Ethics & Professional Responsibility in Forensics Flashcards
7 cards from real CFC practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Ethics & Professional Responsibility in Forensics flashcards as text
A CFC consultant is hired to value intellectual property in a patent dispute and later is approached to serve as a mediator in the same dispute. This situation:
Answer: Presents a role conflict because prior expert work compromises the appearance of neutrality in mediation
Serving as both a testifying expert and a mediator in the same matter creates an inherent role conflict that undermines the mediator's required neutrality.
Overstating qualifications on a curriculum vitae submitted to the court as a forensic consultant constitutes:
Answer: Fraud on the court and a serious ethical violation
Misrepresenting credentials submitted to a court constitutes fraud and violates the most fundamental ethical obligations of a forensic consultant.
When a forensic consultant uses proprietary software to perform a forensic analysis, the ethical obligation regarding the software is to:
Answer: Disclose the software's name, version, and known limitations that may affect results
Opposing parties and the court are entitled to know what tools were used and their limitations so the analysis can be properly evaluated.
A forensic consultant who is also a licensed attorney is asked to provide both legal advice and forensic expert analysis in the same matter. This is:
Answer: A problematic dual-role situation that creates conflicts between advocacy and objectivity
The advocacy role of an attorney fundamentally conflicts with the objectivity required of a forensic expert, making dual roles in the same matter ethically problematic.
Under CFC ethics, what is the appropriate action when retaining counsel instructs a forensic consultant not to disclose certain communications in a deposition?
Answer: Follow instruction only if the communications are legitimately privileged; refuse if it involves concealing relevant facts
A forensic consultant must follow legitimate privilege instructions but cannot withhold non-privileged relevant information at counsel's direction.
A CFC consultant is subpoenaed to testify about opinions formed as a non-testifying consulting expert. The consultant's first step should be to:
Answer: Notify retaining counsel immediately so work-product protection can be asserted if applicable
Consulting expert opinions may be protected as attorney work product; retaining counsel must be notified immediately so appropriate legal objections can be raised.
Which standard governs when a forensic consultant may ethically discuss a concluded case publicly, such as in academic publications or speaking engagements?
Answer: Discussion requires removing or anonymizing all identifying information and ensuring no confidentiality agreement prohibits it
Post-case public discussion is ethically permissible only when identifying details are protected and no confidentiality obligations are breached.