The Expert Expert Witness: More Maxims and Guidelines for Testifying in Court

by Stanley L. Brodsky

Book Overview

Psychologists, psychiatrists, and other mental health professionals may be experts in their respective fields, but this expertise does not easily translate to effective courtroom testimony. Even... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1557985979
• ISBN13: 9781557985972
• Release Date: January 1999
• Publisher: American Psychological Association (APA)
• Length: 197 Pages
• Weight: 0.83 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.1" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

A Must-Read...

...for anyone who is involved in legal proceedings, professionally or otherwise. Brodsky's latest installment, based on his obviously extensive experience and insights, is replete with useful info for both those who testify and those who solicit expert testimony. At the same time, it's marvelously well written and entertaining and hard to put down once you start reading it. Brodksy has clearly done it again, and let's hope there's a third installment in the works.

Powerful and invaluable tool

The Expert Expert Witness by Dr. Stan Brodsky is a powerful and invaluable tool, for novice and expert experts alike. Dr. Brodsky's writing is extremely engaging, witty, and articulate, yet the text's informal style does not minimize the importance of testifying as a professional. This book differs from other expert witness books in that it emphasizes professional competency, preparedness, and responsibility, in the context of personal integrity. The book clearly explains legal rulings applicable to expert testimony, integrated with Dr. Brodsky's vast experiential knowledge. I highly recommend that the Expert Expert Witness become a permanent part of your personal and professional library!

Expert Advice

Anyone who is at all familiar with forensic psychology knows and appreciates the work of Dr.Brodsky. This text continues the long tradition of contributions to the field by Dr. Brodsky. This book, as is his ususal style, is clearly written, to the point, pragmatic and above all helpful. It contains specific strategies and guidelines that are essential to the newcomer to testifying in court. These strategies, as well, are important guides for those who have experience testifying. I have used his strategies, both from this text and the one preceeding and have found them to be on target, useful and highly effective. One should not venture into the courtroom without having had the benefit of this work.

Much appreciated by this busy professional...

Much appreciated by this busy professional...well-written and lucid discussions in the vocabulary of psychology, this is true-to-life perspective on court testimony. Thoughtful and comedic situations construct a bridge for understanding how the 'expert' witness can present the most credible arguments in pursuit of justice. Each chapter is summarized with a pragmatic MAXIM. One example (from number 28 of 43 chapters): "Maintaining integrity on the stand calls for careful listening, avoidance of anticipatory answers, and staying faithful to your findings and knowledge." Brodsky's points are made with practical suggestions for improving one's performance based on sound experience in delivery of legal testimony.

Wisdom in a Book

This book on expert witnessing contains 43 brief chapters and is packed with practical advice for the nervous practitioner. It is a terrific guide for the courtroom, because it tells you exactly how to deal with unexpected or aggressive courtroom questioning and to emerge with your dignity and nerves intact. The book is well written, succinct, and left me smiling. The author knows exactly how to engage the reader and to educate at the same time. There's no pomposity or overly explicative stuff here, just clearly-stated strategies that will take the edge off a potentially nervewracking experience. I've tried some of the strategies in the courtroom - and they work.