Lawyers need to become more science literate
I just got back from attending a forensic training for capital litigators in Arizona. That was on top of the annual TCDLA forensic seminar I went to last month (which was in conjunction with the Innocence Project annual meeting). I admit I'm interested in forensics - primarily because it seem to be such a big part of many of the cases I get involved in. It's especially prevalent in post-conviction cases - where bad science was often an factor. Just think arson.
Forensic training for lawyers is relatively new - and long overdue. Forensics can be a critical part of many cases - and it extends far beyond the basics such as DNA. Unfortunately, many lawyers are still undereducated on forensics. They may become aware when a forensic issue becomes an issue in their case, but science offers much more. In the past we have too often left this up to the experts; bad results have followed, because we didn't enough to ensure the experts we retained knew any more about what they were doing than the state's experts.
There are more areas now where science can be used by defendants. We can't use it if we don't know about it. So go out and learn more about science and forensics. You might find it interesting, and get hooked. More importantly, it might help your client.
