Judges Go Back To School For Science Class

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Judges in several statets are attending a new kind of Medical School, not to become doctors, but to become better judges in complex litigation. A non-profit school in Washington uses doctors and scientists to educate judges so that they can become more familiar with the underlying issues involved in medical malpractice, products liability or intellectual property suits. Since judges are to be the gatekeepers of scientific evidence, according to the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, this training concept seems like a no-brainer. Of course, "who teaches what" must be closely scrutinized to avoid bias for defendants.