Breaking into Expert Witness Work

Are you one of the many highly skilled professionals looking to break into expert witness work?

Breaking into Expert Witness Work

ByCarolyn Casey, J.D.

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Published on November 3, 2020

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Updated onJune 22, 2022

Breaking into Expert Witness Work

Whether you are a mechanical engineer, a pediatric gastroenterologist, an accident reconstructionist, or another highly experienced professional, expert witness opportunities are waiting for you. Finding them, however, is another matter.

Many experts new to the field spend a ton of time and money trying to market themselves. They figure if they get their name out there with updates to their LinkedIn profile or paying fees to get listed in an expert directory, suddenly opportunities will come flooding in. Unfortunately, these would-be experts are left waiting for job opportunities that never come. Here, we’ll discuss the most foolproof method to break into expert consulting and how you can be matched with opportunities that precisely match your experience.

Introducing Expert iQ

Expert iQ is your free business development tool for legal consulting opportunities in your area of expertise. Once you’ve completed your profile, our team does the heavy lifting to get you connected with attorneys looking for professionals with your exact credentials. Through Expert iQ, you’re able to directly engage with prospective cases and establish working relationships with attorneys. From here, you’re just a retainer agreement away from kicking off your legal consulting work.

Easy to Join

It’s simple to join Expert iQ—in just three steps, you’ll be ready to get to work. The first step towards consulting is creating an Expert iQ account. By submitting a quick form with your basic contact and specialty information, you’re in. The next step is to fill out your expert profile. This is your chance to highlight all your skills and achievements. In your profile, you’ll also be asked to provide a professional picture and CV, along with the details of your education, employment, expertise, and credentials. This is also where you can set your fee schedule, list any previous legal experience, and upload supplemental documents. Once your profile is complete, the next step is providing your expert feedback on opportunities our team presents to you—and the final step before formally signing on to your first case.

Opportunities Come to You

The greatest advantage of joining Expert iQ is the support of Expert Institute’s team. Our researchers are behind the scenes, doing the heavy lifting to connect you across our pool of 4,000+ attorney clients. Just by joining the Expert iQ network, your exposure to attorneys increases exponentially, without any additional work from your end.

Once our team finds a potential case match for your expertise, you’ll be notified through Expert iQ. This is also where you’ll be able to review case details and give preliminary feedback. From here, an attorney may request an introductory phone call to further discuss a case. This is coordinated seamlessly through Expert iQ’s call scheduling feature. On this call, an attorney will assess your fit for the case and explore how your working relationship might come together.

A Seamless Digital Experience

Through Expert iQ, your legal consulting tasks are fully streamlined. The portal provides a seamless digital experience to make collaborating with attorneys simple and organized. From your Expert iQ dashboard, you’re instantly alerted to any notifications on new opportunities or updates on active cases. When you’re presented with a new opportunity, all communication and document sharing remains centralized through Expert iQ. An attorney will upload case-related documents for your review through the portal. And in turn, your feedback is also provided through Expert iQ. No more endless email chains littering your inbox, just a simplified workflow to securing consulting work.

No Fees, No Obligation

Unlike many expert witness services, Expert iQ is completely free for experts. Expert Institute will never charge a commission or a usage fee. Once you’re connected with an attorney, you work directly with their firm and keep 100% of your fees. You’re also never obligated to take on cases presented through Expert iQ. You can choose to take on cases that you find most interesting. This is your opportunity to make an impact on active litigation with your specific expertise.

About the author

Carolyn Casey, J.D.

Carolyn Casey, J.D.

Carolyn Casey is a seasoned professional with extensive experience in legal tech, e-discovery, and legal content creation. As Principal of WritMarketing, she combines her decade of Big Law experience with two decades in software leadership to provide strategic consulting in product strategy, content, and messaging for legal tech clients. Previously, Carolyn served as Legal Content Writer for Expert Institute, Sr. Director of Industry Relations at AccessData, and Director of Product Marketing at Zapproved, focusing on industry trends in forensic investigations, compliance, privacy, and e-discovery. Her career also includes roles at Iron Mountain as Head of Legal Product Management and Sr. Product Marketing Manager, where she led product and marketing strategies for legal services, and at Fios Inc as Sr. Marketing Manager, specializing in eDiscovery solutions.

Her early legal expertise was honed at Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison, where she developed legal strategies for mergers, acquisitions, and international finance matters. Carolyn's education includes a J.D. from American University Washington College of Law, where she was a Senior Editor for the International Law Journal and participated in a pioneering China Summer Law Program. She also holds an AB in Political Science with a minor in art history from Stanford University. Her diverse skill set encompasses research, creative writing, copy editing, and a deep understanding of legal product marketing and international legal trends.