Advanced Deposition Skills for Expert Witnesses
Crowne Plaza Chicago O’Hare Hotel & Conference Center, Rosemont, Illinois
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Continuing Education Information
Schedule
Hotel Information
Registration Information
Brochure
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Executive Summary: Expert witnesses are 15-20 times more likely to have to testify at deposition than at trial. Advanced Deposition Skills for Expert Witnesses teaches experts how to excel during their depositions. The workshop is presented in an interactive fashion and features numerous demonstrations. This is an advanced course designed for experienced experts who would like to raise their deposition skills to the next level.
Here’s what past attendees have to say!
“Outstanding”
“Very worth while”
“Excellent as always”
“Well organized, touched on all important issues given time frame”
“A fun and informative day. Lots of participation and Q & A added a lot”
“Balance between lecture, role play, interaction and video was very good”
Distinguished Faculty: James J. Mangraviti, Jr., Esq., has trained thousands of expert witnesses. He is a former litigator with experience in defense and plaintiff personal injury law and insurance law. He currently serves as Vice President and General Counsel of SEAK, Inc. Mr. Mangraviti received his BA degree in mathematics summa cum laude from Boston College and his JD degree cum laude from Boston College Law School. His publications include the texts Depositions: The Comprehensive Guide for Expert Witnesses, The A-Z Guide to Expert Witnessing, Cross-Examination: The Comprehensive Guide for Experts, National Guide to Expert Witness Fees and Billing Procedures, Writing and Defending Your IME Report, How to Excel During Depositions: Techniques for Experts That Work, Writing and Defending Your Expert Report: The Step-by-Step Guide with Models, How to Become a Dangerous Expert Witness: Advanced Techniques and Strategies, and The Biggest Mistakes Expert Witnesses Make and How to Avoid Them.
Registration Information: The $495 tuition includes a continental breakfast, breaks, lunch with faculty, a detailed manual which can be retained as a bookshelf reference, and a dynamic learning experience. To register by fax please click here. To register online please click here.
Continuing Education Information:
Note: If your specialty does not appear below and you desire credits, please contact Karen Cerbarano (781-826-4974 or Karen@seak.com). We can often obtain desired credits upon request, but unfortunately, obtaining some types of credits are not feasible. Please register early, as we can only apply for credits after your registration form has been received and it can take time to get the requested approvals back from the accrediting agencies.
Accident Reconstructionists: The ACTAR Continuing Education Unit has approved this program for 7 CEUs.
Accountants: Earn 7.5 CPE credits in the field of study of Specialized Knowledge and Applications. SEAK, Inc. 108578 is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be addressed to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors, 150 Fourth Avenue North, Suite 700, Nashville, TN, 37219-2417. Web site: www.nasba.org For SEAK, Inc.’s complaint and program cancellation policies please call SEAK, Inc. at 508-457-1111. Prior training as an expert witness or significant testifying experience is a prerequisite for this advanced group-live program. No advanced preparation is required.
Appraisers: The American Society of Appraisers will accept 6.5 continuing education hours for this program.
Arborists: SEAK has applied for continuing education hours through the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA).
Attorneys: Credit varies by state. Continuing legal education credits for attorneys will only be applied for if requested in writing when sending in the registration form for the conference. Please contact Karen Cerbarano (781-261-9972, Karen@seak.com) with any questions.
Engineers: SEAK, Inc. has been approved as an Authorized Provider by the International Association of Continuing Education and Training (IACET), 1760 Old Meadow Road, Suite 500, McLean, VA 22102. SEAK, Inc. is authorized by IACET to offer .7 CEUs for this program. PARTIAL CREDIT IS NOT ALLOWED. Prior training as an expert witness or significant testifying experience is a prerequisite for this advanced group-live program. No advanced preparation is required. This is an interactive program where learner-instructor dialog is encouraged. No technological skills or equipment is required.
Life Care Planners: The Commission on Health Care Certification (CHCC) has given the course 7.5 CEUs. Course number 1097.
Physicians: SEAK, Inc. is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians. SEAK, Inc. designates this educational activity for a maximum of 6.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Psychologists: 6.5 CE Credits. SEAK, Inc. is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. SEAK, Inc. maintains responsibility for this program and its content. To receive credit each psychologist must attend the entire program, sign in before the program, sign out after the program and return a completed evaluation form. PARTIAL CREDIT IS NOT PERMITTED. Prior training as an expert witness or significant testifying experience is a prerequisite for this advanced group-live program. No advanced preparation is required.
SCHEDULE
8:00–8:30 Continental Breakfast
8:30–9:00 Executive Summary and Initial Demonstration
Brief introductory remarks will be followed by an initial demonstration of an expert deposition utilizing a volunteer attendee. Questions and Answers. Learning Objective: Explain why deposition skills are essential for expert witnesses.
9:00–9:30 Understanding the Strategies and Goals of Opposing Counsel
Faculty will review the goals of opposing counsel at depositions. Attendees will also learn the alternative strategies opposing counsel will utilize at depositions to achieve her goals. Demonstrations will drive key points home. Questions and Answers. Learning Objective: Discuss the strategies and goals of opposing counsel at deposition.
9:30–10:15 Preparing for Your Expert Deposition
Experienced experts understand the significance of their deposition and how opposing counsel will likely be highly prepared to question them. Faculty will provide a detailed checklist of the specific steps that need to be taken to properly prepare for an expert deposition. Attendees will also learn how to help ensure that retaining counsel thoroughly prepares them for their deposition. Faculty will review the specific items experts need to be prepared to explain at their deposition. Questions and Answers. Learning Objective: Describe how to properly prepare for an expert deposition.
10:15–10:30 Break and Networking Opportunity
10:30–11:00 Deposition Strategies for Experts
Faculty will discuss the alternative strategies experts may follow at deposition. Faculty will explain how the best strategy to follow depends on many factors including the size of the case, type of case, who the attorneys are, and whether or not retaining counsel believes the case is likely to settle before trial. Questions and Answers. Learning Objective: Discuss the alternative strategies experts may follow at deposition.
11:00–12:00 Understanding and Defeating Counsel’s Deposition Tactics
Experts who are aware of, able to recognize, and effectively deal with the myriad of opposing counsel’s tactics are highly successful at their depositions. These experts help increase the value of the case and are highly sought after. The faculty will explain, analyze, and review many deposition tactics and will offer specific techniques for defeating each. Demonstrations utilizing volunteer attendees will help illustrate the tactics and defenses. Questions and Answers. Learning Objective: Explain opposing counsel’s deposition tactics and how to defeat each tactic.
12:00–1:00 Lunch Provided with Faculty
1:00–1:30 Videotape Deposition-Special Techniques
The number of videotape depositions taken are increasingly rapidly. In this segment the faculty will discuss advanced techniques for excelling at your videotape deposition. Attendees will view samples of effective and ineffective videotape deposition testimony. Questions and Answers. Learning Objective: Explain techniques for excelling at videotape depositions.
1:30–2:45 Advanced Deposition Tactics for Experts
The best experts are not only able to effectively respond to opposing counsel’s tactics, they are able to use their own tactics to help present truthful and effective testimony. This segment will describe numerous techniques experts can use to make sure that opposing counsel does not unfairly lock them in, does not take their testimony out of context and does not distort the truth. Demonstrations utilizing volunteer attendees will help illustrate many of these techniques. Questions and Answers. Learning Objective: Describe techniques the expert can use at depositions.
2:45–3:00 Break and Networking Opportunity
3:00–4:00 Pulling It All Together: Truthfully and Artfully Answering Trick and Difficult Questions at Deposition
In this segment the attendees will be able to practice the skills taught in the course by responding to numerous trick and difficult deposition questions. For each question the faculty and attendees will analyze what tactic opposing counsel is most likely employing, how that tactic can be defeated and various truthful and artful answers to the question. Questions and Answers. Learning Objective: Discuss methods for responding to trick and difficult questions at depositions.
4:00–4:15 Attendee Specific Trick and Difficult Questions
During this segment attendees will be allowed to submit to the faculty and his or her attendee-peers difficult and trick questions. The faculty and attendees will provide suggestions on truthful and artful ways to answer these questions. Questions and Answers. Learning Objective: Explain how to respond truthfully but artfully to trick and difficult questions at depositions.
4:15–4:30 Takeaways, Conclusion and Evaluation
Faculty will take any final questions and solicit from the attendees a concise set of “bullet point” takeaways based on what was learned in this workshop. Questions and Answers. Learning Objective: List the most important concepts, techniques and action steps learned in the program.
HOTEL INFORMATION
The site hotel is the Crowne Plaza Chicago O’Hare Hotel & Conference Center in the village of Rosemont, IL. This full service “fly in fly out” property is easily accessible to Chicago’s O’Hare airport and provides complimentary 24 hour shuttle service to and from O’Hare Airport and is a modern, well-equipped quiet hotel. All of the guest rooms are brand new and come equipped with additional amenities such as refrigerator, in-room safe, cordless telephone, 32 inch High Def. LCD TV, double paned windows and Full size sofa-sleepers in all King bedded rooms.The Crowne Plaza Chicago is located directly across the street from Rosemont Convention Center. The compact Village of Rosemont is a very popular convention destination that features over 5,000 hotel rooms, numerous restaurants including Morton’s, Nick’s Fish Market, The Capital Grille, and McCormick and Schmick’s, the brand new state of the art 101,000 square foot Muvico Theaters Rosemont 18, the Rosemont Theater, the Museum of Hummels and other attractions. The Chicago Loop and Magnificent Mile are accessible via taxi or you can walk to the subway from the Crowne Plaza. SEAK has secured a special group rate of $104/night (single and double). Rooms are limited and this rate expires on June 1, 2010. To make your reservations, please call 888-233-9527 and refer to the SEAK Group rate.