Section 16.2 Background

• Library: Civil Trial Practice 2015 Supp

B. (§16.2)Background

The whole idea of an “expert” or “expertise” connotes special knowledge, competence, authority, and respect, all of which equate to a sense of believability. The idea is to have a point of reference to someone who has more information on a particular topic than the ordinary lay person.

The purpose of using an expert at trial is obvious: to attach a certain believability or credence to a person’s testimony on a specific issue. An expert, unlike any other...