Whether they are teaching students, or seasoned business executives, or a jury while serving as an expert witness, they are teaching, which is what they love to do. Trial experience usually is a plus in an expert, but not always, Mr. Hull added. We sometimes get requests for an expert who has never testified. Evaluating the Experts Attorneys generally review eight to 10 candidates, said Mr. Rosenzweig, adding that competition may depress the expert's hourly rate, lowering counsel's costs. RTG also maintains a video library featuring university faculty discussing their respective areas of expertise.
Videos can be e-mailed to attorneys for preliminary screening.
Attorneys like it because it saves them trips to Palo Alto. Usually, there is an in-person interview before an expert is hired and, during the course of pretrial work, several physical as well as virtual meetings. Technology merely facilitates the screening process, observed Mr. Hull. The technology supplements that. The importance of technology, however, must not be understated.