Executive Summary
Physicians who perform medical-legal consulting and IMEs need to excel when giving testimony. Intensive Testifying Skills Workshop for Physicians will teach physicians how to excel when testifying at depositions and during direct and cross-examination. This intensive hands-on workshop features numerous mock testimony demonstrations utilizing attendees and based on materials submitted in advance by the attendees. In addition to numerous demonstrations, the workshops will utilize didactic lecture, video clips of actual testimony, and questions and answers. Physicians participating in this workshop will learn how to become markedly more effective expert witnesses. This intensive workshop is comprehensive and in-depth and is appropriate for medical experts of all levels of testifying experience.
Learning Objectives
At the conclusion of this workshop, physicians should be able to:
-
Discuss the strategies and goals of opposing counsel at deposition and during cross-examination
- Describe how to properly prepare for deposition and trial
- Discuss strategies that can be followed when giving an expert deposition and when testifying at
trial
- Explain techniques for excelling at videotaped depositions
- Explain opposing counsel's deposition and cross examination tactics and how to defeat each tactic
- Describe techniques physicians can use when testifying at deposition and trial
- Discuss methods for responding to trick and difficult questions at deposition and trial
- List teaching methods that can be used to improve the persuasiveness of your expert testimony
- List techniques for developing powerful, memorable language and analogies
- Describe how to best insulate yourself from attacks by opposing counsel
- Discuss techniques to make a positive impression on the jury
Distinguished Faculty
The Honorable David Lawson
is a United States District Court Judge for the Eastern District of Michigan. He was formerly a member of the Detroit law firm of Clark Hill, PLC (Birmingham office). He received his BA degree magna cum laude from the University of Notre Dame, and his JD magna cum laude from Wayne State University. Judge Lawson is a former Special Assistant Attorney General and Special Prosecutor, and is currently on the faculty of the Michigan Judicial Institute. Prior to taking the bench his practice included both civil and criminal trial litigation, and he was actively involved in the trial of medical malpractice, negligence, and product liability cases. Judge Lawson has written and lectured extensively on scientific evidence and trial techniques.
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 The Biggest Mistakes Expert Witnesses Make: And How to Avoid Them, 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, and How to Become a Dangerous Expert Witness: Advanced Techniques and Strategies.
Tuition
Tuition is $1,295. Tuition includes continental breakfast, lunch with faculty each day and a detailed conference manual.
Click here for registration information.
Continuing Education Information
Click here for Continuing Education Information.
Schedule
7:30-8:00Continental Breakfast
8:00-12:00Deposition Skills Workshop For Physicians
Depositions are the setting for the majority of testimony given by physicians. This workshop provides an in-depth treatment of how to excel when testifying at depositions. This segment will feature mock deposition demonstrations utilizing volunteers from class, didactic lecture, analysis of video clips of actual testimony, and questions and answers. Topics covered will include understanding the strategies and goals of retaining counsel, preparing for your deposition, deposition strategies for medical experts, understanding and defeating opposing counsel's tactics, special techniques for videotape depositions, advanced deposition tactics for medical experts, and truthfully and artfully answering trick and difficult questions at deposition. Questions and Answers.
12:00-12:45LUNCH PROVIDED WITH FACULTY
12:45-5:00Direct Examination and Persuasion Skills Workshop for Physicians
Direct examination can be very challenging for medical experts. During direct examination an expert is asked to teach and persuade the fact finder without appearing to be an advocate. This workshop will show medical experts how to excel during their direct examination and persuade the fact finder. This segment will feature mock direct examination demonstrations utilizing volunteers from class, didactic lecture, analysis of video clips of actual testimony, and questions and answers. Topics covered include persuasion techniques for medical experts, preparing to testify on direct examination, how to best put forth your qualifications, commenting on the opposing expert and his/her opinions, developing a harmonious interaction with retaining counsel, creating and using powerful, memorable language and analogies, optimizing your teaching skills, reading and bonding with the jury, dealing with problem areas and weaknesses, and the biggest mistakes medical experts make that can turn off judge and jury. Questions and Answers.
6:30-7:00Continental Breakfast
7:00-12:00Cross-Examination Skills Workshop for Physicians Medical experts need to be well prepared for and excel at cross examination. In this workshop, attendees will learn how to excel during cross examination. This segment will feature mock cross examination demonstrations utilizing volunteers from class, didactic lecture, analysis of video clips of actual testimony, and questions and answers. Topics covered include how trial attorneys prepare for cross examination of an expert, juror reaction to cross examination of experts, preparing for your cross examination, cross examination on your CV, cross examination on your report, making yourself and your opinions as resistant to cross examination as possible, advanced cross examination techniques for medical experts, defeating counsel's cross examination tactics, and answering trick and difficult questions during cross examination. Questions and Answers.
12:00-12:45LUNCH PROVIDED WITH FACULTY
12:45-2:00Cross-Examination Skills Workshop for Physicians (Continued)
2:00-2:30Takeaways, Conclusion and Evaluation
The faculty will address any final questions and elicit from the attendees a bullet-point list of exactly what they will be doing differently in light of what was learned at this workshop. Questions and Answers.