During the ABA Annual Meeting in August 2012, the ABA House of Delegates debated a set of guidelines on retention of experts by lawyers that had been proposed by its Litigation Section.  The House ultimately rejected the guidelines, which were voluntary in nature, and the debate over them is recounted in an article in the November 2012 ABA Journal.  The article quotes CCL President Robert S. Peck, a delegate in the ABA House, as recognizing the guidelines as “simply a reference point” that would likely be followed “in an ideal world.” The guidelines were intended to provide advice on issues of professionalism, confidentiality, conflicts of interest, and expert fees.