Contact Shelly Sindland
860-992-9045
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
NEW STANDARD AND VETTING PROCESS FOR EXPERT WITNESSES NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE
~IN EMERGING LEGAL TRENDS & LEGAL TECH NEWS:
*DATABASE OFFERS DUE DILIGENCE, BACKGROUND CHECKS, VETTING FOR EXPERT WITNESSES.
Former FBI Special Agent Mike Clark & Former CT Bar Association President Mark Dubois both members of the Expert Witness Validation Committee
Hartford, CT: For more
than two decades, former FBI Special Agent Mike Clark worked on a number of
high profile public corruption cases in Connecticut, including the prosecution
of former Governor John Rowland, three big city mayors and a former State
Treasurer.
“I’ve seen numerous expert witnesses
take the stand who gave outstanding testimony, and also some real hacks who did
not belong on the witness stand,” said Clark, who during his 23-year career
with the FBI was involved in numerous trials.
Clark is one of several people who,
throughout the past year, have come up with the new criteria for a vetting
process tailored specifically to expert witnesses. Mark Dubois, former
Connecticut Bar Association President and Chief Disciplinary Counsel for the
State of Connecticut, is also a committee member.
“Just yesterday, I was reading a
transcript of a lawyer's deposition and his ‘expert’ forgot to tell him his
medical license was revoked prior to trial,” Dubois said. “The result was, as
expected, not optimal.”
Dubois said The Expert
Witness Validation Badge™ will allow lawyers to quickly check expert witnesses’
credentials and will impact businesses and individuals involved in most any
type of legal proceedings involving expert witnesses.
“This is the first of its kinds
enterprise that uses big data resources and legal technology to bring due
diligence for the expert witnesses industry,” Dubois said. “It no doubt, sets a
higher bar without requiring a government mandate. We did it ourselves.”
Expert witnesses who apply for The
Expert Witness Validation Badge ™ will have, among other things, their
credentials verified, as well as their criminal backgrounds checked.
“Where the rubber meets the road is on
the witness stand,” Clark went on to say. “That’s why I decided to be part of The
Expert Witness Validation Committee. The amount of foundation work that has
gone into this process if very impressive, complete, and honest. I would not
stake my reputation on something that I did not believe in.”
The Expert Witness Validation
Committee works as an advisory board to The Expert Witness Exchange,
LLC which will issue the Validation Badge once the
criteria for approval are met. Expert Witnesses can apply for their credential
online by going to www.expertwitnessexchange.com.
“The
Validation Badge fills a void in the expert witness industry, which should not
have to function on caveat emptor,” said Robert Felsenthal, president of
The Expert Witness Exchange. “It has proven unrealistic to rely upon
retaining counsel to undertake due diligence, requiring the utilization of
personal resources. The Validation Badge will substantially minimize
credentialing and background verification risks at no added cost or work to
litigants and/or legal counsel.”
Felsenthal, a passionate leader of
content based community building platforms in the publishing and marketing
industries, said The Expert Witness Validation Badge™ will change the
industry standard, saving lawyers, witnesses, and clients both time and money.
“Our validation gives expert witnesses the edge they need,” Felsenthal said.
“By going through the vetting process, lawyers will know that their expert
witnesses are everything they claim to be.”
Expert witness can apply online for the
Validation Badge by uploading their current curriculum vitae. (CV) The online
application will include fields meeting the following criteria deemed necessary
by the Expert Witness Validation Committee in the verification of expert
credentials and background information including:
1.
Professional Licensure and Disciplinary
History
2.
Professional Certifications
3.
Education History and/or Degrees
Received
4.
Malpractice History Related to Expert
Witness Work
5.
Professional Work and Teaching
Positions
6.
Criminal history
7.
Civil Penalties or Finding that Involve
Misconduct
Clark said the guidelines were designed
to take the guesswork out of the process for attorneys retaining expert
witness, guesswork that very well may result in unfavorable outcomes as a
result of an attorney’s oversight, such as an expert’s lapsed license or other
clerical missteps.
“Expert witnesses who have the
credentials, the background, and the expertise to back up their claims should
embrace this concept, because the vetting process, the process that is in
place, will reinforce your credibility both to your peers, clients, and the
jury,” Clark said. “This will save an attorney’s clients a lot of time and
money in vetting you as well. This will give you instant credibility.”
•
For the complete criteria and procedure
of The Expert Witness Validation Badge got to our website at Expert
Witness Exchange.com
•
Fees are $295 for validation badge, $60
for annual re-validation. · The Expert Witness Exchange will
maintain a validated expert registry containing the names of each recipient of
an Expert Witness Validation Badge in format consistent with best
practices, along with general limitations and criteria utilized in the
validation process.
•
The names of all expert witnesses who
have been issued a Validation Badge will be published quarterly in The
Expert Witness Chronicle.
•
For a complete list of The Expert
Witness Validation Committee and The Expert Witness Exchange leadership
please visit our website.
For more information regarding The
Expert Witness Validation Committee, The Expert Witness Validation Badge,
or to set up interviews with Committee
members/and or The Expert Witness Exchange leadership, please contact
Shelly Sindland at ssindland@expertwitnessexchange.com
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