Looking for virtual education? FEWA members have free access to over 25 archived webinar recordings to view on-demand. Some popular webinars include: The Virtual Delivery of Expert Testimony in the Era of COVID-19 and Beyond; Utilizing Existing and Emerging Technologies to Maximize Juror Connection, and More Effective Courtroom Testimony.

Log in to your account on the FEWA website to submit your 2021 membership dues, update your Find an Expert directory listing information, or purchase new listing categories. You may also want to consider updating your profile picture or purchasing an Enhanced Listing ($100). The deadline to renew is December 31, 2020, but don’t delay.

Thank you for your continued membership and support and we look forward to serving you in the year to come. For renewal questions, contact FEWA at info@forensic.org or by calling 312-981-6780 (weekdays, 9 am – 5 pm Central Time).

FEWA member, Ken Wheatley MA, CPP, has 41 years combined experience as a non-commissioned officer in the U.S. Air Force; an FBI Special Agent; a Senior Vice President with Sony Electronics' global operations, and a two-time entrepreneur. As an FBI Special Agent, he worked a variety of investigations and undercover operations involving kidnapping, espionage, drugs, fugitives, and violent criminal apprehensions. Read more about Ken below.

The virtual, video-conferenced deposition has become, as much as many trial lawyers dislike it, a part of the “new normal.” It will likely continue so, at least as long as the judicial system is faced with the strictures of the COVID-19 viral pandemic, and perhaps well beyond. Whether the profession returns to the “old normal” once the pandemic is (hopefully) vanquished remains to be seen, but the general consensus seems to be that it won’t happen anytime soon.

Expert witnesses largely rely on the strength of their body of work to establish expertise in their field. As such, it can be tempting to rely solely on one’s CV when seeking to serve as an expert witness Attorneys looking for an expert to assist with their case, however, see the CV merely as a starting point. For lawyers, an expert witness’s previous depositions provide a wealth of information that isn’t captured by a CV, resume, or portfolio. Here, we’ll discuss the top three reasons to offer attorneys access to deposition transcripts as well as to your CV.

All eyes are on the Florida Supreme Court nowadays as another case awaits an answer to the much asked question: when must law firms disclose the fees paid to expert witnesses? And more specifically: are these rules being equally applied to both plaintiff and defense experts? The defendant in one medical malpractice case seems to think so. 

As the subject matter of lawsuits become increasingly technical and specialized, experts remain a ubiquitous and necessary part of litigation. Although an expert witness’s testimony can be incredibly impactful at trial, their involvement is just as valuable—if not more—when first assessing the case’s merits. An expert’s initial review, research, assessment, and valuation of a potential lawsuit is a critical first step when retaining a new case, particularly when the attorney might not be well-versed in the underlying subject matter.

A little more than ten years ago, I received what seemed like an odd request: would I be willing to serve as an expert witness in federal Title IX litigation? My perception had always been that most Title IX litigation focused on questions of law and therefore, was within the court’s purview to decide. Although I had been working in the Title IX field for nearly a decade, it seemed that there was little room for an expert opinion that wouldn’t encroach on the ultimate questions in the matter.