Nonprofessional experts rank high on jury credibility

According to the August 2005 ABA Journal (link to ABA site and article), nonprofessionals rank high on jury credibility AND cost the lawyers less. According to the article:

"One reason they are becoming so popular, lawyers say, is economics. Nonprofessionals typically charge a fraction of what professionals command. And some professional experts have doubled or even tripled their fees in recent years. Nonprofessional rates, meanwhile, have remained relatively stable.
But, expenses aside, these lawyers say people who actually work in a particular field tend to have more credibility and a better rapport with juries than many professional experts."

Nova Southeastern University law professor Carol Henderson, says,

"Going this route makes economic sense, especially in contingent fee cases when a lawyer is advancing costs or for firms that lack substantial war chests."

Furthmore:

She supports the notion that jurors find nonprofessionals more credible. “Some professional experts may come across as too glib or too polished,” says Henderson, the director of the National Clearinghouse for Science, Technology and the Law at Stetson University College of Law.