New Standard & Vetting Process For Expert Witnesses

New Standard & Vetting Process For Expert Witnesses

A NEW VALIDATION BADGE FOR EXPERT WITNESSES CREATES A NEW INDUSTRY STANDARD BY PROVIDING OPPORTUNITY FOR EXPERTS’ CREDENTIALS AND BACKGROUND INFORMATION TO BE VETTED BEFORE ENTERING THE COURTROOM. 

• The Expert Witness Validation Badge comes with a complete and thorough vetting process, which greatly reduces the risks for both expert witnesses and attorneys who may hire them.
• Until now, there has never been a process that is this complete, which looks at all the essential factors required to truly validate the background of an expert witness.
• Creating the criteria for The Expert Witness Validation Badge was given an enormous amount of thought and planning, and was developed by some of the most respected participants in both the expert witness and attorney communities. 

“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.” ~Mike Clark, former FBI Special Agent, expert witness, and member 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 seven people who, throughout the past year, have come up with the new criteria for a vetting process tailored specifically to expert witnesses. Since his retirement from the FBI, Clark himself has worked as an expert witness as a white-collar crime and public corruption expert.

“Where the rubber meets the road is on the witnesses 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.

“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.”

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.”

• 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 ssindland@expertwitnessexchange.com.