Facilitator Guide

Tips for Working with Your Expert

Facilitator Guide

Tips for Working with Your Expert

Topic: Experts
Duration: 1 hr
Format: Remote or in person

What’s covered

Educating yourself about the expert and the subject matter
Setting expectations for the expert
Draft reports
Communications with your expert
Sending information to your expert to form their opinion
Monitoring the expert’s work

Before the session

Prepare the Attendees

Send the attendees an invitation for the session. Include this link, which has the videos and exercise they’ll need to prepare.

https://www.hotshotlegal.com/trainings/tips-for-working-with-your-expert/attendee

Prepare Yourself

Watch the videos and read the exercise so you’re familiar with the Hotshot material.

Course

Tips for Working with Your Expert

Tips and strategies for the day-to-day workings with the expert on your case. Includes how to prepare to work with your expert and how to set clear expectations at the outset. Also covers how to manage communications with your expert given the discovery rules, including sending documents to the expert to form their opinions, and revising their report.
Exercise
PDF

During the session

Part 1: Knowledge Check

Ask attendees these questions to ensure they understand the topic:

What steps should you take to learn the subject matter? What about to learn about your expert?
Since communications with experts may be discoverable, what are some protocols and practices for your team when communicating with your expert?
Should the expert do research or analysis beyond what’s been assigned to them? Why or why not?
How should you decide what documents and information to share with your expert?

Part 2: Group Exercise

Lead a group discussion based on the exercise. To encourage collaboration, divide the attendees into groups to discuss the exercise, then have a representative from each group summarize their views to the larger group. Call on people to share their thoughts and ask others to respond.

Tip for remote sessions: use your web conferencing system’s breakout room feature to divide people into groups.

Part 3: War Stories and Firm Specifics

Share your own experiences and guidance, including:

Anecdotes and war stories (e.g., about a near-disaster or a tough negotiation)
General practice tips (dos and don’ts)
Firm-specific guidance and practices

After the session

To continue their learning, attendees can check out related courses in Hotshot’s Experts topic.

About Hotshot

Hotshot helps lawyers develop their legal, business, and technology skills through short videos, quizzes, and summaries, and we help law firms and law schools plan and deliver engaging training programs. Our customers include Am Law 200 firms, top law schools, and regional and international firms.