcast - Seek Out Feedback
Podcast - Part I: Being an Expert Is a Lonely Business
Podcast - Finding Common Ground
Law School Toolbox Podcast Episode 504: Listen and Learn -- Motions for Judgment as a Matter of Law and Motions for New Trial (Civ Pro)
Podcast - "Ready for Trial?"
Podcast - Every Case Is a New World
Podcast - The 3 Core Themes of Trial Law: Do the Right Thing
Podcast - How Did We Get Here?
Podcast - Parting Thoughts: Be a "Peddler of Common Sense"
Against All Odds- Part Four
Podcast - Expert Witnesses, Special Issues
Podcast - Direct Examination of Expert Witnesses
Podcast - Drowning in Complexity
Podcast: Part I - Reading the Jury
Podcast - How to Use Humor and Anger Effectively in the Courtroom
Preparing for Deposition Success
Podcast - Connecting Separate Pieces of Evidence Clearly, Persuasively
In this episode of "The Trial Lawyer's Handbook" podcast series, litigation attorney Dan Small discusses the challenges and strategies associated with using expert witnesses in trials. He advises against agreeing to stipulate...more
Key Points: Plaintiff’s non-retained experts are treating physicians, and their testimony at trial should be limited to their scope of treatment, diagnosis, and prognosis with respect to the injuries alleged....more
On December 1, 2023, the Federal Rules of Evidence (FRE) 702 will undergo several changes designed to reinforce federal judges’ role as gatekeepers for admitting expert testimony. The changes reinforce the preponderance of...more
It has been a tough year for science. On the social-science front, it seems that we have entered a phase where no one believes the polls. To conservative Trump supporters, the consensus of data showing the President well...more
What makes an expert witness persuasive to a jury? Is it their background and training? The work that they did on the case? Their communication skills in teaching the jury? The research suggests that expert influence depends...more
When civil litigation is being discussed by those outside the courtroom and outside the legal field, what stands out is often the perception, at least, of very high damages. The high-dollar figure being awarded, based on a...more
Jurors sometimes need to grapple with science, and given the constraints of the trial process and the often-complex nature of the testimony, “grapple” is probably the right word. Whether it involves working through detailed...more
Remember Carl Sagan and the original show Cosmos? It was a beloved series in the late 70’s, not just for its accessible explanations of something as complex as the history of the universe, but also for its ability to evoke a...more
It was another big moment yesterday as Michael Cohen, President Trump’s former personal lawyer, testified publicly before the House Oversight Committee. Widely seen as an opening act prior to Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s...more
Experts have a tough job translating sometimes technical detail to lay audiences and working closely with a party to the litigation while still maintaining the role of “teacher” rather than “advocate.” Some excellent and...more
Recently, I was running a mock trial exercise with three retired judges. Reviewing the testimony, one shared a skepticism toward the “hired-gun” engineers they had heard, and opined that what is “more important is the...more
Experts know things. That’s what makes them experts. That is why they’re allowed in court: to inform the jury’s or judge’s understanding. Once there, of course, they are picked apart by an adversary with the goal of making...more