Description
The #1 way to grow an expert witness practice is to build the reputation of being an effective witness. This is a hands-on, fast-moving interactive workshop covering deposition, direct examination, and cross-examination skills. Attendees will learn how to become more effective and more valuable expert witnesses. Instruction will utilize four methods: lecture, questions & answers, videos of experts actually testifying in real cases, and mock trial demonstrations using student volunteers. The mock trial demonstrations are based upon a C.V. and sample report submitted in advance by volunteer attendees. Attendees will have an opportunity to participate in demonstrations and to receive constructive feedback as to how to improve their performance. In addition, each attendee will be provided with a content rich seminar manual. This is SEAK’s most popular testifying training seminar.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this workshop, you should be able to:
- Discuss the strategies and goals of opposing counsel at deposition and during cross-examination
- Describe how to properly prepare for deposition and trial
- Explain opposing counsel’s deposition and cross-examination tactics and how to defeat each tactic
- Discuss methods for responding to trick and difficult questions at deposition and trial
- List teaching methods that can be used to improve the persuasiveness of your expert testimony
- List techniques for developing powerful, memorable language and analogies
- Describe how to best insulate yourself from attacks by opposing counsel
Registration Information/Discounts: Tuition is $1,395 on or before November 15, 2024; $1,495 November 16–December 18, 2024 and $1,595 after December 18, 2024. Your tuition includes continental breakfast and lunch each day and a detailed conference manual. Group discounts are available for two or more persons registering together from the same employer. Discount prices depend on the size of the group. Our programs can also be brought onsite to your organization either virtually or in-person. Please call 508-457-1111. A special 50% discount is available on one new or renewal standard listing in the SEAK Expert Witness Directory placed by attendees during the seminars.
Cancellations: Conference cancellations received in writing on or before December 18, 2024 will receive a full refund. Conference cancellations received after December 18, 2024 will receive a full tuition credit.
LOCATION/HOTEL ACCOMMODATIONS:To make your hotel reservations please click here to book online.
The Naples Grande Beach Resort did not sustain any damage as a result of Hurricane Milton.
The AAA 4 Diamond rated Naples Grande Beach Resort features a gorgeous beach on the Gulf of Mexico and is located within walking distance to upscale shopping and multiple restaurants. It is a short drive from the hotel to the shops, galleries and restaurants of Fifth Avenue.
Most major domestic carriers and several international airlines provide frequent service into Southwest Florida International Airport, just 40 minutes from the resort. Naples is located approximately 100 miles west of Miami and Ft. Lauderdale, 150 miles south of Tampa and is easily reached by automobile.
THERE ARE A NUMBER OF ADDITIONAL HOTELS WITHIN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE NAPLES GRANDE BEACH RESORT. PLEASE SEE BELOW:
ALTERNATIVE HOTELS
(listed in order by distance)
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Hilton Naples |
Hampton Inn Naples |
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Compass Hotel by Margaritaville Naples |
Inn at Pelican Bay |
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Residence Inn Naples |
Edgewater Beach Hotel |
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Inn of Naples |
Continuing Education Credits: Note: If your specialty does not appear below and you desire credits, please contact Karen Cerbarano (781-826-4974 or Karen@seak.com). We can often obtain desired credits upon request, but unfortunately, obtaining some types of credits are not feasible. Please register early, as we can only apply for credits after your registration form has been received and it can take time to get the requested approvals back from the accrediting agencies. Accident Reconstructionists: SEAK will apply for credits through ACTAR upon written request at the time of registration. Accountants: State boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. SEAK will provide each attendee with a certificate of attendance. Appraisers: Credits from The American Society of Appraisers will be applied for on written request at the time of registration. Attorneys: Credit varies by state. Continuing legal education credits for attorneys will be applied for if requested in writing at the time of registration. Chiropractors: Credits are unfortunately not available. Engineers: 14 PDHs. The acceptance of this course is dependent upon your state(s) of registration. The vast majority of states do not require preapproval of either courses or course sponsors. Life Care Planners: SEAK will apply for credits through The Commission on Health Care Certification (CHCC) upon written request at the time of registration. Nurses: Unfortunately contact hours are not available. Physicians: SEAK, Inc. is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians. SEAK, Inc. designates this live activity for a maximum of 14 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. Psychologists: Unfortunately continuing education credits are not available for psychologists. NOTE: SEAK does not accept commercial support for its programs and does not use faculty members with conflicts of interest.
Distinguished Faculty:
The Honorable David Lawson is a Senior United States District Court Judge for the Eastern District of Michigan. He was formerly a member of the Detroit law firm of Clark Hill, PLC (Birmingham office). He received his BA degree magna cum laude from the University of Notre Dame, and his JD magna cum laude from Wayne State University. Judge Lawson is a former Special Assistant Attorney General and Special Prosecutor, and is currently on the faculty of the Michigan Judicial Institute. Prior to taking the bench his practice included both civil and criminal trial litigation, and he was actively involved in the trial of medical malpractice, negligence, and product liability cases. Judge Lawson has written and lectured extensively on scientific evidence and trial techniques.
James J. Mangraviti, Jr., Esq., has trained thousands of expert witnesses through seminars, conferences, corporate training, training for professional societies, one-on-one training/mentoring, and training for governmental agencies including the FBI, IRS, NYPD, SEC, Secret Service, and Department of Defense. He currently serves as Principal of The Expert Witness Training Company SEAK, Inc. (www.testifyingtraining.com). He is the co-author of thirty-one books, including: How to Be an Effective Expert Witness at Deposition and Trial; How to Be a Successful Expert Witness: SEAK’s A-Z Guide to Expert Witnessing; and How to Write an Expert Witness Report. Jim received his BA degree in mathematics summa cum laude from Boston College and his JD degree cum laude from Boston College Law School. Jim can be reached at 978-276-1234 or jim@seak.com.
Kelly J. Wilbur, Esq., is an expert witness trainer and consultant for SEAK, Inc. She has assisted and taught numerous expert witnesses through SEAK seminars and one-on-one training. She was an insurance defense and commercial litigator for five years where she regularly worked with and against expert witnesses in wrongful death, personal injury, premises liability, construction defect and patent cases. Kelly received her J.D., cum laude, from the University of Massachusetts School of Law and graduated from St. Mary’s College of Maryland with a B.A. in Political Science. She may be contacted is 781-491-6802 or kelly@seak.com.
Day One (Saturday, January 11, 2025)
Section 1: Deposition Skills
7:30–8:00 AM CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST & REGISTRATION
8:00–8:30 AM Deposition Law and Procedure
You will learn the difference between discovery and de bene esse depositions, what counsel can and cannot ask, the extent of privilege protection, what objections may and may not be made, how to recognize and deal with abusive attorney behavior and whether you should read and sign the deposition transcript. Questions & Answers
8:30–9:00 AM Understanding the Strategies and Goals of Opposing Counsel
The general and specific goals of deposing counsel (including knocking you out, pinning you down, sizing you up, and pushing your buttons) will be explained. Faculty will also explain how opposing counsel will prepare to depose you. Questions & Answers
9:00–10:00 AM Preparing for Your Deposition
You will learn how to prepare for your deposition, both alone and with retaining counsel. You will be provided with a detailed list of the likely areas of inquiry in an expert witness discovery deposition including qualifications, publications, relevant practical experience, presentations, litigation experience, research, bias, assumptions, opinions, CV, “lockdown” questions, learned treatises, fees and billing, expert witness income, materials reviewed, and methodology/Daubert. Questions & Answers
10:00–10:15 AM BREAK AND NETWORKING OPPORTUNITY
10:15 AM–12:00 PM Deposition Strategies for Experts
You will learn 59 strategies to truthfully, artfully, and ethically answer deposition questions, such as putting a period, presenting the optimal tone, open book answers, preventing yourself from getting run down, absolute avoidance, hedge recognition, counsel’s silence gambit, venue selection, active listening, mischaracterization correction, objection gleaning, taking a pass, and optimal timing. The faculty will present and comment on dozens of video clips of experts demonstrating the covered strategies. Questions & Answers
12:00–12:45 PM LUNCH
12:45–3:00 PM Deposition Strategies for Experts (Continued) Questions & Answers
3:00–3:15 PM BREAK AND NETWORKING OPPORTUNITY
3:15–4:15 PM Deposition Strategies for Experts (Continued) Questions & Answers
4:15–4:45 PM Understanding and Defeating Counsel’s Deposition Tactics
You will learn over two dozen tactics that may be used against you such as the sociopath gambit, playing dumb, immediate jugular, notes, topic jumping, break questioning, continuances, catchalls, and hypothetical questions. Attendees will be provided with strategies to truthfully and ethically respond to each tactic. Questions & Answers
4:45–5:00 PM Video Depositions: Special Techniques
You will learn special techniques which are applicable when your deposition is being recorded on video or taken via Zoom. Questions & Answers
Day Two (Sunday, January 12, 2025)
Section 2: Direct Examination Skills
6:30–7:00 AM CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST
7:00–8:00 AM How to Best Put Forth Your Qualifications
You will learn 14 techniques to more persuasively explain your credentials and to put your credentials in context including teaching, name dropping, conciseness, and bonding. Questions & Answers
8:00–8:30 AM Developing a Harmonious Interaction with Retaining Counsel
You will learn how to coordinate with retaining counsel to make your testimony easier to understand and more interesting to follow. You will also learn how to avoid making your testimony appear to be rehearsed and how to present non-traditional, “soft challenge” direct testimony. Video examples of trial testimony will be presented to exemplify the points made. Questions & Answers
8:30–9:00 AM Dealing with Problem Areas and Weaknesses
You will learn how to actively bring up and address likely problem areas on your cross-examination during your direct examination. The relationship between a good direct exam and success on cross will be explained. Questions & Answers
9:00–9:15 AM BREAK AND NETWORKING OPPORTUNITY
9:15–10:00 AM Creating and Using Powerful, Memorable Language and Analogies
You will learn 12 techniques for delivering more powerful, memorable and understandable expert witness testimony including using analogies, impact language, numbering, hands-on demonstrations and KISS. Video examples of experts using analogies and powerful language in court will be provided. 49 sample expert witness analogies will be provided. Questions & Answers
10:00–10:45 AM Optimizing Your “Teaching” Skills
As an expert witness your job is to teach the finder of fact (jury or judge) in order to help them make their decisions. You will learn numerous techniques to more effectively “teach” the jury including use of demonstratives, primacy, recency, dynamism, previews, reviews, and “less if more.” Video examples of highly effective direct testimony will be presented. Questions & Answers
10:45–11:00 AM BREAK AND NETWORKING OPPORTUNITY
Section 3: Cross-Examination Skills
11:00 AM–12:00 PM Protecting Yourself from Attacks on Your Credibility and Credentials & Forming Airtight Opinions
Success at cross-examination largely depends on denying opposing counsel ammunition to attack you with. In this segment, you will learn 8 techniques for protecting yourself from attacks on your credibility and credentials. You will also learn 24 methods to make your opinions resistant to effective cross-examination. Examples will be provided, and cross-examination demonstrations will be conducted. Questions & Answers
12:00–12:45 PM LUNCH
12:45–2:30 PM Advanced Cross-Examination Techniques & Tactics
You will learn over 40 techniques to be a more effective expert witness during cross-examination. Video examples will be presented. Mock cross-examination exercises will be conducted. You will learn how to recognize and truthfully and ethically deal with common tactics used against you by opposing counsel such as the deal, mischaracterizations, impeachment, set-up questions, document ambush, and ad hominin assaults. Both passive and active responses will be discussed and demonstrated. Questions & Answers
What past attendees have to say:
“First and foremost, I wanted to thank you both for your training these last 2 days. Great Job!!!”
“Good afternoon Jim, I would like to thank you for this past two days. It is awesome to see you at work and get a much better understanding of what it entails to be an Expert Witness, learn how to get in the ring of this contact sport, and see the steps needed to take it to a much higher level.”
“It is nerve-racking and fascinating all at the same time.”
“It certainly opened my eyes to ways to improve my performance when creating reports, testifying and just overall taking my consulting business to a new level.”
“The course was excellent. It was a perfect mix of lecture, video clips, and practice. Critique of our own CV and expert reports was an important part of the course."
“ABSOLUTE ROCK STARS! THANKS FOR BEING SO ENGAGING AND PUSHING US OUT OF OUR COMFORT ZONE. WISH I WOULD HAVE TAKEN THIS COURSE A COUPLE YEARS AGO! LOOKING FORWARD TO SHARING MY NEW KNOWLEDGE WITH CURRENT AND FUTURE CLIENTS!”
“Thanks! It was a fantastic seminar! I never mind being challenged on either topic! 17 years as a reserve police officer taught me not to be thin-skinned!”
“An excellent course taught by the top leaders in the field of depo and courtroom behaviors.”
“Educational, practical, and entertaining.”
“Excellent, engaging, very informative!”
“Fantastic course with a lot of material that was efficiently and professionally presented.”
“This course demystified a lot of unknowns regarding the legal system procedures.”
“This course was great and gave me a much better understanding of what it means to be an expert witness.”
“Both the video examples and student participant questions [were useful/interesting]. I especially appreciate being reassured that this skill can be learned with practice and time. With all of the expertise in the room-we are all learning and it made me feel a kinship with all of the other students. Well done.”
“Going through our cases was super useful and interesting because you can learn from what other people are doing as well.”
“I found the videos useful at showing instead of telling what to do and not to do in given circumstances.”
“Wonderful course. I wish I would have done this years ago. Will recommend to everyone in our company. Presenters are outstanding and extremely knowledgeable. Couldn’t have asked for a better seminar.”
“I want to thank you, Jim, and the judge for an outstanding job. Best training I have been to in a long time.”
“Not only was it a tremendous pleasure and honor to get the chance to meet and speak with you both — I found your teaching style and the content of the class incredibly valuable. Especially from the point of view of already being engaged in the work — it solidified the areas where I need to continue to focus on improving.”
“It was so great to see you, Jim. I LOVE your teaching! You dive into the audience like Donohue and have great standup comedy lines on top of everything!”
“Brutal. In your face. Learning with the aid of peer pressure or seeing others make mistakes that you don’t want to repeat — but will, until you too get it right. Role playing that elevates expert witnesses to a higher level of effectiveness.”
“11 out of 10 (100 out of 10?)! Excellent.”
“Of course, Jim and Kelly are fantastic. Judge Lawson brought a terrific overview of the anatomy of a lawsuit that was helpful in participants reaching a deeper understanding of the practice."
“I have so much respect for the depth of knowledge and experience they have. Great senses of humor which really made the class fun and informative. Held me for 7 hours a day.”
“Absolutely wonderful presentations. The stories, examples, video clips are excellent additions to get key points across.”
“Just a short note to say ‘thank you’ for a great course in San Diego. I always come away from your courses inspired to do a better job of being an expert witness. I truly appreciate all your help, advice & expertise.”
“I tell all my friends that SEAK course is mandatory to anyone who wants to do expert witness work. I can tell you that SEAK courses not only taught me a lot of things but changed the way I think and behave.”
“I wanted to say thank you for such and engaging, informative and highly educational course. Having been in practice for 16 years I learned more about this area in the last 2 days than in an entire career. I do feel this will greatly help me in my expert work.”
“Excellent course. What I thought I knew would only fill a thimble when compared to the tips learned this week.”
“I loved it! It was engaging, fast-paced, everything I hoped for!”
“All of you were extremely effective in your presentations. It was interesting to hear the advice from Judge Lawson from his vast experience on the bench. Jim and Kelly did a great job getting us prepared for the “hot seat” although I realize it will take years of practice to get comfortable direct and cross examination.”
“This course is mandatory for anyone who wants to do expert witness work.”
“Excellent immediate feedback was very helpful, as were the real-world examples. Great communicators.”
“Excellent! Having Judge David Lawson’s insight from the bench greatly enhanced the training provided by James and Kelly.”
“So impressed — great teachers, humorous and serious, you personally looked at my needs, materials, and questions, and attending to the group at large was impressive. Made it fun, and above all — I feel ready and prepared and have a plan to do this work.”
“I wanted to thank you for an incredible 2 days of teaching. Probably one of the best courses I have taken. I love the way that you interacted with everybody in the class. I honestly feel that interactive and “hands on” teaching result in the best learning experience.”
“I impressed on everyone else there that you, Kelly and particularly Judge Lawson (really a big pull to have a federal judge - with relevant practice experience - there) had the reality of this down to a science... Very nice.”
“I learned a great deal from the course and instructors. Wish I had taken before writing previous opinions and started down the path for a medical expert practice. Amazing. I wanted more and plan to attend in the future.”
“Absolutely outstanding. Probably the best course I have ever attended.”
“Excellent. Engaging, fun, interesting. Wonderful!!!!”
“It was incredibly useful, with a thoughtful presentation of the information in a relatable manner. It was both interesting and entertaining!”
“Very practical guide to succeeding as an expert medical witness.”
“I thought I had an idea how to perform in the world of becoming a medical expert. My eyes were opened. The instructors kept the course moving and were very interesting.”
“The practice scenarios and actually practicing on the spot [was useful/interesting]. It’s different to watch and read about the do’s and don’ts but much different to actually practice it.”
“Excellent work. Your passion for wanting the participants to truly succeed was present in each topic and from each presenter. No secrets were safe.”
“Excellent, keep up your great work. Really enjoyed the course and cannot thank you enough. You certainly opened my eyes before I stepped on the land mines.”
“Great job! You have prevented me from making huge mistakes that could have ended my expert witness opportunities.”
“The presenters are very knowledgeable, bringing a great deal of experience and authenticity to the course. They were very effective in communicating, and offered personal anecdotes to support points, while maintaining the focus of the audience.”
“Very engaging presentations and great teamwork.”
“I tell all my friends that SEAK course is mandatory to anyone who wants to do expert witness work. I can tell you that SEAK courses not only taught me a lot of things but changed the way I think and behave.”
“I wanted to say thank you for such and engaging, informative and highly educational course. Having been in practice for 16 years I learned more about this area in the last 2 days than in an entire career. I do feel this will greatly help me in my expert work.”
“Thanks Kelly and Jim for the great training you guys gave. I learned a lot and will work to enhance my testifying skills.”
“Excellent course. What I thought I knew would only fill a thimble when compared to the tips learned this week.”
“The role plays and interactions during the training were useful/interesting - even using introductions as a teaching tool were brilliant!”
“Excellent immediate feedback was very helpful, as were the real-world examples. Great communicators.”
“Excellent! Having Judge David Lawson's insight from the bench greatly enhanced the training provided by James and Kelly.”
“So impressed - great teachers, humorous and serious, you personally looked at my needs, materials, and questions, and attending to the group at large was impressive. Made it fun, and above all - I feel ready and prepared and have a plan to do this work.”
“Absolutely fantastic! Judge gave a great overview of the trial from an attorney and judicial perspective.”
“Fantastic Course! Faculty were Top Notch and made it an entertaining experience”
“This was an outstanding course taught by some magnificent teachers.”
“A whole new set of tools was learned - excellent course.”
“Full of valuable information and pearls of wisdom.”
“I left feeling excited about everything I learned about being a better prepared expert.”
“Informative, educational, and entertaining.”
“Loved the interactive environment.”
“Outstanding, one of the best courses I've ever taken on any subject.”
“Excellent, [Presenter] is really effective at sharing his wisdom with the audience.”
“Very informative, educational.”
“The 3 instructors are extremely knowledgeable in the material through education and experience. It gives us confidence to rely on their teaching and counsel.”
“It was great have the trifecta of Jim, Kelly, and Judge Lawson.”
“The cross-examination exercises, the video visuals and the experiences from other colleagues and facilitators [was useful/interesting]. The manual was extremely helpful as well.”
“All of you were extremely effective in your presentations. It was interesting to hear the advice from Judge Lawson from his vast experience on the bench. Jim and Kelly did a great job getting us prepared for the "hot seat" although I realize it will take years of practice to get comfortable direct and cross examination.”
“Excellent course, thank you for your knowledge and approachability.”
“Jim, Kelly and the Judge were great. They have a great flow amongst the three of them. They work well together. I really enjoyed their stories and the Judge's court experiences were helpful. Great discussions around the videos and setting up the videos for us to observe certain behaviors; verbal and non verbal, as well as active listening.”
“Jim did an amazing amount of prep work on CVs and reports.”
“Outstanding! The content, format, and presentation exceeded my expectations. The presenters were amazing with an unimaginable depth of knowledge.”
“Outstanding, riveting. Despite the long hours, there was never a dull or uninformative moment.”
“Lots of pearls.”
“Lively, informative, encouraging.”
“There is no better expert training in CA, the US or likely the world.”
“Faculty interaction create[d] infectious energy.”
“It really reduced my anxiety.”
“The program was great! I found it very valuable and look forward to incorporating techniques discussed in the training.”
“The sense of humor mixed in was delightful and kept us on our toes.”
“Excellent in every respect.”
“Very knowledgeable instructors & very flexible to handle various subjects.”
“The needle was moved! Thank you all for your efforts and time in bringing the various topics alive and making them pertinent.”
“I appreciated that you made the course not only informative, but fun.”
“Thank you for the toughness & thoroughness in a friendly setting. I appreciate that each presenter is approachable.”
“Superb. If the courts could mandate training of this kind, the result would likely be a far smoother and more efficient provision of expert testimony.”
“Awesome speakers! I’ve learned a lot in this course and have my second deposition next week. I feel more confident and prepared now than I did at the first deposition.”
“High level training I feel like I’m leaving here way a head of others starting this line of work.”
“Made a tremendous impact on my ability to perform as an expert witness.”
“Dear Jim, I wanted to take a minute and thank you for the excellent information that you provided at the SEAK conference. Since I am brand new to expert witnessing, I came away with my brain very full (and appropriately paranoid), but more than a bit excited about learning more and diving into this work. Thankfully there are two attorneys at the firm who are willing to work with me--- one to prep me on the art of deposition before they turn to the “closer” [someone who has a slightly sadistic side similar to your own] on me to see how rattled I will be on [cross] examination. The conference –and your examples—gave me much food for thought and some practical tips on how I can protect myself. For all of those things, thank you!”
“Jim – Thanks for another great class! How to Be an Effective Expert Witness was very informative, interactive, and entertaining. I plan on attending How to Bulletproof Your Deposition in the near future.”
“Great program, thank you !!!”
“A great experience. Thanks!”
“Jim, Thank you very much for checking in and for your work on this workshop last week. I will strongly recommend it to my colleagues and let them know it's worth the money.”
“Exceptionally helpful and practical.”
“High level training I feel like I’m leaving here way ahead of others starting this line of work.”
“Lots of great information, fast paced, experts are teaching information they know like the back of their hand.”
“Terrific – it’s easy to follow along.”
“Very useful & entertaining.”
“Very well-done intro to expert testimony”
“Was practical and highlighted the important aspects of being an EW.”
“Worth every little penny for how it’ll help my work.”
“Very helpful to have people practice testifying, have questions asked throughout the room, feedback on responses is very helpful.”
“Excellent presenters, for a long day, their presentations and dynamics kept my attention 100%.”
“Keep up your amazing work.”
“[Instructors] were very knowledgeable, excellent at teaching ,– appreciate the variety of teaching styles.”
“Thank you for your time, humor, and ability to convey the information in a practical and useful way.”
“You and the judge made it informative, helpful, challenging and entertaining, which keep our attention and made the hours speed by. The location was wonderful. Keep doing what you do. Thank you again!”
“A brilliantly conceived and presented course of instruction.”
“Combination of experienced trial lawyer and the perspective of the judge was very powerful teaching approach — excellent.”
“Jim. Thank you so much for everything You and Judge Lawson were fantastic...This was my 4th seak course !!! With every one I learn and take away so many new concepts. See you at the next one.”
“Excellent! Well thought out, taught by extremely talented people. Experts.”
“Love Jim and the Judge — outstanding.”
“James was exactly like the worst prosecutor I have faced and it was perfect.”
“You do a great job at learning the student and making the course personalized.”
“Jim! You’re an amazing speaker. I can’t thank you enough”
“Jim and the Judge are both extremely professional and excel at their craft.”
“Thank you for the great experience this weekend. Your dynamic teaching style is awesome.”
“The best seminar I’ve ever been to.”
“Excellent teachers and very personable and available.”
“Presenters were exceptional, very bright and talented”
“One of the best conferences I’ve ever attended”
“Excellent, full of useful information”
“Good dynamics, very informative”
“Excellent presenters”
“I want to express my gratitude for these great courses. I had only intended to attend the first course Thur/Fri How to start, build etc. and had brought all my bags to Fri class to go to the airport. I realized at the course how important it was to get all the training I could up at the start to do the best job how many sinkholes there are to step into. I rearranged plans. I'd strongly advise anyone seeking to do this work to take this course EARLY on as it's impossible not to make faux pas which may come to haunt you or miss opportunities you can't see when you are establishing a reputation.”
“Great course with first rate teaching as usual.”
“I enjoyed the conference and learned a lot. It was informative and entertaining - which I think is the best way to learn! I will definitely use what I learned during my upcoming court appearance and depositions. Also, I will highly recommend your program.”
“Jim, I want to say again how fascinating and useful your and Judge Lawson’s performances were this past weekend.”
“Excellent in all regards”
“Fantastic program!”
“Informative and honest”
“Inspiring”
“Terrific”
“Well created and presented”
“Good job. It is great to get practice in a safe place.”
“Great content, experience, engagement, humor”
“Great interaction with class”
“As painful as it was to be cross examined, it certainly helps to develop armor to be unemotional during testimony. Helpful to become a better witness.”
“Helpful, practical and useful.”
“Both speakers did a great job presenting with their experience and knowledge base. Their stories were on-point and valued.”
“I enjoyed the contrasting demeanor of the presenters and their interaction”
“You’re all very personable, thanks!”
“Jim, Thank you very much for putting on such a great program. We both learned a great deal and we are eager to embark in this new role of expert witnessing. Anyways, thank you again for all your great teaching, advice, and encouragement!”
“Thank you for offering this course. I thoroughly enjoyed it. You and the judge made it informative, helpful, challenging and entertaining, which keep our attention and made the hours speed by. The location was wonderful. Keep doing what you do. Thank you again!”
“Full of very useful and helpful tips”
“Very good. My compliments to the judge”
“Excellent teaching techniques”
“Best conference I have ever attended!”
“It was fabulous. I have already recouped my investment by taking the necessary time to prepare properly for my court testimony today, which very well.”
“Excellent use of anecdotes and examples to illustrate good deposition and trial skills.”
“Excellent, clear, real!”
“Excellent. Brutal at times, but necessary!!”
“Fantastic!”
“Great. You should never testify until you take this course!”
“[The course was fantastic, and thoroughly enjoyable. I realized how little prepared I was for today's courtroom testimony, and on further document review after the course, I came to a solid opinion that was better than retaining counsel had anticipated. On cross-exam the plaintiff attorney asked, "Didn't the record say 'such and such' was diagnosed?" I replied that the record said 'such and such' was possible, but that I had reviewed the raw data and concluded that the medical test results did not support that diagnosis. I was prepared to explain in detail and back it up with literature, but he just sat down after one question. Because I prepared for 10 hours, I was off the stand in 15 minutes. Meanwhile, my manager had scheduled me for a 2 hour deposition in an 8 by 8 consultation room with 3 chairs. I called the attorney and told him that deposing counsel would need to find a venue. I also asked and learned that retaining counsel has a year's worth of new documents and depositions that he has not shared with me. I insisted on time to review all evidence and write a report before the depo. Thanks for all the good advice. As you can see, I have already recouped my investment in the class.”
“Powerful captivating, not a moment of boredom. Faculty were outstanding.”
“Instructors were quite engaging.”
“Jim and Judge were a terrific team with different but complementary styles.”
“Thank you for your engaging teaching! It was the most beneficial conference I've ever attended!”
“Very effective. I have been deposed 30 plus times, etc., but came away with an added appreciation for ways to take the process further.”
“A must if you plan on testifying.”
“I was discussing with my colleague, Jason, with whom I’ve attended numerous conferences that we’ve never been to a conference on plastics where for 4 days, we were in rapt attention and all of the speakers were excellent, as happened at SEAK. Personally, it has been my favorite course to date. We talked about the fact that it would have been extremely useful to have taken this course even before the plastics oral boards where similar unnerving interrogations take place and where people pass and fail more on the basis of confidence than of knowledge. If you ever want more work, I think the oral board prep courses for general and Plastic surgery, would be enthusiastic to have you as an instructor. We talked about the fact that although your grilling felt brutal at times, a lot of it came out an opportunistic moment made possible, actually, by the physician. Through excellent listening, you were able to identify weaknesses and pounce to great effect on the person being interviewed. But the carnage was many times preventable by more thoughtful responses to your initial questions. This approach is completely foreign in medicine and part of the reason the work often seems daunting - particularly when you are a defendant in a malpractice case. The course has greatly stimulated my interest in expert witnessing - but whether I end up doing it or not, the greatest benefit to me from the course is to not fear - even to enjoy - the prospect of courtroom battle. It’s given me a new perspective on witness work, and confidence to go into cases with more enthusiasm rather than fear, since it involves learnable techniques. I was trying to imagine Napoleon saying “oh, no - not another battle” the way we say “oh, no, I’m being sued”. With that attitude, he would not have conquered very much. Hats off to you and the other folks who have made this an incredible experience - you in particular. I look forward to coming back for some of the other courses offered!”
“Jim, Thank you for the excellent seminar. I appreciated all the pearls that you and Judge Lawson were able to throw our way.”
“Thank you for the lively exchange and respectful feedback.”
“Outstanding. Real-time, in your face mock testimonials.”
“Excellent course. What I thought I knew would only fill a thimble when compared to the tips learned this week.”
