The art of attorney interaction and courtroom testimony.

Abstract

In our society it is well for a physician to know something of the workings of court and how to interact with attorneys. One need not go to law school to successfully navigate a legal proceeding as a physician witness. To show that a physician skilled at interacting with colleagues and patients can successfully apply those skills to interacting with attorneys and testifying in court. This work is based primarily on the author's experience in interacting with attorneys and testifying in court, with supplemental contributions from textbooks. Skillful testifying is simply the transmission of medical information in court in a professional, polite, and compelling manner, an ability within the grasp of any physician who has mastered the art of working with colleagues and patients. Careful, honest assessment of the medical matters in a legal case places a physician in a strong position, which the physician can maintain by remaining polite, even in the face of attempts by an attorney to denigrate the physician's professional abilities. The best witnesses tell the truth in a manner that compels people in the courtroom to listen.