Inside the World of Expert Witnesses | Conversations with Counsel Podcast | With Joanne Lowe

What does an expert witness actually do, and what should lawyers know about working with them? In this special episode of the Speed Mooting Conversations with Counsel podcast, John Dove is joined by Joanne Lowe, Expert Witness Service Lead at Harrison Associates and an occupational therapist with 30 years of experience. Joanne takes us behind the scenes, explaining how occupational therapists contribute to personal injury and clinical negligence claims, how expert reports help lawyers assess quantum, and the importance of looking beyond an injury to understand its impact on a claimant's everyday life and quality of life. For law students and junior lawyers, this episode provides a valuable introduction to an area of litigation that can often seem unfamiliar until you encounter it in practice. Joanne also explains why expert witnesses must remember that their role is not to advocate for the party instructing them, and why maintaining independence can sometimes be a difficult balance for experts entering medico-legal practice. If you're a law student, aspiring barrister, trainee solicitor, pupil barrister or junior lawyer interested in civil litigation, personal injury, clinical negligence or expert evidence, this episode offers a practical insight into how expert evidence works beyond the textbook. ----- ⚖️ WANT TO DEVELOP YOUR PRACTICAL LEGAL SKILLS? Speed Mooting provides practical advocacy training, competitions, events and resources designed to help aspiring and junior lawyers develop the skills they need for legal practice. Join the Legal Skills Academy for live practitioner-led training, advocacy sessions, practical legal skills courses and more: 👉 speedmooting.com/legal-skills-academy You can also explore upcoming Speed Mooting events and free resources at: 👉 speedmooting.com 🔔 SUBSCRIBE for more conversations with barristers, solicitors and other legal professionals, alongside practical advocacy advice and insights into building a career in law. 👍 If you found this episode useful, please like the video and let us know in the comments what you learned from Joanne's insight into expert evidence.