Day in the Life – Expert Deposition Prep

One of the best experiences of my summer associate program so far has been the in depth observational experiences I’ve had. I had the opportunity to sit in on an expert deposition preparation session and it was fascinating to see all the strategy that it entailed. I had the opportunity to read the expert report beforehand, which was dense and complicated. It was amazing to see the skill Weil attorneys had in taking a dense expert report and animating it with human emotion and experience. I was also so impressed at the depth of the understanding the attorneys had about the complexities of the report and their ability to guide the expert through the report in a credible and persuasive way.

There would be certain answers or responses that would elicit long discussions about phrasing and vocabulary. The attention to detail by the attorneys I was working with was astounding. Having a lot of people in the room was very helpful in working through difficult parts of the testimony and brainstorming the best approach to answering tough questions. The attorneys were patient with the expert witness and able to prepare her effectively based on their knowledge of opposing counsel. This observational assignment was a particularly valuable experience because it gave a great insight into the daily life of attorneys at Weil. I feel very grateful to have been able to sit in on the experience.