The events of the past year or so have probably made most of us realize how good we had it before the unthinkable, to most of us, occurred. Just over a year or so ago, innovation was thriving, and technologies were advancing, globalization was making the world feel smaller, businesses and economies were booming, and we were eager to travel and gather as professionals, businesspeople, fans, friends, groups, and interact for education, advancement, enjoyment, worship, networking, and just plain fun.

The FEWA e-newsletter is distributed twice a month -- that’s 24 opportunities for you to contribute an article, news item or event notice for our newsletter! We are always interested to hear about your experiences as an expert witness and legal consultant, whether you are just starting out your career or are a seasoned expert. The Forensic Expert Witness is the perfect place to write an op-ed style article about it to share your insights with other experts, and gain visibility for your FEWA profile and expertise. 

Submit your community editorial to the FEWA National Staff by email here. 

FEWA member, Vivian Velazquez is the founder of V&V Consulting Group, LLC. She has over 25 years of securities industry experience in the private and regulatory sectors. She previously held senior compliance positions at global and national financial institutions with billions in assets under management and offices throughout the U.S and Latin America. Learn more about Vivian below. 

You may think that issues of gender identity, sexual orientation, and familial status have no relevance to your legal practice, but if you’re trying cases before a jury, you’d be remiss to ignore the saliency of these issues for many members of your audience. The topic of gender deserves special consideration. After all, you may be offending jurors – the deciders of your case – without realizing it, even when your intentions are good.

If expert witnesses contradict each other on a legal matter at issue, should courts exclude their opinions? In a recent case, the ruling judge said no, stating that differing expert opinions are not necessarily mutually exclusive. Indeed, even if conflicting opinions are presented, expert testimonies should supplement each other. Once given, it is up to the jury to determine their significance.

Whenever an attorney is litigating a case involving personal injuries, the case almost always needs a medical expert’s assistance. These cases include medical malpractice, product liability, or workers’ compensation claims, among others. Medical professionals are uniquely qualified to opine given their scientific expertise and specialized training.

Expert witnesses educate judges and juries in both criminal and civil courts. They base their opinions on scientific, technical or specialized knowledge. Expert witnesses can help the courts understand that domestic abuse is not caused by anger, jealousy, mental illness, substance abuse or the victim’s actions. Rather, experts can help explain that the abuser makes a deliberate choice to engage in each abusive or controlling action.

What are expert witnesses? You have heard about expert witnesses before, or it’s the first time to hear about them. Expert witnesses refer to people with the know-how to provide professional details to the judges and help them conclude complex court cases. The expert witness testimony is crucial and influences the conclusion of cases.