Cgrs expert testimony webinar

CGRS’s TA Library has resources to support advocates working with experts, including a practice advisory on responding to challenges to expert witnesses in defensive proceedings and model documents such as confidentiality agreements and sample contracts.

You can access the TA Library by creating an account or logging into your account and registering a case. To view all expert-related resources in the TA Library, select the “Working With Experts” checkbox under “Other Topics” on the left-side filter toolbar. For more information on using the TA Library, please refer to our FAQ and TA Library Guide.

Can expert witnesses who are not located in the United States submit written and/or oral testimony in immigration court?

Yes. Experts supporting asylum applications processed in the Asylum Office typically only provide written declarations and do not have to be located in the United States to do so. In immigration court, the immigration judge in a particular case has the authority to decide whether to allow testimony from a witness who is not physically present in the courtroom, including testimony from experts who are not in the United States. Written and telephonic testimony from experts who are not in the United States can be, and often is, admitted in immigration court.

CGRS does not mediate disputes between experts and attorneys, for example, concerning work done on individual cases. We provide referrals for reference only. Appearance in the CGRS Expert Witness Database does not indicate CGRS's endorsement of an expert, and we cannot guarantee any expert's work product. Please see our full Terms of Use here.

I had an excellent experience working with an expert who is not listed in CGRS’s Database. How do I refer them to CGRS’s Expert Witness Database?

Advocates can encourage experts to join CGRS’s Database by registering here .

The definition of an “expert witness” in immigration proceedings is broad. It does not require any specific academic degree or years of a particular type of experience. Per the Federal Rules of Evidence, which are persuasive in immigration court, a person with “scientific, technical, or other specialized knowledge” that will help the adjudicator understand the evidence or determine a fact in issue could qualify as an expert. Fed. R. Evid. 702. Expert witnesses can include:

• Country conditions specialists such as scholars, journalists, members of civil society organizations, legal specialists, political analysts, and other individuals with specialized knowledge on particular country conditions or issues impacting asylum seekers (i.e., gender-based violence, gang, religion, political opinion, etc.).
• Mental health experts and forensic medical/physical health experts with the ability to conduct both mental and medical health evaluations, including individuals holding M.D., N.P., and P.A., degrees; and clinicians from the licensed mental health professions (i.e., clinical mental health counseling, clinical social work, marriage and family therapy, clinical and/or counseling psychology, psychiatry, psychiatric nursing).

To be considered for inclusion in the Expert Witness Database, first register for a CGRS account by selecting “Individual serving as an expert witness,” then provide your contact information. Once logged in to your account, select Create an Expert Witness Profile on your My Account page. The Expert Witness Profile collects more in-depth information about your qualifications and expertise. CGRS staff will review and consider your Expert Witness Profile for inclusion in the Database.

Organizations and clinics can register for an account and create a profile in the Database by selecting "Organization/clinic offering expert evaluations" on the registration page.

To register for a clinic or organizational account, first register for a CGRS account by selecting “Organization or clinic providing expert evaluations,” then provide contact information for an individual or general email address at which CGRS staff can contact your clinic. Once registered for an account, select Create Organization/Clinic Profile on the My Account page. The profile creation page will collect more detailed information about the work of your clinic or organization, which will be reviewed by CGRS staff for inclusion in the Database.

I would like to serve as an expert, but I am not sure what it entails. Do you have resources for new experts?

After creating a CGRS account as an expert witness, you will be granted access to CGRS’s Expert Witness Resource Library. The library contains resources intended to support work as an expert witness, including to support collaboration with a legal team, the practice of serving as an expert witness, sample expert declarations, and more. You do not need to be published in the Expert Witness Database to access the Resource Library, but you do need to have a CGRS individual expert account.

CGRS’s Expert Witness Resource Library contains resources intended to support work as an expert witness in immigration proceedings. This includes sample documents to support collaboration with a legal team such as confidentiality agreements and contract paperwork; sample expert declarations, country conditions information, recorded trainings from CGRS and other organizations; and more.

CGRS’s Expert Witness Resource Library is available to all individual experts registered with CGRS. You do not need to be published in the Expert Witness Database to access the Resource Library, but you do need to have a CGRS individual expert account.

To access, log into your CGRS account and navigate to your My Account page, then click on Access the Expert Witness Resource Library.