2020 April SAFE Educational seminar

Speaker – Mike Wakshull, MS, CQE

Topic – Effective communication techniques for expert witnesses

Abstract

An important part of the work of a forensic document examiner is the ability to testify in deposition and trial. Most communication is delivered in a nonverbal subconscious manner. We need to be effective communicators.

As a testifying expert, you are a public speaker. Your audience is anyone in the courtroom. Most importantly, your audience is the trier of fact (judge and/or jury) and the attorneys who are trying the case. In deposition, your audience is the attorneys in all other participants present in the room. In a video deposition your audience is anyone who may see the video.

Techniques for successful delivery of video depositions are presented.

This presentation offers insights gleaned from my training in public speaking and more than 40 courtroom testimonies. I will share both successful and failed testimony. Pitfalls of failed communication may turn an otherwise excellent analysis into the verbiage that the trier of fact does not understand.

Bio

Mike Wakshull is a forensic document examiner based in Temecula California. He has studied public speaking with former world champions of public speaking and speaking coaches who train executives of major corporations. He studied video deposition techniques with a golden globe awarded videographer who specializes in the courtroom and deposition video. He has testified more than 70 times in trial, arbitration, and deposition. Several times each year he presents to attorney seminars and conferences for MCLE credit.

Mike is a co-dean of the National Speakers Association Greater Los Angeles Chapter’s Speakers Academy. He coaches students to write and deliver their speeches for delivery on video. He has also been a mentor to students of public speaking.