Dr. Leckart’s Last WETC Newsletter

As the saying goes, “all good things must come to an end.” As such, I’m excited to announce that this will be my final WETC Psychology Newsletter. While I won’t be writing additional newsletters, in order to avoid severe boredom, I look forward to continuing my crusade to expose the flaws found in psych reports by writing critiques of other doctors’ reports and giving in-person testimony at depositions and trials.?I also look forward to moving over for the new generation, namely Dr. Ron Heredia, to carry on this exciting and much needed work!?I suspect that in the coming months he will start producing his own newsletter with helpful information designed to assist you in winning your litigations.

When I started my forensic psychology practice over three decades ago, and began my transition from an academic Full Professorship, I set out to make positive contributions to the medical-legal community by bringing along those high academic standards. Along the way, I’ve hired and trained staff psychologists, psychiatrists, neuropsychologists and professors. One of those individuals is Dr. Heredia who has been by my side for the past 21 years, absorbing the industry, networking and educating the community about psychological and psychiatric evaluations, reports and best practices for taking deposition and trial testimony.

????So, for the last thirty plus years I have treated and evaluated patients and also provided deposition and trial testimony on about 10,000 cases, during which time I’ve read and critiqued about 50,000 psych reports.?As crazy as it sounds, I can’t remember a single report I couldn’t demolish.?However, and in all due fairness to my colleagues, that may simply be due to attorneys and claims adjusters sending me reports they know are substantially flawed but still wanting a full formal analysis and difficult and pointed questions to ask the doctor on Cx.?Regardless, I will continue to write reports and appear at depositions and trials to help debunk the various erroneous conclusions arrived at by so many in the mental health community.??

Around the same time that I started writing newsletters, I also published my book, Psychological Evaluations in Litigation:?A Practical Guide for Attorneys and Insurance Adjusters. I never sold a single hardback copy of my book, but chose to donate my work to the med-legal community. That book can still be downloaded for free at my website, DrLeckartWETC.com. I will continue to support and add to the website as the need becomes relevant.?While my highly critical nature has not made me many friends among psych doctors I’m very proud of my image as a “renegade” in the field!

Essentially, the cause of me moving on was the pandemic that resulted in my cessation of face-to-face evaluations in March, 2020 and led to my concentration on writing critiques of flawed reports, which I call Apricots?, and giving in-person testimony.?Additionally, a lot of my practice time is spent joyfully providing free telephone consultations for attorneys and insurance adjusters. I absolutely love pointing out the major flaws in psych reports for attorneys who have upcoming depositions and trials and are not in a position to pay for a written report.?I also greatly enjoy going to court or giving depositions that critique those same reports that result in “wins” for flawed reports adversaries.

Another prideful aspect of my professional life that I will not be leaving behind is my work with Dr. Heredia. I hired him directly out of his undergraduate studies at UCLA and have seen him through his gradute education, starting a family and positioning himself as a highly skilled professional. I fully intend to continue supporting Dr. Heredia in his effort to continue our crusade to expose the flaws found in reports and/or testimony from psychologists, psychiatrists and neuropsychologists and in his own quest to make positive contributions to the medical-legal community for decades to come. I look forward to his great success in this area!

Lastly, if you wish to commission an Apricot?, written by myself or Dr. Heredia, you can still call us at 310-444-3154, especially if you would like a free telephone consult.?

Overall, Id’ like to thank all of you who have used my services over these past 3+ decades.?Without your support neither I nor my family would ever have been able to experience the many wonderful things we have if I stayed a college professor.?Once again thank you for all of your support for all these years.?I am very, very grateful for that major contribution to me and my family’s lives.

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