Female Expert Witnesses can be viewed and treated differently than their male counterparts by judges, juries, attorneys, and paralegals. The FEWA National Conference will offer specialized programming for female expert witnesses, with a focus on being an effective expert and empowering male expert witness colleagues to work with them.

Hear what several accomplished female experts have experienced, plus practical tips for success in our male-dominated industry. For men in the audience, the #MeToo movement may make interactions with female experts, attorneys, judges and paralegals more confusing than ever. Hear practical tips for effective interactions with your female colleagues—and hopefully there will be a few laughs as well. This is your chance to ask the women anything!

Join FEWA for the second installment of the FEWA Virtual Networking Series on March 20 at 1:00 pm PT! The FEWA Virtual Networking Series provides a platform for FEWA members to meet each other online and connect regardless of location. Experts will be able to discuss expert witness best practices, share experiences and provide referrals, and have the opportunity to build relationships with other members nationwide.

The second Virtual Networking installment will feature a conversation to ensure experts are not making simple mistakes that can be avoided. Diana Price will review some common mistakes on your CV, website and how to confront the perception of bias. Learn useful tips to improve your expert image and have a conversation with fellow FEWA members!

Bret Russell is a new member of FEWA's Orange County Chapter.

Bret Russell has over 40 years of experience in Fire, EMS and Emergency Management, with specialties in Fire Origin and Cause Investigation. In the fire forensic sciences area, Bret is a research and testifying expert. His clients include fire departments, public defenders, private legal firms, insurance companies and is experienced in both plaintiff and defense cases. He is experienced as a court appointed expert. Bret has designed and led workshops and classes in fire investigation, examination of fire reports, interpretation of data, witness testimony, root cause and causation analysis, presentation of case reviews, research and develop, alternate theories and trial preparation.

To learn more about Bret, visit his FEWA Profile! Please join us in welcoming Bret to FEWA!

A fine line exists between making the justifiable decision of inconclusiveness, and “unjustifiably deciding not to decide. And on that fine line could hang crucial forensic decisions at the crime laboratory, according to a recent paper in the Journal of Forensic Sciences.

The FEWA Houston Chapter would like to congratulate previous chapter speakers on their new court appointment and nomination! Justice Brett Busby of the 14th Court of Appeals has been appointed to the Texas Supreme Court. Former Texas Supreme Court Justice, Jeff Brown, has been nominated by President Trump to serve on the Federal Bench. Congratulations to the FEWA Houston Chapter speakers!

Rule 26 (a) (2)(B) calls for the disclosure of a written report prepared and signed by the expert. The exception to this, of course, is when it is otherwise stipulated to or ordered by the court. But what is a lawyer to do with the opposing expert witness’ report? And when?

Litigation usually involves complex issues related to technology, products, or business processes. In many cases, clients are the best subject-matter experts of their craft. Nevertheless, attorneys are sometimes hesitant to designate a client or a client’s employee as an expert witness for fear of waiving attorney-client privilege. In a recent decision, the Supreme Court of Texas addressed this very issue and held that the attorney-client privilege remains unscathed when a party (or its corporate representative) is designated as a testifying expert witness.

Forensic scientists and commentators including academics and statisticians have been embroiled in a debate over the best way to present evidence in the courtroom. Various forms of evidence presentation, both quantitative and qualitative, have been championed, yet amidst the furor over the most “correct” or “accurate” way to present evidence, the perspective of the fact-finder is often lost. Without comprehension, correctness is moot.