Attorneys who are familiar with utilizing expert witnesses for their cases are familiar with the concept of the expert report. The well-written expert report can be vital to an attorney in support of their case. A poorly written expert report, however, can be detrimental to an attorney’s case. What, then, should an attorney look for in a “well-written” expert report? What makes an expert report memorable to the court? What expresses the opinions of the expert in a format that attorneys and the court alike will realize the full impact of the material?

First and foremost, attorneys must keep in mind that an expert has a duty to the court to be impartial in their opinions no matter which side he or she is working for. The report, therefore, must be impartial in its content as well. The report should be written in a clear and direct manner while avoiding too much technical verbiage. The wording should express the expert’s opinion confidently and should avoid any hint of emotions or defensiveness in the tone. Finally, the report should be written in a very professional manner, with no friendly familiarities, and should be proofread thoroughly to avoid grammatical errors.

As for the actual content of the report, this may vary slightly based on the type of report utilized, but there are certain commonalities to all expert reports. The content may be displayed in different orders, according to the writer’s preference, and the commonalities will be discussed here in no particular order. The report, especially if it is lengthy, should have a cover sheet and table of contents. The next item in the report will be a complete list of all documents that the expert reviewed prior to forming their opinion of the case. This list should be organized and comprehensive.

The qualifications of the expert are vital to the report, as this will show how valuable the expert’s opinion really is. The qualifications of the expert can be listed in their CV and should include a list of any publications by the expert within the past 10 years or so as well. These publications may help the expert appear more credible, especially if he or she has any articles written years ago that support their current opinion.

The expert must list the factual basis for their opinion in their expert report as well. Their opinion must be supported by current and recent research or literature. Any current literature that supports their opinion should be listed in this section. The more literature identified that supports the expert report, the more credible the expert witness will appear.

A summary of the expert’s actual opinions will be included in the expert report, and these opinions should be stated strongly and confidently. Each opinion expressed should be accompanied by reasoning that supports the development of that opinion. The opinions should be written clearly and professionally. This section is, of course, the “meat and potatoes” of the report. It may also be beneficial for the expert to list opinions that are contradictory to theirs and clearly show why these reasons are not accurate. This will immediately undermine the expert witness for the opposite side, if the opinions differ. This is, of course, done very professionally and factually. All opinions should be linked to the factual basis and the supporting literature.

At the end of the report, there may also be an expert’s declaration and/or statement of truth in which the expert acknowledges their duties as an expert witness and affirms that their report is impartial and truthful. The expert then signs the report and any relevant appendices are attached at the end. This concludes the content commonly found in an expert report.

What the expert report should NOT include are any opinions that are outside of the expert’s area of expertise. The expert should not opine about any topic other than what they are claiming to be an expert in as this can be detrimental to their credibility. The listing of qualifications and literature that supports their area of expertise will be undermined if they stray outside of this area. Certainly, there should not be any opinions of legal matters at all, as most experts are not qualified to opine in any matters of law. If an area of the case falls outside of the expert’s realm, the expert should clearly state this and also state what qualifications would be necessary in order to give an expert opinion on that particular issue.

Using these guidelines, a well-written expert report can be a very important addition to a case, and will add credibility to the expert witness’ testimony. The savvy attorney would be wise to ensure that the expert witness that is hired for their case is knowledgeable about expert reports and how to professionally write one. Knowing the content of a well-written expert report can also assist an attorney with cross-examination of the expert witness for the other side as well.

One of the great advantages of attending the Annual Indulge Conference is the opportunity to network and build lasting professional and personal relationships with other attendees. What better way to do that than with appetizers, drinks and entertainment! The Indulge Conference Networking Party will be held May 17, 2007 from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM. There will be some complimentary gourmet appetizers and drinks for your indulgence. We are also proud to announce Project Necessary, a talented jazz band scheduled to perform at the Networking Party. Project Necessary offers some of the best jazz in the Tampa Bay Area. Their great talent and exciting improvisation set the mood for a lively and enjoyable evening. The atmosphere will be perfect to meet everyone you don't know and catch up with everyone you do know. If you are attending the Indulge Conference, mark your calendar for the party and we hope to see you there.

The 2-Day Internship is perfect for those wanting more information about becoming a Legal Nurse, those who have practiced for years and those needing extra help and experience on analyzing cases and interviewing techniques. There are eight cases in the course.

Combine this 2-Day Internship with the LNC STAT or CLNI Course to get the most complete training available for Legal Nurses. That means, you get the most cases and more money out of any course available. Period.

We would like to introduce another speaker scheduled for the 2007 Indulge Conference. Barbara King is co-founder and president of NurseValue, Inc. She is a Registered Nurse, Certified Professional Coder and is certified as a Qualified Mental Retardation Professional. Barbara has over 29 years nursing experience in hospital and managed care case management services and possesses in-depth knowledge and experience in the managed care arena involving workers’ compensation case management and federal, state, and contractual commercial billing requirements. Barbara also has experience in renal transplant care, pediatric care and urology care. Barbara has had over 200 cases within the last year. Barbara will be speaking about "Marketing’s Second Step—Keep Them Coming Back!" After working 200 cases in one year, it is obvious she knows how to keep them coming back. This also seems to be an area where a lot of professionals in this field are lacking. Repeat business is key to a successful practice because you should spend more time doing cases rather than having to find more clients. Barbara's experience and knowledge proves to make for a great presentation. Barbara attributes much of her success to RN MARKET's Ultimate Marketing Package. Visit the web site RN MARKET made for her at www.NurseValue.com.

The time comes for every business where it has to risk making everyone mad and raise its prices. That time is coming soon for RN MARKET. Around the time of the Indulge Conference, prices for all courses, certifications, products and services will be increasing. We will also be rearranging the way a couple of our products and services are produced to make them easier to maintain on our side. The price increases will be released on our web sites and will possibly be sent as part of our monthly newsletter. Keep an eye on www.RNMARKET.com, www.LNCSTAT.com, and www.LNIInstitute.com for when the new rates are posted. If you are planning on purchasing a course, product or service from us, purchase soon because once the new prices are posted, the old prices will be gone. Order now to get the discounted prices!