Top 5 Expert Witness Marketing Ideas

1. Generate Positive Word of Mouth
2. Publish Articles and Book Speaking Engagements
3. Promote Website and Join Professional Association
4. Advertise with Expert Witness Directories
5. Contact Expert Witness Referral Companies

1. Generate Positive Word of Mouth

The primary way that every expert witness can generate new leads is to simply do good work. Crafting solid expert reports, responding quickly and honestly to client requests, defending expert opinions in deposition and communicating persuasively at trial will encourage positive impressions. Hiring attorneys, opposing counsel and even the judge may provide future leads for experts who demonstrate impressive skills, expertise and performance. Generating positive impressions within the legal industry is a critical component of an expert’s marketing plan. However, doing great work is often insufficient to support a growing expert witness practice. Experts may consider other proven practices to generate new business opportunities.

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2. Publish Articles and Book Speaking Engagements

Another tried and true method of marketing oneself as an expert is to get published in authoritative journals and to offer presentations to the target audience. Lawyers and legal researchers are known to search through scientific and forensic literature when seeking persons with specific expertise. In addition, attorneys often approach speakers at their conferences who impressed them with their knowledge and presentation skills during continuing legal education events. It may be helpful to list specific publications and speaking engagements on a C.V. and website.

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3. Promote Website and Join Professional Association

Many attorneys and other professionals seeking an expert witness still conduct a basic Google search to locate potential candidates (See 2017 Expert Witness Research Survey). Therefore it remains critical for experts to maintain at least a basic website that provides name, areas of expertise and contact information. It is also helpful to share a full C.V., licenses, credentials, professional activities, testimonial history, relevant publications, speaking engagements and any other information that help establishes the expert’s qualifications and success as a testifying expert. The expert’s own website is often the first and primary research tool used by attorneys seeking to vet a potential expert witness. In addition to a personal website, many successful experts join a relevant professional association. There are numerous organizations and subchapters of associations for professional engineers, accountants, doctors, etc. that provide forensic consulting and expert witness services. These types of organizations offer excellent education, networking and marketing opportunities.

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4. Advertise with Expert Witness Directories

Advertising opportunities within expert witness directories offer additional exposure for expert witness credentials. Many directories focus on generating leads via search engines such as Google and Yahoo! Others offer listings within print and online publications or exposure to unique communities of users. Several directories offer additional listings on Lexis Nexis and/or Fastcase at no additional charge.

Top Expert Witness Directories

• ALM Experts

  • Cost:

    $749 - $1,695 for single regional directory

  • Pitch:

    Potential inclusion in other ALM publications

  • Size:

    15,000 profiles

  • Link:

    https://www.almexperts.com/aboutalmexperts

  • Lexis Nexis:

    Included

  • Fastcase:

    No

• Courtroom Insight

  • Cost:

    Contact Us

  • Pitch:

    Promotion in expert witness research tool used by entire law firms, insurance companies and DRI – The Voice of Defense Bar

  • Size:

    514,000

  • Link:

    https://www.courtroominsight.com/individuals/expert-witness

  • Lexis Nexis:

    Included

  • Fastcase:

    Included

• Expert Pages

  • Cost:

    $395 - 495 per year

  • Pitch:

    First expert witness directory on the Internet

  • Size:

    755 expert listings

  • Link:

    https://www.expertpages.com/join

  • Lexis Nexis:

    No

  • Fastcase:

    No

• Experts.com

  • Cost:

    $450 per year

  • Pitch:

    Offers direct access to potential clients

  • Size:

    660 U.S-based expert listings

  • Link:

    https://www.experts.com/memberinfo

  • Lexis Nexis:

    No

  • Fastcase:

    No

• The Forensic Expert Witness Association

  • Cost:

    $425 per year

  • Pitch:

    Professional organization offers training, eminence and certification

  • Size:

    Several hundred

  • Link:

    https://forensic.org/membership/why-join/

  • Lexis Nexis:

    No

  • Fastcase:

    No

• HG Experts

  • Cost:

    $295 per year for premium listing; free for basic listing

  • Pitch:

    Excellent internet marketing results

  • Size:

    Hundreds of experts

  • Link:

    https://www.hgexperts.com/compare-listings.asp

  • Lexis Nexis:

    No

  • Fastcase:

    No

• JurisPro

  • Cost:

    $399 per year

  • Pitch:

    Aggressive internet marketing

  • Size:

    Hundreds of experts

  • Link:

    https://www.expertpages.com/join

  • Lexis Nexis:

    No

  • Fastcase:

    Included
• SEAK Expert Witness Directory

  • Cost:

    $545 per year

  • Pitch:

    Money back guarantee

  • Size:

    2,600 experts

  • Link:

    https://www.expertpages.com/join

  • Lexis Nexis:

    Included

  • Fastcase:

    No

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5. Contact Expert Witness Referral Companies

Expert referral companies (or expert search firms) market directly to litigators in the hopes of contact if and when an expert need arises. As a result, referral companies often provide new leads for experts within their network. These firms typically do not charge for conducting a search and earn their fees by marking up the expert’s rate by 10-50% depending on the size and scope of the engagement. They are used by attorneys because they can be very helpful when searching for narrow areas of expertise.

Top Expert Witness Research Firms

• AMFS
• Cahn Litigation Services
• Expert Institute
• Forensis Group
• Gerson Lehman Group
• Guidepost Solutions
• IMS Expert Services
• Roundtable Group
• TASA
• Teklicon
• Wit Legal

This expert witness marketing guide offers some basic advice and information for individuals seeking to expand their expert witness practice. For additional guidance, experts may consider hiring a marketing consultant such as Rosalie Hamilton to learn more about marketing an expert witness practice.

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