THE POWER OF TRUTH (Fall 98)
In an article by Stephen D. Easton appearing in the October issue of the Washington
Bar News, the author stresses attorney behavior in court. A small part of the article
addresses experts.
Hire Experts with Integrity
In many cases, the most important witnesses are experts. More than
any other witnesses, experts are a reflection of you [the attorney]. After all, you choose
them.
Unfortunately, the world of experts is inhabited by many professionals
who are willing to hire themselves out to say almost whatever an attorney wants them to
say. Never hire these experts. Instead, hire actual experts who have the integrity to tell
you if your case does not have merit.
We here at MAC know and recognize that fact of life. We tell our experts that if they
find a case doesn't have merit, tell the attorney. In the long run it will save him or her
time and money. Some experts ask me if they should charge when they find it necessary to
say, "You don't have a case." Of course they should. Experts are not hired to
provide a specific opinion, but to review the facts and provide an honest opinion.