subject: The Value of Reviewing Your Expert Report before Submitting It [print this page] The Value of Reviewing Your Expert Report before Submitting It
The reviewing procedure is an opportunity to contribute an air of professionalism to your report.
After you finish writing, you will want to just hand over the report. By then you are tired, you have worked for weeks or months on it, and you are finished. But, don't hand it over. It's not ready yet.
While you may be ready for a break, or feel confident that you write well and no review is necessary, your next chore is to reread your complete report, from top to bottom, as both an editor and a critic. Check that all necessary sections appear. The flow and organization of your thoughts should be visible. Everything in your report should be clear, and it should be readily apparent what facts you explored and what steps you took that led to your opinions. Every opinion and opinion must follow congruently from the facts you refer to in the report.
So far, that's just content. Let's talk for a moment about carelessness. How impressed are you when you read something in a newspaper or a magazine that includes blatant errors in spelling, or less obvious but real errors in grammar? Look for those in your report. If you are not good at spelling or grammar, use your word processor's spell checker or a grammar checker.
You have been trying to create a professional impression with your work, and trying to develop a good reputation as an expert witness. Why negate this good impression through carelessness in spelling or grammar? Review your report! Some professionals ask a friend or colleague to read their report out loud to them. They find that this works very effectively for quickly calling attention to errors.
If your report is long or includes many exhibits, you can bind the entire report with spiral binding, or a three-hole punch notebook with labeled separators. Even simple attention to formatting can create a more pleasing and professional presentation.
As I said earlier, your expert report and your expert testimony are the cornerstones of your work. Your report will stand in your stead for people to read, evaluate, and assess the strength of your opinions and the professionalism of your efforts. The appearance of your report reflects directly on you and your carefulness. It also suggests whether you will be an organized and persuasive witness when called to describe the subject matter of the report during testimony.
There is one final note to consider. occasionally, for whatever reasons, you find out new data after you submit your report. If the new facts leads to any changes in your opinion(s), write a supplemental report explaining the changes to your earlier opinions and how the new evidence led to a new and/or changed opinion.
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