Forensic Economist Qualifications for Maine Damages Cases

By Christopher Skerritt, M.Ed., MBA, Chief of Economic Services · Published · Reviewed

Maine courts ask whether the economist is qualified by training and experience, whether the opinion rests on a reliable foundation, and whether it will help the fact finder, under the state's own reliability inquiry. A damages report meets that inquiry by showing the published basis for each assumption and its fit with the record. The forensic economist qualification is what that inquiry examines: graduate training in economics, finance, or business, a published damages method applied to the record, and a record of reports and testimony.

Recognition and qualification in Maine

State recognition: Recognized nationally; no state licensure applies. There is no state license for forensic economists to check, so counsel verify the credential with its issuer and review the economist's testimony record directly.

For a matter venued in Maine, counsel verify the qualification the same way in every venue, because no state licenses forensic economists and there is no Maine register to check. The elements are the economist's graduate training, the published method behind each component of the report, and the testimony record, and each can be examined directly: the CV, the report's stated sources, and the transcripts of prior depositions. In Maine, the same elements are what the court weighs when the opinion is challenged, so a report that ties every input to the record and names its data sources answers the qualification question before it is asked.

KW Economics economists apply nationally recognized methods while accounting for Maine's wage levels, venue, and damages rules.

Maine courts and venues

Economic damages experts testify in Maine's courts, where qualification is decided case by case on education, method, and experience rather than on any single credential.

Highest court: Maine Supreme Judicial Court. Federal venues: D. Me. Court system: courts.maine.gov.

Forensic economists for Maine matters

KW Economics provides forensic economists for Maine damages matters, including remote consultation, report preparation, and deposition or trial testimony where the case is venued. Contact us to discuss availability for your matter.

Other credentials in Maine

Frequently asked: qualifying a forensic economist in Maine

How do Maine courts qualify a forensic economist?

Maine courts ask whether the economist is qualified by training and experience, whether the opinion rests on a reliable foundation, and whether it will help the fact finder, under the state's own reliability inquiry. A damages report meets that inquiry by showing the published basis for each assumption and its fit with the record. Recognized nationally; no state licensure applies. There is no state license for forensic economists to check, so counsel verify the credential with its issuer and review the economist's testimony record directly.

More questions about this credential

References

Request a consultation on Maine damages matters or call (201) 343-0700. Plaintiff and defense counsel.