Choosing expert witnesses: New online course developed by Stetson, University of Tennessee

Stetson University College of Law’s National Clearinghouse for Science, Technology and the Law has partnered with the Law Enforcement Innovation Center at the University of Tennessee’s Institute for Public Service to launch a new online legal course, available now, on how to select and evaluate expert witnesses.

The three-hour course, designed for lawyers, judges and law enforcement, will offer training on interviewing and selecting expert witnesses, assessing expert credibility, challenging expert credentials, and evaluating board-certifying organizations.

“Expert testimony can make or break a case,” said Professor of Law Carol Henderson, founding director of the National Clearinghouse for Science Technology and the Law at Stetson University. “This course provides a roadmap for evaluating an expert’s credentials and outlines the new policies and standards that impact expert testimony in the courtroom today.”

Professor Henderson is recognized as an international authority on forensic science and law. She co-chairs the Life & Physical Sciences Division of the American Bar Association’s Science & Technology Law Section and is the former president of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

Participants who complete the full three-hour course will receive either 3.5 general CLE credits and .5 CLE ethics credits, or 3.5 Peace Officer Standards and Training credits (P.O.S.T.) or one American Board of Criminalistics reaccreditation credit. They will also be trained to use National Clearinghouse’s free NCSTL.org scientific evidence research database.

Special rates for the course are available for law enforcement, non-profit and government employees.

For more information, contact Stetson’s Office of Professional Education at 727-562-7898 or visit NCSTL.org or http://leic.tennessee.edu/expertwitness to register.