If the American Bar Association has its way, experts will no longer be designated as "experts" by the court. In the newly adopted Civil Practice Trial Standards, Standard 17 provides "the court should not declare a witness an expert and that counsel should not ask the court to do so." It is felt that hearing a judge declare a witness as an expert may have an unintended impact on a jury. You can read these standards, which are not compulsory, at [link disestablished after article written].