AAWRE Engineering Ethics and Expert Witness Sessions

Kenneth A. Goodwin, Esq. and Michael A. Ports, P.E., P.H., D. WRE, F.ASCE

How to be an Effective Expert Witness:

Serving as an expert witness is both a vital service to the judicial system and a secondary means of income production to the expert engineer. Most states follow the federal rules and case law regarding the qualities an expert must possess to be accepted as an expert in any given field and, thus, permitted to testify. Qualifying for Diplomate status in the American Academy of Water Resources Engineers would be a minimum baseline of education and experience for qualifying as an expert in court. Beyond that baseline, experience in the specific areas relevant to the issues of the case in which the expert is asked to render an opinion are absolutely critical. The session will explore the legal basis for allowing expert testimony, the qualifications an expert must possess in order to qualiify to render an opinion on any given subject, what an attorney looks for in an expert, how to approach the "project of serving as an expert witness," rendering the expert report, giving an expert deposition, and giving live testimony at trial. Extensive questions will be encouraged and anecdotal examples of "good" (i.e., effective) and "bad" (i.e., ineffective) testimony will be presented.

Brian D. Barkdoll, Ph.D., P.E., D.WRE, F. ASCE and David T. Williams, Ph.D., P.E., P.H., CFM, D.WRE

Engineering Ethics for Consultants and Academics:

"Ethics questions come up on a daily basis for both practitioners and academics. This ethics session will address ethics dilemmas for both consulting and research including presentations at conferences, seminars, short courses, etc. with case studies and discussion among peers for both."

David T. Williams, Ph.D., P.E., P.H., D.WRE, F.ASCE & Gary E. Freeman, Ph.D., P.E., J.D., D.WRE

SHORT COURSE #5: So You Have Been Asked to Be an Expert Witness. Now What?

This interactive Short Course offers advice on how to conduct business so as to minimize exposure to possible legal actions and what to expect when asked to participate in the legal process from the perspective of an experienced expert witness. Also presented are discussions on ethical conduct, the role of the witness (expert or party to the case) in the legal process, how to handle one's self under pressure, and how to prepare for discovery, deposition, and trial. Other topics will help one be an ethical, effective, in control, and credible servant of the civil action process. Time permitting, scenarios will be presented for discussion.

Steve Starrett, Ph.D., P.E., D.WRE and Rob Traver , Ph.D., P.E., D.WRE, M.ASCE

Succeeding with Ethical Challenges:

As engineers we can face ethical challenges that can be difficult to determine how to proceed. Our companies desire to be profitable, we are pressured by others that have agendas that may conflict our ethical standards, and peers may desire conduct that we are uncomfortable with. There will be discussions on ethics topics and some ethical skits at this workshop, which provides an opportunity for you to contribute and to learn from others.

Peter Sheydayi, P.E., D.WRE and Steve Starrett, Ph.D., P.E., D.WRE

Making your way Through Ethical Situations:

Engineers face ethical challenges from pressures to further reduce design costs to government engineers dealing with offers of gifts. This engineering ethics workshop focuses on providing some opportunities for engineers to discuss topics from the Code of Ethics background, to discuss some ethical scenarios and to learn opinions and thoughts from peers.