(1) Law and the legal domain are as logic-driven as the IT profession for which this book is written.(2) What may make perfect common sense to a non-legal professional is not necessarily in line with the legal view.(3) The scope of this book goes far beyond how to present forensic testimony as an IT security professional.
The authors establish a context for what it means to be an expert witness, and the basics (testimony, key cases to lay groundwork, and illustrating examples).
By chapter 4, Understanding the Rules of the Game, you may find yourself mired down in more detail than you think necessary; however, it is within the morass of details where you'll start to see the complexity of the legal process. And complex it is. The dissection of key cases, how experts made a difference (either way), and cited cases that show how the law is evolving are necessary background information for any IT professional, either as an expert witness, as a plaintiff, or as a defendant.
If you do wind up in court as a witness (expert or not) in a security, contract or other case (criminal or legal), turn to chapters 9 (testimony), 11 (demeanor and credibility), and 12 (non-verbal communication). These will quickly prep you. If you are going as an expert witness I advise you to cram, especially every chapter starting with Chapter 5.
Who else should read this book? Any IT professional who is involved with contracts, quality, consulting, or product development. Chances are you may wind up in court at some point, and this material is as applicable in many cases to anyone called as a witness as it is to expert witnesses.
While this book is not easy to plow through, and the details may seem to fine-grained or to overwhelming, it will prepare you for your day in court.
The authors go into a lot of legal detail. If you are not a lawyer, you can skip these sections, which make up about a third of the book.
But besides that, it is a very good book.reviews: page 1, 2