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Law
Note Series
Social
Workers as Expert Witnesses
by: Carolyn I. Polowy, JD
and Joel Gilbertson, Law Clerk
Published: October 1997 © NASW
Pages: 33, including 2 appendices (Highlight: NASW Supreme Court Amicus Brief
in Jaffee v. Redmond)
INTRODUCTION
Courts of law rely upon information
offered in evidence as the basis for decisions rendered. Evidence comes in
many forms, including photographs, recordings, devices, forensic evidence,
documents, and individual testimony. Oral testimony by witnesses is, however,
often the major source of evidence at a trial.
Witnesses who testify as
experts play an important role in interpreting data, explaining complex material,
and drawing knowledgeable inferences based upon their training and experience.
Social workers are called to testify as expert witnesses on a variety of
subjects. This Law Note discusses the role of the expert witness and reviews
case law confirming the role of social workers as expert witnesses in a variety
of settings.
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