How to write a good Expert Witness CV

At a time when regular work flow is crucial, it is becoming more and more important to communicate your skill set effectively in order to give yourself the best possible chance of securing regular referrals from agencies, solicitors, case management companies and corporations.

We often get asked; ‘How do I write my Expert Witness CV’ or ‘What makes a good CV’? The truth is there is no correct, single answer.

Whilst there are plenty of pre-designed templates available from internet advisory services, it is very difficult to source one that is appropriate for an expert witness. Furthermore, the generic advice these sites offer is not always suitable in a situation when your CV is the only opportunity you have to secure an instruction, rather than an interview.

Because of this, we have compiled a few tips and an example CV to help you get started if you are considering updating your expert witness CV:

1. Ensure that your experience as an expert witness is listed first in your CV. It is unlikely that a solicitor will be prepared to pull out the required information to instruct you, particularly if you are one of a number of professionals they are considering

2. Your CV should be clear and concise in order for the instructing parties to acknowledge your expertise in a particular area. Bullet pointed examples of cases you have previously worked on are particularly useful to communicate the breadth of your experience without lengthening the CV too much

3. Your career history is best presented in reverse date order starting with your current position. More emphasis should be placed on your most recent positions and if you have any career gaps, offer a brief explanation

4. Try not to overload your CV with numerous research papers and publications. Whilst these are important, it can dominate your CV and might be construed for lacking in practical experience to someone outside the profession.  However, always offer to provide extra information should the instructing party require it

5. Try to limit your CV to 3 pages. Pages and pages of information can tend to overwhelm the reader and can even be read as being symptomatic of written communication problems

6. Always include additional, relevant information. For example; experience of working with an interpreter, language skills, CRB clearance

7. Never underestimate the appearance of your CV. Ensure the formatting is correct (Try to avoid using multiple fonts and text sizes as this can make it difficult to read. Research has shown that Times New Roman is a good choice because many publications use this and the eye is well accustomed to it. However, as long as the font is consistent and not italicised, your CV should be easy to read on a computer screen.