The Biggest
Mistakes Experts Make and How to Avoid Them
June 19, 2007
Hyannis, MA
Four Points by Sheraton Hyannis Resort
www.sheraton.com
|
|
Executive Summary
The vast majority of problems and difficulties that
experts get themselves into are avoidable. This fast paced,
interactive workshop will reveal the countless hidden traps and
pitfalls experts face and provide practical advice on how to avoid
each of them. This course will feature numerous hands-on mock trial
demonstrations based upon materials pre-submitted by volunteer
attendees. This in an intermediate level program and there are no
prerequisites. It is designed for any person who currently serves as
an expert witness or is considering entering this field.
Distinguished Faculty
Steven Babitsky, Esq.,
is the President of
SEAK, Inc. He was a personal injury trial attorney for twenty years
and is the former managing partner of the firm Kistin, Babitsky,
Latimer & Beitman. Mr. Babitsky is a prolific writer on expert
witness issues and is the co-author of the texts
Cross-Examination: The Comprehensive Guide for Experts, Writing and
Defending Your Expert Report: The Step-by-Step Guide with Models,
How to Excel During Cross-Examination: Techniques for Experts That
Work, The Comprehensive Forensic Services Manual: The Essential
Resources for All Experts, 2004 National Guide To Expert Witness
Fees and Billing Procedures and How to Excel During
Depositions: Techniques for Experts That Work. Attorney Babitsky
is the co-developer and trainer for the "Testifying Skills Workshop"
seminar, the seminar leader for SEAK's Annual National Expert
Witness Conference (now in its 16th year), and the scriptwriter for
the videos "The Most Difficult Questions For Experts: With
Answers," and "The Expert Deposition: How to Be an Effective and
Ethical Expert," "Cross-Examination: How to Be an Effective and
Ethical Expert Witness," and "Winning over the Jury: Techniques for
Experts That Work." Mr. Babitsky has trained thousands of expert
witnesses.
Tuition
The $395 tuition includes a continental breakfast,
breaks, lunch with faculty, a detailed manual which can be retained
as a bookshelf reference, and a dynamic learning experience.
Click here for registration information.
Continuing Education Information
Note: If your
specialty does not appear below and you desire credits, please
contact Karen Babitsky (781-261-9972 or Karen@seak.com). We can
often obtain desired credits upon request, but unfortunately,
obtaining some types of credits are not feasible. Please register
early, as we can only apply for credits after your registration form
has been received and it can take time to get the requested
approvals back from the accrediting agencies.
Accident Reconstructionists:
The ACTAR Continuing Education Unit has approved this program for
6.0 CEUs.
Accountants:
Earn 7.5 CPE credits in the field of study of Specialized
Knowledge and Applications. SEAK, Inc. is registered with the
National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a
sponsor of continuing professional education on the National
Registry of CPE Sponsors. State boards of accountancy have final
authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit.
Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be addressed to the
National Registry of CPE Sponsors, 150 Fourth Avenue North, Suite
700, Nashville, TN, 37219-2417. Web site: www.nasba.org For SEAK,
Inc.'s complaint and program cancellation policies please call SEAK,
Inc. at 508-457-1111. There are no prerequisites for this
introductory/intermediate group live program. No advanced
preparation is required.
Appraisers:
The American Society of Appraisers will accept 6.0 continuing
education hours for this program.
Attorneys:
Credit varies by state. Continuing legal education credits for
attorneys will only be applied for if requested in writing when
sending in the registration form for the conference. Please contact
Karen Babitsky (781-261-9972, Karen@seak.com) with any questions.
Engineers:
SEAK, Inc. has been reviewed and approved as an Authorized Provider
by the International Association for Continuing Education and
Training (IACET), 1620 I Street, NW, Suite 615, Washington, DC
20006. SEAK, Inc. will award .65 CEUs to participants who
successfully complete this program.
Nurses:
6.5 Contact Hours. This continuing nursing education activity
was approved by the Ohio Nurses Association (OBN-001-91) an
accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's
Commission on Accreditation. ONA assigned #13,152. Approval valid
through October 26, 2008.
Physicians:
SEAK, Inc. is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing
Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for
physicians. SEAK, Inc. designates this educational activity for a
maximum of 6.5 AMA PRA Category 1� Credits. Physicians should
only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their
participation in the activity.
Psychologists:
6.5 CE Credits. SEAK, Inc. is approved by the American
Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for
psychologists. SEAK, Inc. maintains responsibility for this program
and its content. To receive credit each psychologist must attend the
entire program, sign in before the program, sign out after the
program and return a completed evaluation form. Partial credit is
not permitted. There are no prerequisites for this
introductory/intermediate group-live program.
Click here for Continuing Education Information.
8:00-8:30Registration and Continental Breakfast
8:30-9:15Web Pages
Many experts have web
pages. A web page can be a tremendous asset to an expert, but
experts make many common costly mistakes when creating and
maintaining their web page. In this segment the faculty will review
the most common and devastating mistakes regarding expert web pages
and offer suggestions on how each of these mistakes can and should
be avoided. The faculty will also critique the web pages of
attendees and conduct mock trial demonstrations to show how
devastating web page errors can be. Questions and Answers.
Learning Objective: List several techniques to construct more
bullet-proof web pages.
9:15-10:00CV's
As a document used to
both promote your expertise and by opposing counsel to attack you,
your curriculum vitae is crucially important. The faculty will
describe the biggest mistakes experts make regarding CVs and will
offer practical advice on how these mistakes could have and should
have been avoided. Many of the mistakes will be demonstrated with
mock trial demonstrations of attendees based upon their
pre-submitted CVs. Questions and Answers. Learning
Objective: Explain how to correct problem areas in your curriculum
vitae.
10:00-10:15BREAK &
NETWORKING OPPORTUNITY
10:15-11:00Researching,
Investigating and Forming Opinions
The more solid the
process of forming an opinion, the more believable and valuable that
opinion will be. Experts commonly make numerous mistakes when
forming their opinions. The faculty will explain each of these
mistakes and how to avoid them. Included will be memorable mock
trial demonstrations based upon pre-submitted reports from attendees
which demonstrate the effect such mistakes can have on an expert's
credibility. Questions and Answers. Learning Objective: Describe
how to produce more defensible expert opinions.
11:00-11:30Report Writing
An expert's report
becomes part of her "permanent record" and has critical importance
to the case at hand and the expert's credibility going forward. A
well-written report can help a case settle favorably and boost the
expert's reputation. A poorly written report will have negative
consequences for the case at hand and the expert witness. Along with
reviewing the biggest mistakes made in this area and how to avoid
them, the faculty will demonstrate some of these mistakes with mock
trial demonstrations. Questions and Answers. Learning
Objective: Identify ways to avoid costly mistakes in report writing.
11:30-12:00Depositions
Since
most cases settle before trial, experts are far more likely to
testify at deposition than they are at trial. An expert's
performance at deposition will be an important factor in the
settlement value of the case. In this section the faculty will
describe the biggest mistakes expert make at deposition and provide
suggestions for avoiding these mistakes. Questions and Answers.
Learning Objective: Describe how to recognize and avert
mistakes at depositions.
12:00-1:00LUNCH PROVIDED
WITH FACULTY
1:00-1:30Direct Testimony
Direct testimony is
the time where the expert must persuade the judge or jury to both
understand and believe her opinion. Direct testimony is fraught with
potential mistakes that the faculty will catalog and offer advice on
how to avoid. Some of these mistakes will be demonstrated by mock
trial testimony and video clips of actual experts testifying.
Questions and Answers. Learning Objective: List techniques to
deliver more persuasive and believable direct testimony.
1:30-2:00Cross
Examination
A large part of
cross-examination from opposing counsel's perspective is trying to
get the expert to make a mistake. In this portion of the course the
faculty will provide a checklist of common mistakes along with ideas
on how to avoid each of them. Some of these mistakes will be
demonstrated by mock trial testimony and video clips of actual
experts testifying. Questions and Answers. Learning
Objective: Describe methods to recognize and avert mistakes during
cross-examination.
2:00-2:45Marketing
Experts often make
marketing mistakes which result in less effective marketing and/or a
needless diminution of the expert's credibility. In this segment
that faculty will list the biggest marketing mistakes experts make,
offer suggestions on how to avoid them and demonstrate with mock
trial demonstrations the difficulties that marketing mistakes can
cause on the witness stand. Questions and Answers.
Learning Objective: Identify numerous techniques to more effectively
market your expert witness practice.
2:45-3:00BREAK &
NETWORKING OPPORTUNITY
3:00-3:45Practice
Management
The
financial success of an expert's practice is often dependant on how
well the expert conducts the administrative portion of his practice
such as office management, document retention, fee setting,
communications, billings, collections, etc. In this segment the
faculty will describe the biggest mistakes experts make in practice
management and offer solutions on how to avoid these mistakes.
Questions and Answers. Learning Objective: Explain how to
improve your practice management procedures.
3:45-4:15Risk Management
Experts unfortunately sometimes get themselves into trouble -
criminally, civilly and professionally. In this segment the faculty
will review the common mistakes experts make which get themselves
into trouble and will offer suggestions on how to avoid each of
these mistakes. Questions and Answers. Learning Objective:
Discuss several ways to avoid potential liability associated with
expert witness work.
4:15-4:30Takeaways,
Conclusion and Evaluation
The
faculty will address any final questions and elicit from the
audience a bullet-proof list of what specifically they will be doing
differently in light of what was learned at the course. Learning
Objective: List concrete actions you will be taking to improve your
expert witness practice.