Ethics and the Engineer as Expert Witness: A Module for Classroom Exercises

This paper from a conference describes a class module that looks at the differences between the training, perspective, and motives of the engineering and the lawyer, and looks at how these differences manifest themselves when an engineer is serving as an expert witness in at U.S. court of law. The paper gives an explanation of what an expert witness is, some applicable theories of ethics, and then presents two case studies dealing with engineers and expert witnesses.