Experts In Court: Reconciling Law, Science, And Professional Knowledge

Experts in Court examines the use of expert testimony across the legal system, including the unique issues faced by mental health professionals when they are called upon to serve as expert witnesses. Lawyers and judges often fear that mental health professionals' testimony is purely experiential and not based on objective criteria or a demonstrable scientific foundation. Through the use of ground-breaking court rulings, Sales and Shuman explain the scrutiny that psychologists will need to use to survive admissibility determinations under new and evolving rules of evidence. Their skillful and detailed analysis of these rulings show how the standards of admissibility for expert testimony have changed and how they have altered the relationships among judges, juries, experts, and lawyers.

Daniel W. Shuman is a professor of law at Southern Methodist University School of Law in Dallas, Texas. Bruce D. Sales is a professor of psychology, sociology, psychiatry, and law at the University of Arizona, where he is also director of its Psychology, Policy, and Law Program.