Starting and Building an Expert Witness Practice

Crowne Plaza Chicago O’Hare Hotel & Conference Center, Rosemont, Illinois

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Executive Summary: Starting and Building an Expert Witness Practice is an intensive introductory workshop that is designed to show prospective and novice expert witnesses exactly what will be expected of them and how to start and build a successful expert witness practice. This course is specifically designed for prospective and novice expert witnesses and requires no advanced knowledge or training. Attendees will learn from experienced faculty in a step-by-step fashion how to start and build a successful expert witness practice. A continental breakfast, lunch with faculty and a detailed workshop manual not available anywhere else will be provided to all attendees.

Here’s what past attendees have to say!
“Very well organized”
“Excellent”
“Very worthwhile”
“Very good-Dr. Baker very passionate and knowledgeable”
“Very useful”
“Great”
“Great resources/reference manual”
“Dr. Baker was great”
“Great personal history”

Distinguished Faculty: Terrance Baker, MD, is an attending emergency room physician at Good Samaritan Hospital and forensic expert in Baltimore, Maryland. He received his BS and MS from Johns Hopkins University and his MD from the George Washington University School of Medicine. Dr. Baker is board certified in Family Practice, Geriatrics, and Emergency Medicine. Dr. Baker is a former medical examiner of the city of Newport News, Virginia. Dr. Baker has served as a forensic medical expert for trial attorneys, defense attorneys, judges, district attorneys, and public defenders throughout the United States. Dr. Baker has also served as a forensic medical expert for the South Carolina Board of Medical Examiners, the joint Underwriters Association, and the Carolina Peer Review Organization. Dr. Baker has written and lectured extensively on expert witness issues.

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 5 CEUs.

Accountants: Earn 8.0 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. There are no prerequisites for this introductory group-live program. No advanced preparation is required.

Appraisers: The American Society of Appraisers will accept 7.0 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. There are no prerequisites for this introductory 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 6.5 CEUs. Course number 1078.

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 7.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Psychologists: 6.0 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. There are no prerequisites for this introductory group-live program. No advanced preparation is required. No credit is provided for the 10:15–11:15 segment.

SCHEDULE 

7:30–8:00 Registration and Continental Breakfast

8:00–8:45 Role of Expert Witnesses in Civil Litigation
Attendees will learn the proper role of expert witnesses in civil litigation. Included is an explanation of Federal Rule of Evidence 702, what specific qualities attorneys are looking for when selecting expert witnesses, and the types of specific assignments experts can expect from retaining counsel including forensic consulting, report writing, and where necessary, testifying at deposition or trial. Questions and Answers. Learning Objective: Explain the role of expert witnesses in civil litigation.

8:45–9:15 Fine Tuning Your Expertise and the Geographic Area You Would Like to Practice In
In order to start and build a successful expert witness practice, experts need to define what specific areas they feel qualified to opine on and decide the geographic boundaries of their practice. Attendees will learn the importance of staying within their true area of expertise, how to craft a positive image and the pros and cons of statewide, regional and national forensic practices. Questions and Answers. Learning Objective: Discuss your true area(s) of expertise.

9:15–10:00 Pulling Together a C.V. Appropriate for Expert Witness Work
Anyone considering starting an expert witness practice needs to maintain a C.V. Attendees will learn the importance of an accurate, up-to-date C.V., what should and should not be on a C.V., and how mistakes in preparing C.V.s can damage or destroy an expert’s credibility Questions and Answers. Learning Objective: Describe how to draft a C.V. appropriate for expert witness work.

10:00–10:15 Break and Networking Opportunity

10:15–11:15 Spreading the Word - Marketing Your New Expert Witness Practice
In this segment, the faculty will show attendees numerous techniques to cost effectively market an expert witness practice and get high quality cases. Included, will be a frank discussion of what works and what doesn’t work. Techniques discussed include networking, word of mouth, 24/7 marketing, internet marketing, directories, advertising, writing, speaking and expert witness referral agencies. Questions and Answers. Learning Objective: List numerous techniques to market your expert witness practice.

11:15–12:00 Maintaining Your Integrity, Credibility and Ethics
An expert’s integrity, credibility and ethics are his or her most valuable assets. In this section experts will learn how to deal with common problem situations and maintain their credibility and reputation. Included is an explanation of how to deal with short time lines, missing documents, inadequate information, being pushed outside of your true area of expertise, abusive questioning, amendments to your reports and other common problem situations experts face. Questions and Answers. Learning Objective: Explain how to deal with common ethical problems.

12:00–1:00 Lunch Provided with Faculty

1:00–2:00 Essentials of Expert Witness Report Writing
Anyone wishing to start a successful expert witness practice must be prepared to draft a written report summarizing their investigation, findings and opinions. Such reports are often requested by counsel and may be legally required depending upon the jurisdiction in question. In this section attendees will learn why counsel may need a written report, what he or she is looking for in the report and what should and should not be included in expert reports. Questions and Answers. Learning Objective: Describe how to properly draft an expert report.

2:00–3:00 Excelling While Testifying
Successful experts are those who are persuasive during direct examination and who stand up during cross-examination and at deposition. Excelling while testifying requires preparation and skill. In this section, attendees will learn the qualities and specific testifying skills and techniques that attorneys are looking for from experts. Questions and Answers. Learning Objective: Describe essential testifying skills.

3:00–3:15 Break and Networking Opportunity

3:15–4:15 Essentials of Expert Witness Practice Management
In this section attendees will learn the nuts and bolts of expert witness practice management. Included will be a discussion of how much to charge, what to charge for, how and when to collect your fee, how to prepare a basic retention agreement, and expert witness risk management. Sample forms will be provided to attendees. Questions and Answers. Learning Objective: List practice management techniques that will help improve an expert’s bottom line.

4:15–4:30 Takeaways, Conclusion and Evaluation
The faculty will answer any and all outstanding questions. The faculty and attendees will then work together to develop a “bullet-point” list of the most important concepts, techniques and action steps 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.