Expert Preparation, Coaching, and Mooting
Most scientific and technical experts, whatever their credentials, don’t have experience presenting in a courtroom or being deposed. We help experts tailor their presentation to the courtroom audience--judge or jury--and the substantive law and evidentiary standards their testimony must meet.
We also prepare experts to defend their opinions in an adversarial setting, whether in deposition or on cross. Even experts with extensive teaching and speaking experience are comfortable explaining their opinions, but not defending them from the rigorous questioning of cross or depositions.
To prepare experts for the unique environment of the courtroom and depositions, we provide experts with a number of preparatory tools, including video and transcripts of successful testimony and depositions and an outline of best practices while testifying. We then run the expert through simulated testimony, recording and conferencing counsel in using state-of-the-art courtroom videographer services. This also helps counsel work out the kinks in their direct and prepare for cross/deposition of their experts. These recordings are reviewed with the expert to identify areas for improvement, make concrete recommendations for better phrasing or tone, and determine where the expert’s opinion or credentials are most vulnerable and need to be shored up before deposition or trial.
Finally, we help counsel prepare for crossing the opposing expert [link to response to opposing experts] by mooting with our expert in the shoes of the opposing expert. We will provide pointers before and after mooting, as well as high-quality video, to help counsel identify how to effectively question and discredit opposing experts.
