ForensisGroup Examines the Role of Human Judgment in AI-Assisted Expert Witness Searches

Expert witness selection still requires understanding the case, expertise needed and the individual behind the credentials even with artificial intelligence

PASADENA, CA, UNITED STATES, October 13, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Artificial intelligence is changing how attorneys research cases, analyze information and identify specialized expertise. But when the search involves an expert who may help interpret critical evidence, prepare an opinion, sit for deposition or testify before a jury, finding a name is only the beginning.

ForensisGroup, known in the legal and insurance communities as The Expert of Experts^® and a provider of expert witness services supporting attorneys, law firms, insurers, corporations and other organizations,
is highlighting the continuing importance of human judgment as AI becomes increasingly integrated into legal research and the search for specialized expertise.

“AI can help us find information faster than ever before, and that is tremendously valuable,” said Mercy Tolentino Steenwyk, Founder and CEO of ForensisGroup. “But an expert witness isn’t a search result. The question isn’t simply, ‘Who has these credentials?’ It is, ‘Who has the right expertise and experience for the specific questions this case needs answered?’ That requires understanding the matter and the people involved.”

Search Is Not the Same as Selection
AI-powered tools can quickly identify professionals by specialty, scan publicly available credentials, summarize backgrounds and surface potential candidates across highly specialized disciplines.

That capability is becoming particularly useful as litigation increasingly involves emerging and overlapping fields such as artificial intelligence, autonomous vehicles, blockchain and digital assets, lithium-ion battery failures, drones and unmanned aircraft systems, wildfire modeling and other rapidly evolving technologies.

But a list of technically qualified candidates does not necessarily identify the right expert.

The appropriate expert may depend on the facts of the case, the questions counsel needs answered, the expert’s specific experience, potential conflicts, prior testimony, communication skills and ability to explain highly technical information clearly and objectively.

In some matters, the first challenge is determining what type of expert is needed.

A lithium-ion battery fire, for example, could potentially involve expertise in electrical engineering, battery chemistry, materials science, product design, manufacturing or fire origin and cause. An autonomous vehicle accident could raise questions involving automotive engineering, software, sensors, human factors and accident reconstruction.

“The technology can help narrow the universe, but it can’t replace the conversation that helps define what counsel is actually looking for,” said Emily Lou Steenwyk, Managing Director of ForensisGroup. “Sometimes a client comes to us asking for one type of expert and, after discussing the matter, it becomes clear that another specialty – or several disciplines – may be relevant. That understanding has to come before the match.”

Where Technology Helps and Where People Still Matter
ForensisGroup has embraced a High Touch High Tech™ approach that uses technology to improve efficiency while preserving human involvement in the areas where judgment and experience matter most.

AI and other digital tools can help accelerate research, organize information, identify possible specialties and improve access to potential expert candidates. Human review remains important when evaluating issues such as:
• Case fit: Does the expert’s experience align with the specific technical questions at issue?
• Credentials and experience: Do the qualifications go beyond keywords on a CV and reflect meaningful experience in the relevant area?
• Conflicts: Are there professional, financial or other relationships that require closer review?
• Litigation experience: When relevant, can the expert develop a clear, well-supported report that explains the technical issues and presents the analysis and opinions in a logical narrative, and are they prepared for deposition and testimony?
• Communication: Can the expert explain complex information clearly to attorneys, judges and juries?
• Objectivity: Can the expert independently evaluate the facts and offer opinions grounded in the evidence and the expert’s discipline?

The distinction becomes increasingly important as emerging technologies create new areas of litigation for which expertise may cross traditional professional boundaries.

High Tech Should Create More Time for High Touch
ForensisGroup sees AI not as a replacement for human expertise, but as another tool that gives people more time to do the work that requires judgment.

For Emily, that distinction has guided the company’s continuing investment in its digital experience and internal technology.

“The best use of technology is to remove repetitive work and make good information easier to access,” she said. “That gives our team more time to understand the case, talk with the client, evaluate qualifications and communicate with potential experts. The technology should support the relationship, not become the relationship.”

That philosophy also applies to the experts themselves. As AI makes increasingly sophisticated technical information accessible, the value of an expert witness remains rooted not simply in access to information, but in specialized knowledge, relevant experience, independent analysis and the ability to explain conclusions clearly.

Mercy sees that as consistent with the principle on which she founded ForensisGroup 35 years ago.

“Technology has changed enormously since I started ForensisGroup, and we should take advantage of what it allows us to do better,” she said. “But our responsibility remains the same: understand what the client needs, identify qualified expertise and support a process grounded in Nothing But the Truth^®. Technology can help us get there. Human judgment helps us know when we have.”

About ForensisGroup
ForensisGroup, The Expert of Experts^®, is a premier provider of expert witnesses, consultants and litigation support professionals with 3,000+ areas of expertise across business, engineering and construction, environmental and science, including technical, medical and financial disciplines. Since 1991, the firm has supported over 20,000 clients in more than 30,000 cases. Recognized as a Top 100
Women-Owned and Minority-Owned business in Los Angeles, ForensisGroup is guided by its commitment to Nothing But the Truth^®. ForensisGroup combines technical expertise with High Touch High TechTM service and Excellence in Human ConnectionTM to help clients navigate complex legal matters. The Los Angeles Business Journal recognized the firm with its 2025 Social Responsibility Award and ForensisGroup has been voted the Best Expert Provider by The National Law Journal and AM’s Best Client-Recommended Expert Service Provider for over 10 years. To learn more, visit ForensisGroup.com or call 800-555-5422.

Kathleen McEntee
Kathleen McEntee and Associates, Ltd.
+1 312-501-1950
kmcentee@kmcenteeassoc.com
Visit us on social media:
LinkedIn
Instagram
Facebook
X
Other

Media gallery