FEWA Members and Non-Members are invited to attend a FEWA Virtual Academy Webinar on March 17 at 1:00 PM CT. The webinar will be led by Denise Peterson and Denise Adkison-Brow of Texas Volunteer Mediatior Association and will focus on online mediations and how expert witnesses can play effective and efficient roles.

Webinars are free for FEWA Members.

The FEWA National Conference is excited to be back this June 11-12, with the option to attend either In-Person at the Texas Justice Center in Bellaire, Texas, or via Livestream on your computer or tablet. Both options allow you to fully participate in the innovative conference program, learn and earn MCLE credit hours, and network with colleagues. Don't wait – in-person attendance is limited!

Be sure to explore the Sponsorship Prospectus under the sponsors tab for different opportunities on how to get involved in FEWA's 2021 National Conference.

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.

For renewal questions, contact FEWA at info@forensic.org or by calling 312-981-6780 (weekdays, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM Central Time).

FEWA member, Margaret Chock, is a Certified Management Consultant with over 40 years of IT / Computer Science experience and education. Throughout her career, Margaret has consulted for, been employed by, and or volunteered with organizations small, medium, and huge. As a PhD in Computer Science (UCLA) and Certified as a Management Consultant (Institute of Management Consultants) she has helped numerous organizations solve problems in managing technology, developing solutions to technical problems, and sorting out the issues in legal disputes. Read more about Margaret below.

Getting a medicolegal practice up and running is straightforward – but keeping it going efficiently requires careful management.  Some medical experts prefer to deal with the logistics and administration themselves, using tailored software and systems.  Others appoint a secretary or practice manager, or outsource specific tasks to a practice management company. The best place to start is to attend expert witness training.  

The impact of COVID-19 on business interruption has escalated litigation on several fronts. Businesses that are hardest hit—such as restaurants and others in hospitality—are increasingly filing claims for coverage of lost profits resulting from the pandemic. Does this trend portend legal actions to be taken in other industries? The question then becomes, will epidemiology play an important role in legal disputes for recovery claims?

The role of an expert witness is to present unbiased testimony that helps the fact finders understand technical or complicated issues at hand in a case. Although it may be tempting to use a heavy hand when preparing your experts to testify in court—particularly for those experts who are new to the litigation process—it’s imperative to avoid “coaching” your expert to adjust their opinions in a way that benefits your case. Lawyers that creep into coaching experts run the risk of destroying the credibility of their expert’s testimony and adversely impacting the outcome of their case.

Finding the right expert can be a daunting task for attorneys, especially when the case involves highly complex and scientific information with which the attorney is unfamiliar. Any potential experts can make the job easier—and increase the likelihood that they will be retained—by providing helpful case feedback.

In the course of trial or deposition, an expert first testifies on behalf of the hiring party—known as direct testimony. Directly after this, the opposition is able to interrogate the expert—known as cross examination. As an expert, your performance during cross examination is crucial as the opposing attorney’s aim is to undermine you, your testimony, and your hiring attorney’s case. An adept cross examiner will try to get you to say things in front of the jury that supports their story while casting doubt on your opinion.