Facing Down the Hired Gun

Abstract

Expert witnesses who blindly advocate the position of those who have retained them abuse the special privileges they are given in court. Experts' opinions should not be biased by the position of their clients. They are engaged by their clients to serve the trier of fact by relating honest, objective opinions and conclusions. To strengthen awareness of proper performance, major associations of design professionals have together promulgated a set of recommended practices that articulates their unanimous sentiments about what is—and is not—proper conduct for experts. These recommendations are expected to provide guidance to design professionals and attorneys who engage or test the credibility of experts.