Many physicians enjoy engaging in expert witness work as a side gig. It checks off so many boxes for what physicians want in a side gig, in that it’s flexible and you don’t have to learn another skill set to engage in a legal case as a physician expert witness. Additionally, expert witness work tends to pay very well. Many physicians first learn about expert witness work when they are approached by an attorney who finds their information and thinks they would be a good person to review a case. After doing the first case, we often see doctors in our physician community asking how they can get more of these cases. This article will go over things you can do to increase your chances of getting retained in more legal cases as an expert witness.
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Is it possible to set myself up to get more expert witness work?
You probably already know that the answer to this is yes, but if you’re reading this article, you’re looking for more tangible ways to do it. Like most side gigs, a general rule of thumb is that the better you brand yourself and network, the more opportunities will come to you. Let’s go into some specific ways to do that.
Establish yourself as a thought leader, key opinion leader, or expert in your field
If you want to increase the number of people that organically reach out to you, there’s no better way than being thought of as an expert in your field with a reputation that speaks for itself. Lawyers want to put credible witnesses on the stand, so the more impressive your CV and the more you are thought of as a thought leader in your field, the less likely the jury will question your opinion or conclusion. Having publications in peer-reviewed journals, being a well known speaker at relevant conferences in your field, writing a book or having a well-known resource or blog on a topic, participating on panels, posting regularly on social media, and teaching at medical schools on topics are ways to establish your brand and expertise. Of course, you shouldn’t publish or post on social media just for the sake of publishing, as everything that you put out there is discoverable by the opposing counsel, who would be happy to point out contradictions or false statements you’ve put out to undermine your credibility.
Learn more about branding yourself as a physician expert.
Carve out as specific of an expert niche as possible
As you likely know, lots of physicians are looking to supplement their income streams these days. Therefore, the competition for expert witness work is high. The less people that do what you do or are an expert in what you’re in, the more likely you are to be contacted (and the more you’re likely to be able to ask to get paid!). If you brand yourself in a very specific field, you could become the go-to expert in that field.
Make it easier for lawyers to find you by having an online and media presence, and eliminate any red flags online
Just as Google is likely a part of your daily life, it is for the attorney’s office as well. Put some effort into being highly ranked if someone searches “physician expert witness in (your field) __.” Create a website and publish relevant material on it like blogs or other work that you’ve done in the field that will improve its search engine optimization (SEO) in search results. Go on other people’s podcasts or guest blog on other sites or articles which link back to your name or your website. Seek out media opportunities or opportunities to be quoted in articles. Signing up to give reporters quotes though a service like HARO can be a great way to do this. Additionally, if there are pictures of you on the internet or social media where you appear unprofessional, make sure they’re not easily publicly accessible or searchable, as you don’t want your online presence to actually hurt you.
Learn more about creating a physician website.
Create and optimize a LinkedIn profile, and use it intentionally
While not that many physicians actively use LinkedIn, lawyers and paralegals do. The ability for them to locate the credentials and criteria they’re looking for quickly by running a quick search is appealing for obvious reasons. As such, it’s important to optimize your LinkedIn profile for things that they might be looking for or keywords they might be searching for. Basics like your location and practice environment are straightforward, but make sure to highlight your education, areas of expertise, awards, publications, and more. Have others testify to your skills. Make sure the information is up to date, and occasionally engage on posts to let them know your profile is active and that you’re likely to see their message. In general, the more information you put down, the more likely you are to be found when an attorney’s office is searching for a keyword. Also make sure that it is easy for them to contact you by establishing settings that allow people who are not connections or that don’t have your email address to send you a message.
Learn more about using LinkedIn as a Physician.
Consider signing up for expert witness databases
While we’re not fans of paying to be on a database out of the principle that people are seeking your expertise and the lawyers should be willing to pay to find you instead of expecting doctors to pay to be found, there are lots of expert witness databases that allow you to sign up for free and that connect you to lawyers seeing your expertise. In fact, we have an physician expert witness database on Physician Side Gigs where lawyers contact us asking for physicians that meet a certain profile. It’s free to sign up, so consider it. Also note that some of our members have stated that they have been asked on the stand if they paid to be on an expert witness listing service, which the opposing counsel may use to discredit your intentions for being on the stand as they point out that this is a business for you.
Network widely and consider paid advertising
Make sure you let people know that you’re looking for these opportunities, so that you’re top of mind when they come up. If your colleagues know you’re open to it, if a lawyer reaches out to them, they may refer you if they’re not interested. If you have lawyer friends who know malpractice attorneys, give them some cards to pass on. Network on LinkedIn as mentioned above.
Many lawyers are part of listservs where they share information on experts, so if a lawyer really likes working with you, you can ask them if it’s possible to mention you on a listserve along with your niche. You can also reach out to attorneys in your network and ask them if they have any colleagues looking for expert witnesses in your field, and if they could connect you. Some physicians will actually give talks at the local bar association meetings or advertise with an exhibit at an attorney conference relevant to your field. Your county court often has a list of available medical expert witnesses that you can call and ask to be put on. In fact, public courts often have a website where you can actually fill out your contact info and fee schedule to be published online. Bar journals can be another good place to advertise, but look and see if lots of people are advertising there - that’ll give you a sense of how great of a referral source it is before getting out your checkbook.
Cold calling and cold emailing is likely the least efficient way to advertise or networking, but can be effective. If you don’t mind being ignored by some, search up local attorneys in your field and send them a note saying you’d love to help them with cases if they have anything relevant currently or in the future.
Answer outreach from a lawyer ASAP
Lawyers don’t expect everyone they reach out to to respond right away. Therefore, they likely have contacted several other physicians at the same time that they’ve contacted you. Answering quickly will help reduce the chance that they’ve already moved forward or tentatively committed to someone else by the time you speak. Schedule a time to talk as soon as possible in your schedule, and show up prepared with your fee schedule and an updated CV.
Make sure that you come across as a professional when contacted
If you are contacted, you want to make sure that you don’t do anything to give the attorney a red flag. Make sure you have an updated CV ready to give them, an expert witness fee schedule for them to review, and know what rates you are asking for. Have a professional headshot so that they can see what you look like. This will give them the sense that you know what you’re doing, and instill confidence that you will conduct yourself professionally. When you speak to the attorney, they are going to be thinking about how a jury may see you - do you speak clearly, authoritatively, and are you relatable? Can you explain things in a way that’s easy to understand? Is your physical appearance professional and appropriate?
Learn more about CVs and resumes.
Ask lawyers how they found you, and try to augment that referral stream
It’s always a good idea to find out how someone who found you did so. Did they find you on LinkedIn, through an online search, from a schedule from a conference you were speaking at, through a lawyer friend, or through an expert witness database? If it was through another person, reach out to that person and thank them for referring you. Also, let them know you’d love to get more referrals! If it was through a particular event you attended, take notes and plan to attend that event. Similarly if it was through a media piece you did, see if you can do more there.
Do good work, and let the word spread organically
Last, but not least, lawyers love asking other lawyers for recommendations on expert witnesses they’ve used in the past. If you are personable, responsible, do your work on time and as promised, responsive to communications, and well spoken, lawyers will take note and recommend you. On the other hand, if you are high maintenance, require multiple reminders to meet deadlines, or submit sloppy work, chances are they won’t be using you again, or recommending you to anyone else. Going above and beyond will pay itself off with dividends.
Conclusion
There are several ways for motivated physicians to increase their chances at landing more expert witness work. For those who do this work regularly on our communities, they report that the keys to doing so have been to establish as a niche area of expertise, put themselves out there and network, and do good work and let things grow via word of mouth. For those wanting to go all in, paid advertising or more active brand building can also help.
Additional expert witness resources
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