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/SEAK Expert Witness Directory Discount: Tuition for each course is $1,495 on or before November 13, 2026; $1,595 November 14–December 16, 2026 and $1,695 after December 16, 2026. Your tuition includes continental breakfast and lunch each day and a detailed conference manual. 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 16, 2026 will receive a full refund. Conference cancellations received after December 16, 2026 will receive a full tuition credit.
LOCATION/HOTEL ACCOMMODATIONS: A limited block of rooms will be available at special rates at the site hotel, The Naples Grande Beach Resort (NaplesGrande.com) ($349/night). To make your reservations please call 1-844-489-9663 and mention that you are with SEAK, Inc. or click here to book online. Rooms at this rate are limited in number and this rate expires Wednesday, December 16, 2026 so you are strongly encouraged to make your reservations as soon as possible before the limited number of rooms available at the group rate sell out.
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. 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. 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. NOTE: SEAK does not accept commercial support for its programs and does not use faculty members with conflicts of interest.
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. (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 9, 2027)
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 10, 2027)
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:
“Jim — so nice to meet you and thanks for the incredible training course this weekend! I really enjoyed and learnt a lot from it.”
“Truly enjoyed the session today. I realized why I’m so mentally frazzled at the end of depo.”
“Jim: I had to escape quickly yesterday to catch my flight home so I didn’t get to tell you how I appreciated the course. I enjoyed your lecture style and found it very engaging (this is a rare gift-from one lecturer to another).”
“I found the weekend enormously helpful, delightful and worth every penny.”
“It’s the third time that I have taken that course and still learn something every time.”
“The course in Naples was fantastic and time well spent, even though I’ve been doing expert work for 3.5 years now.”
“Incredibly helpful — I feel much more confident going into deposition and testifying (which I’ve had minimal participation in previously).”
“The course was presented very well and professional. The content lead to good participation and challenged the participants.”
“I learned a lot from the course and it kept my attention. I loved the professional anecdotes from the judge and lawyers. I was impressed with the other attendees. I want to take all the SEAK courses now.”
“Excellent. Great information. Very interactive.”
“Videos complemented the written syllabus well in teaching incisive points of how to provide excellent expert witness testimony at deposition and trial.”
“Very high yield.”
“Outstanding!!!”
“Well-designed multispecialty training for how to be an effective expert witness at deposition and trial.”
“Enjoyable and entertaining.”
“Exceeded expectations and a rare opportunity you can’t get elsewhere.”
“Excellent unique expert witness training.”
“This was fantastic and well worth my time. Having three instructors was perfect as it allowed them to feed off each other and present experiences they have and bring it to the table. I will attend other SEAK courses.”
“It was amazing. Eye opening.”
“Excellent job at keeping the audience interested.”
“The material was presented in a well organized and professional fashion. The presenters did a great job.”
“I wanted to extend my sincere thanks for the thoroughness, and wealth of knowledge you shared during SEAK’s How to Be an Effective Expert Witness course. The content was immensely valuable, and I truly appreciate the time and effort you both put into making it so practical and engaging.”
“Excellent—learned so much!”
“Thank you both for a very enlightening and stimulating presentation. I very much enjoyed the presentations.”
“Once again, you’ve done an outstanding job teaching a SEAK course. I hope to take additional courses in the future.”
“I thought it was great. Really enjoyed the networking.”
“I was very pleased with the quality of the curriculum and attention to organization and highlighting of very high-yield material relevant to deposition and trial.”
“Excellent, very revealing.”
“Great course as usual.”
“It was really amazing! I enjoyed it, and learned a lot.”
“No BS... the instructors were straight to the point and pointed out everyone’s short falls so they could improve.”
“Very expertly delivered. Good examples that challenged the classmates, yet kindly taught them how to do better. A very safe environment to practice.”
“Although I’m still ‘sore’ from Jim’s cross-examination, I’d much rather take those hits in a friendly practice setting than in the real line of fire! The experience was eye-opening, and as someone still relatively new to this field, I am especially grateful for the lessons and insights that I can now carry forward into my own work.”
“I left feeling excited about everything I learned about being a better prepared expert.”
“A whole new set of tools was learned — excellent course.”
“Outstanding, one of the best courses I’ve ever taken on any subject.”
“Excellent course, thank you for your knowledge and approachability.”
“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.”
“The manual is really helpful in that it augments what was provided. I also appreciate learning about how lawyers think and operate.”
“The mock cross-exam/deposition taking and framing how the depo and trial are executed and their intent [was most useful/interesting].”
“The videos, the instructors explained then showed us in recorded videos. That was helpful. Excellent job, great practical information and opportunity to experience depo/trial pressures in real time.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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!”
“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.”
“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 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.”
“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.”
“Excellent course, thank you for your knowledge and approachability.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
