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Communication Skills, Report Writing, and Courtroom Testimony

Location
Online

This course provides information in the three lessons.

Communication Skills. Learn to choose the ideal modality for message delivery considering the purpose, location, and audience; effectively present technical information verbally; organize thoughts and create an extended outline before writing; and organize papers using bullet points.

Report Writing. Learn requirements for an STR (Short Tandem Repeats) DNA report and guidelines for writing a good STR DNA report.

Courtroom Testimony. Become familiar with courtroom structure and personnel within the court; basic courtroom procedures and protocols; rules of evidence, discovery, and admissibility; general qualifications to testify as an expert witness; appropriate demeanor and attire; how to present technical testimony and evidence; the ethical considerations when presenting DNA-related testimony and the impact of providing faulty or erroneous evidence; and basic techniques for handling hostile attorneys.

Date Created: June 1, 2007