Webinar: Forensic Meteorology – Revealing Weather-Related Truths and Admissibility of a Weather Expert

This session will teach attendees what forensic meteorology is and the type of cases a forensic meteorologist is retained in. Our course will also discuss the qualifications of a forensic meteorologist expert and the admissibility of a weather expert in court. We will cover data sources a forensic meteorologist relies on and the pitfalls/limitations of the data. The latest science and technology available for a meteorologist will also be presented. Finally, we will provide real-life case examples where a forensic meteorologist was utilized.

Presented by the Admiralty Law Section and Federal Litigation Section

About the Presenters

Charlie Davant, Attorney, Davant Law

Charlie, a Florida native, has been working on, in and around boats his whole life. He saw maritime law as an opportunity to combine his passion with his profession. His clients know that he has the technical knowledge of vessels and legal expertise to successfully protect their interests. Charlie knows that marine incidents occur at all hours, so he is there for his clients around the clock. He has a relatable personality that makes the attorney-client relationship enjoyable and wins over juries and judges.

Charlie is an experienced litigation and trial attorney and has successfully assisted clients in resolving matters involving the Limitation of Liability Act, maritime personal injury, property damage, marine salvage and marine insurance coverage issues. He has also enjoyed success at the appellate level with decisions involving admiralty matters in the Eleventh Circuit.

Charlie’s peers rated him at the highest level of professional excellence which has earned him a Martindale-Hubbell® AV Preeminent® rating. In addition, Charlie has been Board Certified by the Florida Bar in Admiralty and Maritime Law since 2013. Certification is the highest level of recognition by The Florida Bar of the competency and experience of attorneys, and Charlie is one of only 63 out of 100,000 attorneys in Florida to hold this distinction.

John D. Lavin, CCM, Director of Forensic Services, AccuWeather for Business

As the Director of Forensic Services at AccuWeather, John leads a team of highly qualified expert meteorologists. John himself has over ten years of professional meteorology experience working directly with many Fortune 500 companies. In early 2018, John earned his CCM designation from the American Meteorological Society, which is only awarded to highly qualified meteorologists. John has worked on many forensic cases involving hail and wind verification, slip and falls, auto accidents, and wrongful death suits. John’s experience working directly with businesses has translated well as an expert witness, which allows him to demonstrate his skills at communicating complex meteorological topics to non-scientists.

Steve Wistar, CCM, Senior Forensic Meteorologist, AccuWeather for Business

As a Certified Consulting Meteorologist (CCM) and Expert Senior Forensic Meteorologist with 45 years of experience with AccuWeather, Steve has worked on numerous cases involving slip and falls, flooding, highway accidents, building and crane collapses, severe wind impacts, Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Sandy. Steve uses his tremendous attention to detail and his excellent communication skills to explain meteorology to the non-scientist. At AccuWeather, Steve constructs impartial scientific reports for use in courts of law to support both plaintiff and defense. He has testified more than 150 times in courtrooms or at depositions in 18 states.

Registration

Registration Fees

Registration is Closed

• FBA Member: $0
• Nonmember: $75

Live Captioning: Closed captioning is available for all virtual webcasts.

Cancellation Policy: No refunds will be made for cancellations received after the close of business on July 20, 2022. No-shows will be billed. Substitutions may be made at any time upon notification. Please contact meetings@fedbar.org with cancellation and/or substitution requests.

Internet Requirements: Virtual programs require suitable internet strength to stream online panels. A minimum internet connection of 800 Kbps is recommended for an optimal attendee experience. Test your connection here. 

CLE

CLE: 1.0 CLE Credit

CLE Credit will be processed/reported approximately 4-6 weeks after the event date and available for credit in states that allow credit for live webinar presentations. You must attend the live broadcast, answer engagement polls, and accurately enter your bar number in our database to receive credit. Certificates and required documentation for self-reporting states will be issued via email, upon state bar approval. Thank you in advance for your patience, as state bars are experiencing significant delays with virtual program processing.

Click Here for more information on CLE Attendance and Reporting.

Email Communication Policy: By registering for this event, you agree to receive email communications from the Federal Bar Association and affiliated sponsors of the program concerning event details, Continuing Legal Education certification, programming changes, upcoming events, surveys, and post-event communications.

Recording Disclaimer: By registering for an FBA webinar, you agree to the recording of audio and visual content presented during the live event and consent to subsequent use of the recording by the FBA. You agree that the recording is the sole property of the FBA and that the recording may be used by the FBA in any manner in its sole and absolute discretion. This recording may include questions and poll responses provided by you during the live event. If you do not consent to the recording and the FBA’s use of the same, do not register for the event.

If you have any questions regarding this program, please contact meetings@fedbar.org.