A Brave New World?: Authenticating Electronic Evidence and the Impact of FRE Rule 902(14)
In the United States, the Federal Rules of Evidence (FRE) govern many aspects of evidence admissibility in federal cases. Given that many states have adopted portions of the FRE, the reach of the federal rules is quite expansive. The requirement for authentication is set out in Rule 901, discussed in an earlier article. Rule...
Peer Review: The Obligations of the Peer Reviewer and the Expert
Peer review is an often overlooked but important step in the finalization of an expert report. Once an expert has completed his/her expert report, especially one in which the expert has formed an opinion or conclusion, it should be given to another expert for peer review. This article will discuss the purposes of...
Does an Expert Witness Need to be Certified?
A question that sometimes arises in the context of expert evidence is whether an expert must be “certified” in order to be an expert witness. There is a frequently espoused view that an expert who has been certified by an organization is better than one who has not been so certified. This quest...
Becoming Qualified as an Expert Witness for the First Time
Becoming qualified as an expert witness for the first time is a significant accomplishment for an expert. External validation by a judge launches the expert to the next level as the expert enters a forum wherein he/she will be able to explain in detail the work that has been done in the case...