Becoming an Expert Witness

Lately, I've had a surprising number of people reach out to me about becoming an expert witness.

They usually ask two things:
1. How did you get into that?
2. Do you think I could do it?

The truth?

I didn't map it out. A friend mentioned it, I listed myself on a directory for expert witnesses, landed a case and realized I genuinely enjoyed the work.

For the past ten years, I've served as a volunteer Guardian ad Litem and have testified regarding what I believe to be in the best interest of a child. That experience is very different from being a retained expert, but it gave me familiarity with court settings and the weight of offering professional opinions.

As for whether you could do it?

It really just depends. Ask yourself these three questions:
1. Do you have deep subject matter expertise built over years?
2. Can you stay neutral even when facts are uncomfortable?
3. Are you disciplined enough to stay strictly within your scope?

Expert witness work is fascinating. It forces you to slow down, analyze carefully, and articulate standards clearly; this is critical. The objective is not to help one side win. It's to provide fact-based analysis within your expertise, regardless of who retained you.

Because I keep getting these questions, I'm going to start something new.

Beginning next week, I will share a weekly vlog here and on our LinkedIn page with practical tips on expert witness work. Qualifications. Preparation. Ethical guardrails. Common mistakes.

If you're curious about this field, stay tuned. If there's a question you would like me to address first, let me know in the comments.

See you next week!

Posting about this topic has long been on my mind and I'm excited about taking some strategic steps in the knowledge-sharing of the wonderful world of expert witness work!