Expert witness' CVs are snapshots of their "Academic Life" that are used to help counsel on both sides understand where the expert's knowledge was derived. A problem for some expert witnesses, however, is to try and extenuate their CV with superfluous and descriptive filler rather than let their experience speak to their expertise.

Opposing counsel will try to convince juries that personal information, such as religious groups and non-professional affiliations, and unnecessary padding discredit the expert's opinion. Even defining work as "expert witness" work paints an expert as a hired gun, and may be looked down on by the court.

Expert witness training guru Steven Babitsky warns expert witnesses against adding extraneous information to their CVs as it "can only be used as ammunition by the opposing counsel." In addition, personal information, padding or non-academic work can be disruptive when trying to establish the expert's credentials.

In his book, How to Become a Dangerous Expert Witness, Babitsky demonstrates how padding can be a problem.

"Counsel: You list as a lecture, 'How to Shift Losses to Another Party' given for the XYZ Insurance company on May 1, 2005, do you not?

Expert: Yes.

Counsel: They didn't even invite you to give this talk, did they?

Expert: No.

Counsel: In fact, the vast majority of the lectures listed on your CV are promotional lectures designed to generate business and not invitations to educate colleagues?

Expert: Yes.

Counsel: Do you think it makes you look more impressive by filling up a CV with the same lecture being given 42 times?"

Clark

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