Executive Summary:

This is SEAK's most popular expert witness training program. Learn the step-by-step process for obtaining expert witness assignments and excelling at them. Expert witnessing is interesting work which allows the expert the opportunity to teach and explain their field to judges, jurors, and lawyers. What is learned while analyzing cases as an expert often helps experts perform better at their professions. Experts are commonly compensated for their time at $250-$600 or more per hour. Trials are typically rare (most cases settle or are dismissed before trial) and most of the work consists of research, analysis and report writing - which can be done from home.

How to Start, Build, and Run a Successful Expert Witness Practice is appropriate for professionals of all disciplines and with all levels of expert witness experience including both highly experienced and novice experts. You will be ready to start accepting expert witness assignments immediately upon completion of this course.

What's Included:

• Over 18 hours of on-demand streaming instruction (1 year license);
• A detailed coursebook, provided as both a digital download and upon request (USA only) a bound printed copy;
• Personalized feedback on your suggested expert witness hourly rate;
• Personalized feedback on your suggested expert witness niche;
• Personalized feedback on your CV;
• Personalized feedback on your SEAK Expert Witness Directory Listing (if you have placed one);
• The ability to submit a list of up to three questions to SEAK's Faculty;
• 15-20 minute private phone call with SEAK to answer your submitted questions and follow-up questions and provide the feedback specified above;
• A special 50% discount on one standard listing in SEAK's Expert Witness Directory listing (New or Renewal);
• Updated information on AI, the use of technology in expert witnessing, the updated FRE 702, marketing, and risk management/liability insurance;
• Up to 18.75 CME Credits for physicians plus potential for credits for other disciplines (see below);
• 30 Day money back guarantee.

You Will Learn:

• The role of expert witnesses in civil litigation;
• What attorneys are looking for from their experts;
• How to properly define you area(s) of expertise and practice areas (i.e. your sandbox);
• How to draft a curriculum vitae (CV) appropriate for expert witness work;
• How to get cases;
• How to avoid ethical problems and maintain your integrity;
• The essentials of expert witness report writing;
• How to set your fee and collect it;
• What to bill for and when;
• How to draft a retention agreement to protect your rights;
• How to form defensible opinions;
• Techniques for maintaining your independence and objectivity;
• How to exceed expectations;
• How to build a tremendous reputation;
• Ethics;
• Expert witness risk management techniques; and
• AND MUCH MORE.

Overview of Topics:

The Role of Expert Witnesses in Civil Litigation

The proper role of expert witnesses in civil litigation. Included is an explanation of Federal Rule of Evidence 702 and the types of specific assignments experts can expect from retaining counsel including forensic consulting, report writing, and where necessary, testifying at deposition or trial.

What Successful Expert Witnesses Have in Common

What the nation's "go to" experts have in common and how they got to their position of prominence.

Finding and Developing Your Niche in the Expert Witness Marketplace

The advantages of identifying a niche for yourself. Participants will be provided with a protocol for researching their niche, determining the proper fit and developing their niche to its fullest potential. Faculty will provide feedback on your suggested niche.

Pulling Together a CV Appropriate for Expert Witness Work

Anyone considering an expert witness practice needs to prepare and maintain a CV. Participants will learn the importance of an accurate, up-to-date CV, what should and should not be on a CV, and how mistakes in preparing CVs can damage or destroy an expert's credibility. Two sample CVs are provided.

Bulletproofing Yourself - Your Qualifications, Marketing Activities, Website, Image & Reputation

How to avoid potentially devastating problems in an expert's qualifications, marketing activities, web site, image and reputation. Multiple examples are provided.

Bulletproofing Your Opinions - Passing the Daubert Tests, Your Methodology

An in-depth discussion of the legal requirements of Daubert and FRE 702 as they relate to how an expert forms and expresses his/her opinion(s) and the admissibility of the opinions. Numerous examples will be discussed. The lecture continues with practical advice on how to avoid being caught in a Daubert nightmare and how to use the Daubert criteria as a road map to bolster the persuasiveness of any opinion.

Bulletproofing Your Opinions - Research, Investigation, Chart Review and Examination

An expert's opinion will only be as strong as the facts, research and investigation upon which it is based. You will learn how to conduct an investigation, perform research and collect data in a manner that bolsters your opinion.

Bulletproofing Your Opinions - Managing the Potentially Damaging Influence of Retaining Counsel

Expert Witnesses often severely damage or destroy the persuasiveness of their opinions by allowing retaining counsel to influence (or appear to influence) their investigation, assumptions, and opinions. In this segment, participants will learn how to insulate their opinions from the appearance of being under the improper influence of retaining counsel, for example through the information the expert witness relies upon, the modification of draft and preliminary opinions, and through the communications between the expert witness and retaining counsel.

Bulletproofing Your Opinions - Rebuttals and Commenting on Other Experts

Commenting on another expert's opinions is an area that gets many experts into unnecessary difficulty. In this segment, experts will learn the right way and wrong way to comment on another expert's report.

Best Practices in Forensic Office Management

Participants will learn a myriad of techniques that will help them run an efficient and successful expert witness practice. These include optimum new case intake procedures, billing systems, document receipts and retention policies, support staff training and instruction, file maintenance, trial scheduling, procedures for keeping your CV up-to-date, how to account for all time spent on the case, responsibilities and boundaries, security and confidentiality protocols and developing and using forms, templates, and checklists.

Best Practices in Dealing with Counsel

A frank discussion of how to best deal with retaining and opposing counsel. Included is an explanation of the importance of maintaining boundaries, how to best communicate with retaining counsel, the importance of not giving away your theories or reviewing any confidential information until you have been retained, how to deal with non-responsive or incompetent lawyers, how to deal with failure to prepare you for your deposition or trial, being pushed beyond your true area of expertise, how to handle "rush" requests for reports and opinions and how to avoid problems before they materialize.

Best Practices in Report Writing

Faculty will review best practices for dealing with requests for preliminary, draft, or other written reports. Best practices for responding to input from counsel, formatting, editing, controls over release of the report, signing, and proofreading will also be provided.

Deposition Best Practices

Participants will be provided with an in-depth look at scheduling, billing, postponements, cancellations, errata sheets, and retention/destruction of deposition transcripts.

Trial Best Practices

Participants will learn more than twenty techniques to help them prepare for trial. These techniques deal with issues which include dress, logistics, travel, scheduling, payment and visual aids.

Best Practices in Fee Setting, Fee Schedules & Agreements, Billings and Collections

How to correctly value your time and set your fee. The importance of not undercharging and how to determine exactly what their time is worth. Also included is a detailed discussion of the amount and frequency of retainers, whether retainers should be non-refundable, cancellation fees, expense reimbursement and proven techniques to improve collections of expert witness and consulting fees.

Advanced Marketing Techniques for Building an Expert Witness Practice

An analysis of the utility of: search engine optimization, social media, networking, writing articles, speaking, directory listings, fees, advertising, referral services/brokers and 24-7 marketing.

Ethics and Risk Management

How to deal with common ethical problems. The potential civil and professional liability of experts. Numerous specific risk management techniques for experts including avoidance, maintaining the appropriate insurance overages, due diligence, confidentiality protocols, anti-spoliation procedures, avoiding conflicts and the overriding importance of being 100% honest.

What Past Participants Have to Say:

"5 stars.”

"A well-done, eye-opening introduction to this new area. If it can't be done live, or live on Zoom, this was a very effective way to get my toes wet.”

"Absolutely loved it. It was a guided tour into a new world for many...I appreciate Jim's stories and examples to humanize what can be expected. I wish I did this twenty years ago."

"Amazing course! I am looking forward to completing more."

"Amazing. Using pointers and seeing results. Planning to take in person report writing and testimony training in San Diego. Best money ever spent. Encouraging my sister to do same"

"As an educator who has conducted over 350 three-hour Nevada real estate continuing education courses via live videoconferencing (Zoom), I found the instructor, course content, and hard copy booklet to be exceptional. Mr. Mangraviti stands on the mountaintop among the most knowledgeable and passionate instructors of my entire professional and academic career. I highly recommend this course to anyone who is thinking about a career as an expert witness."

"Awesome course for a beginner looking to get into expert witness; excellent course instructor very convenient to do asynchronously given my schedule."

"Besides my army, college and construction career courses, training and lectures, I have taken a number of further education courses regarding my continuing legal and construction education and business. The SEAK Expert Witness Course was easily the most informative and enjoyable training I have ever received. It was nothing short of inspiring. Thank you.”

"Enjoyed learning from Jim very much. Very helpful with practical advice. Great supplement to SEAK's A to Z book and how to write a report book."

"Enjoyed very much, especially able to complete on my timeframe. Loved the syllabus as I didn't have to take many notes at all which allowed me to sit back, relax and soak up the information."              

"Excellent course and lecturer. My friend recommended this course and I thanked him profusely.”

“Been doing expert witness work prior to the course and now know how to improve my work."

"Excellent course, well worth the money."

“Excellent course. It was exactly the introductory course that I was looking for to build my confidence in my Dental malpractice expert business. I look forward to working with you in the future as my practice grows.”

"Excellent, everything was well explained. I really enjoyed it. You made it fun and easy to understand."

"Excellent, very high yield and informative"

"Fantastic, was incredibly informational and practical. The attorney/teacher was excellent."

"Fascinating and very helpful. Provided an excellent introduction. Corrected many misconceptions and bad practices I have heard about."

“Great introduction and I’m very excited to get started! I didn’t know anything about expert witness careers and I feel much more aware of what would be expected of me. I’m also aware of more areas that I will dive into for more on-line classes (report writing) so that I can be more professionally prepared.”

"Great! There are numerous ‘pearls’ as we call them in medicine, any one of which by themselves would make the course worthwhile."

"High value material, I recommended this resource to a couple of colleagues, one of them is already on the expert witness directory and received his first case."

"I absolutely enjoyed this course and took notes on every chapter of Jim Mangraviti's lecture and the additional notes and advice he provided. I would love to meet Mr. Mangraviti in person. He is a down-to-earth person who takes his job very seriously, and he is not boring. In other words, he did not put me to sleep like some other online CE courses I have taken during my career."

"I absolutely loved this course! Gave me practical tips on starting an Expert Witness practice that I would not have been able to learn anywhere else. Two weeks after becoming listed in the directory, I got my first case.”

"I do a lot of online and in person CME. This course is at the top of my list of favorites: it was eye-opening, engaging and fascinating."

“I enjoyed it and found it to be very interesting and informative. It was motivational; I believe that I can be an effective expert witness. I am comfortable testifying and under deposition and have been told that I am effective in both scenarios.”

"I enjoyed it immensely! I found it very convenient to do it on my own time/pace.”

"I enjoyed it very much. Thorough and informative. I get the sense that SEAK's faculty is accessible easily with the phone number on the website."

"I enjoyed it. I liked the flexibility to be able to work through the course at my own pace and the knowledge foundation it helped to lay. Thank you.”

"I enjoyed the course. Mr. Mangraviti was very engaging in a challenging instructional format. The real world examples given were very helpful and relevant without the pitfall of too many war stories. Thank you."

"I enjoyed the pace, the anecdotes, and a step wise exploration of the areas of this work. The technology interface was easy to use"

"I found this course to be both educational and entertaining. Learning about a discipline and skill set separate from my clinical work was refreshing. I am motivated to learn more and pursuing next steps following the consultation with SEAK. Thank you for the very professional work you have put into this course. "

"This course is the invaluable ‘insurance’ against so much pain and an easy-to-understand overview and dive into the profession. James is an excellent, personable (and funny) presenter of the highest caliber."

“Jim is a fantastic teacher!!

"It was a wonderful experience to take this course. It answered many of my questions and I learned a lot from it. As a matter of fact, I feel much more confident going this path of expert witness now. Thank you very much!"

"I like the online course because of the flexibility and that allowed me to take the course multiple times.”

"I liked it a lot. I very much appreciated the methodical organization, the repetitive emphasis on what are clearly important topics, the focus on integrity, the accompanying PDF, and the fact that you still offer it online. Being online gave me the chance to do it quickly as needed vs holding off on some work opportunity. I did make some mistakes already on my first course that I would not have made if I had already taken the course, but nothing terrible.”

"I liked that it was on-line and recorded so I can go at my own pace.”

"I liked the course quite a bit. Very straightforward. I have done a modest amount of this work mostly as malpractice defense in Hawaii almost as a service. This course discussed more of the business aspect/money aspect which is just not talked about much and certainly not taught in any course. I really liked the part about the CV and some of the common sense marketing. I really liked the non nonsense nature of the course. Thanks"

"I loved it—I binged the whole 17.5 hours in a few days. I knew quite a bit about this kind of thing in one jurisdiction, so it was fascinating to learn about another."

"I loved this online course. I was able to listen which really worked well for my busy schedule. The content was clearly and professionally presented in a thoughtful, well organized fashion that made me want to keep listening and learning."

"I really enjoyed listening to Jim, he is hilarious and scary. I met him in California in March and he asked me a question that scared me which was funny at the same time. Usually, I skip and don't watch all videos, but this time, listened and watched all the videos. I wish I could put Jim in my pocket and/or work with him."

"Super informative and provided the foundation to begin working on my expert witness career."

"I really enjoyed the online course. I liked that the chapters were very succinct with a plethora of great information. After the taking the course, I feel like that I have enough information to get started in my expert witness practice. I opted to receive the paper copies of the SEAK manual and the SEAK supplements that I plan to continue to reference as I begin my expert witness business."

"I really liked the online version. I actually watched it twice. Really liked the hard copy workbook that was included. Made it much easier to take notes than the online copy.”

"I think it was great! I learned a ton. Most of the things covered I wouldn't even know to ask about. Very helpful to learn how lawyers might think, what is discoverable, etc. Totally different world than medicine. Really loved the course.”

"I think this is an excellent course. It was great to hear Mr. Mangraviti speak like a regular guy; I mean that as a compliment. I'm going to watch it a 2nd time. Every potential slight problem area was covered. I appreciate the format and the approach to the topic."

"I thoroughly enjoyed the on line course. Since it was streamed, I was able to sign on and view this at times for 10 minutes, at times for an hour, at my convenience. I found it extremely helpful, informative, and I loved Jim - very easy to listen to and easily understandable. I felt it took me from ‘no knowledge’ about Expert Witnessing, to ‘ready to start’ by the end of the course. Thank you so much.”

"I thought it was fantastic. I would have made so many mistakes that I can now avoid since taking this course."

"I thought it was informative and hilarious

"I thought that this was a fantastic course. There was lot of helpful information that was presented in a manner that was easy to follow."

"I thought the class was phenomenal. I wish I had known about this training years ago."

"I thought the course was excellent. Mr. Mangraviti is a great teacher, and he practices what he preaches. Over the last two weeks, I called SEAK twice and was able to speak directly to him each time. I am now giving my cell phone number to potential clients because of his example.”

"I thought the course was helpful and informative adding additional knowledge to my current practice as well as polish to my techniques. The course leader is quite affable and in previous face to face interactions a stand up and honest person."

"I truly enjoyed the course. Jim is an amazing teacher and truly knows this business!"

"I'm halfway through but excellent so far. I skipped around and didn't watch the deposition, trial, marketing sections yet as I wanted to get to work on my CV and reach out to you. After watching, I wish I'd done so many things differently on my one big case.”

"Incredible - very entertaining and it gave me the confidence to get started. The further along I got, the more additional material I purchased on the website. That is a true testament to the quality of the material!"

"It is excellent! I have worked in the expert witness space for nearly 30 years and it confirms all of my ideas about best practices."

"It was absolutely exceptional. Informative, concise, important topics discussed several times in different sections, humorous, enlightening. I loved the movie references and real life examples. I've already read through several chapters in a few books I ordered from SEAK. Same information just more detail. This is an outstanding class and I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in becoming an expert witness. I wished I had taken the class in full before I was retained on my first case but I know I'll be far better next time.”

"It was absolutely incredible, A+++. Not only unbelievably informative, but despite the length, it was surprisingly interesting and engaging. Jim's humor, wit, and nostalgia were all welcome surprises! If I had any doubt as to my interest in this field beforehand, Jim's methodical and thorough explanations really locked it in for me. Inspired and highly motivated from here to be the best I can be for the Expert Witness marathon..."

"It was enjoyable and interesting. The anecdotes about different cases were memorable and improved my understanding and retention.”

"It was fantastic. I did a different course that someone recommended first and SEAK was 100% better (and more cost effective). I really like that I got CME for it as well."

"It was great! I learned so much information. Without this course, it would most likely take an expert witness years to obtain this knowledge organically."

"It was great! I liked having the ability to watch (or listen) in little bits and pieces as time allowed"

"It was outstanding! James has a great combination of Boston mannerisms, professional savviness, humility/likeability, and personal values! Great quotes from James Mangraviti, Esq. ‘Do your job!’ ‘Suck it up!’ ‘You volunteered to do this work and it’s difficult - that’s why they pay you the big bucks!’ Thank you!"

"It was terrific. Jim was engaging, direct, and knowledgeable. By the time I completed the course I had a SEAK profile with well-formatted CV, a contract to provide clients, and a plan for how to approach report writing.”

"It was thorough, easy to follow, and packed with practical information."

"It was truly fantastic! I am a little down that I don't get to keep listening and watching every night as I had been doing. I may watch the whole thing again!

I am inspired to get going as the overlap of law and medicine is quite large. They are both about truth-telling. Thank you."

"James was an excellent faculty and I would really enjoy taking a live course with him. I learned many things that I look out for when I am trying to expand my business."

"Jim, thank you! You teach exactly like I learn. I learned a lot from the course and honestly, it shifted my view on expert witnessing, which makes me want to be involved even more. I love that being 100% above board is best practice and the expectation - I was a little nervous about the influence of counsel. The advice was invaluable and I hope to use it moving forward. Additionally, it is nice to know that there is a safety net of expert faculty at SEAK to assist whenever I need it!"

"Literally loved every moment! No joke. I learned so much and really feel like I have much better insight into what to expect.”

"Loved it! I wouldn't recommend anyone breaking into this field without the course. Nothing but positive feedback here.”

"Loved it! It was so well done. I got scared, I laughed, and most importantly, I'm walking away with the tools I know I need. Thank you!"

"Loved it! Jim, you are a great educator. I look forward to starting my next course and attending your January event in Florida."

"Loved it. Jim was terrific and I learned a great deal."

"Loved it. Very practical information presented by an engaging speaker.”

"Loved it. Jim is a down-to-earth teacher who speaks plain English and I appreciate that. Plan to take more courses."

"Loved it. So much information - it was like mapping DNA."

"Loved the course! It was very thorough and covered much more than I was anticipating. I wish I had been able to take the in-person training, but this was a wonderful alternative. Thank you!”

"Most amazing course I've ever taken. Learned more than I could possibly have imagined. So insightful and I do think it will revolutionize my ability to leverage my experience and expertise for gain. Liked it so much that I immediately turned around and purchased the medical malpractice expert witness course before I even finished the first course! I also bought the SEAK contract and my retaining counsel immediately signed and retainer sent today. Amazing! Will definitely plan on more training."

"Phenomenal course! Lots of great info. Entertaining. Appreciate real-world examples of pitfalls others have fallen into. Feels high-yield."

"Really enjoyed it. Almost felt like I was there in person. The audio was good, as were the use of the video. The course contents, website allows you to move around easily. Content really helped me out. I am now embarrassed at some of the first reports I have done (though the thought process was good - the lay out and the organization and the professionalism...yikes...I could have done a lot better). Well worth the money.”

"The course was very informative, entertaining, and well designed. It was truly eye opening to see what opportunity this career path can afford. I learned a great deal, including a few missteps I made on my first case!”

"The information was fantastic. I am super motivated to get my Expert Witness Practice going."

"The online course has been tremendous and eye-opening. It is a good guide to figuring out how to do this type of work professionally and with high quality.”

"This course was fantastic - looking forward to more in-depth learning from the books and in person courses - it was really great."

"This was an excellent online course. It provided an enormous amount of high-yield information that was presented in a practical and entertaining way. The course really gives not only a 10,000 foot view of how expert witnessing works from start to finish but it is also detailed enough to help you navigate your first cases. I feel much more confident as I enter into my first case to know expectations of myself as an expert, how to engage with attorneys (what is appropriate and what is not) and how to get paid for my work in an honest and ethical manner. This course is a MUST for anyone considering venturing into expert witnessing! Thank you for your work and sharing your experiences.”

"I wondered if I would get as much from this course as I have already done some expert case reviews. I am very glad that I took it! I gained confidence about what I've done correctly and learned where I have some opportunities to grow. It's given me direction. Thank you!"

"WOW! Mr. Mangraviti was great, very detailed, and drove several points home multiple times. I am so glad I found SEAK. This course set the stage for a new career path."

"Your course is EXCELLENT. Easy to follow with the workbook. Easy to access. No unnecessary fluff. I will recommend this course to every physician I know.”

Continuing Education Credits:

Accident Reconstructionists: SEAK will apply for credits through ACTAR upon written request at the time of registration. SEAK has been informed by ACTAR that stream on demand courses are acceptable for accreditation. Accountants: The National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) has informed SEAK that unfortunately credits are not available for a stream on demand course of this type that does not involve live faculty at all times. Arborists: Credits from the ISA are unfortunately not available. Appraisers: The ASA has informed SEAK that credits are available for non-live courses such as this. Attorneys: Credit availability and amount varies by state. Continuing legal education credits for attorneys will be applied for if requested in writing at the time of registration by emailing Karen@seak.com. Chiropractors: Credits are unfortunately not available. Engineers: Potentially up to 18.75 PDHs. The acceptance of this course is dependent upon your state(s) of registration. There is currently no quiz/test that must be passed in this course. Life Care Planners: SEAK will apply for credits through The Commission on Health Care Certification (CHCC) upon written request at the time of registration. The CHCC has informed SEAK that this stream on demand program will qualify for credits. Nurses: Contact hours are unfortunately not available. Physicians: SEAK, Inc. is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians. SEAK, Inc. designates this enduring material activity for a maximum of 18.75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. This enduring material activity was originally released on August 17, 2020. This enduring material activity was updated on September 29, 2025 and terminates on September 29, 2028. Psychologists: Credits are unfortunately not available. Note: If your specialty does not appear above and you desire credits, please contact Karen Cerbarano (781-826-4974 or Karen@seak.com).

Contact SEAK, Inc.: 508-457-1111 mail@seak.com PO Box 729 Falmouth, MA 02541 www.seak.com