The High Court of American Samoa applies rules of evidence modeled on the federal rules, so expert testimony is examined for the witness's qualification, the reliability of the method, and its application to the facts of the case, with the details of the inquiry for counsel to confirm. A damages report meets that examination by stating each assumption and naming its source, including any mainland benchmark it borrows. NAFE membership adds a published ethics statement and a peer-reviewed literature that counsel can hold any report against; it does not replace that inquiry, and it is not a certification.
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.
NAFE membership means the same thing in American Samoa as anywhere else, because the association is national and no state recognizes or requires it: the economist has joined the field's professional body and agreed to its ethics statement. What that gives counsel in a matter venued in American Samoa is a written standard to test a report against, including an opposing report: disclosed data and assumptions, a method the economist would apply the same way for either side, and fees that do not depend on the outcome. Membership is verified with the association for the year in question rather than from a CV line, and the affiliations of the economist assigned to a matter venued in American Samoa are confirmed at engagement.
KW Economics economists apply nationally recognized methods while accounting for American Samoa's wage levels, venue, and damages rules.
Economic damages experts testify in American Samoa's courts, where qualification is decided case by case on education, method, and experience rather than on any single credential.
Highest court: High Court of American Samoa, Appellate Division.
American Samoa has no separate supreme court and no local U.S. district court; the High Court exercises limited federal jurisdiction, and other federal matters are generally heard in the U.S. District Courts for the District of Hawaii or the District of Columbia.
KW Economics provides forensic economists for American Samoa 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.
The High Court of American Samoa applies rules of evidence modeled on the federal rules, so expert testimony is examined for the witness's qualification, the reliability of the method, and its application to the facts of the case, with the details of the inquiry for counsel to confirm. A damages report meets that examination by stating each assumption and naming its source, including any mainland benchmark it borrows. 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.
Request a consultation on American Samoa damages matters or call (201) 343-0700. Plaintiff and defense counsel.