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American Board of Vocational Experts Fellow (ABVE/F)

KWVRS Editorial Team. Last updated .

The ABVE Fellow is the American Board of Vocational Experts' certification for a forensic vocational expert: a graduate degree in a human service field, documented experience in assessment of vocational capacity and as a forensic vocational expert, a peer-reviewed forensic work product, the board's examination and its code of ethics. The Diplomate is the board's higher designation.

Issued by

American Board of Vocational Experts

Requirements

  • Master's or doctorate from an accredited institution in vocational rehabilitation, psychology, vocational counseling or a closely related human service field
  • Three years of documented experience in assessment of vocational capacity and as a forensic vocational expert
  • Training and experience in assessment, functional capacity measures, psychological testing and measurement, job analysis, job placement and job surveys, with expert testimony in those areas
  • A redacted forensic work product authored within the preceding eighteen months (Social Security vocational expert testimony is not accepted)
  • Three letters of recommendation, a signed ABVE Code of Ethics and a peer review
  • Passing score on the ABVE examination
  • Continuing education on the board's three-year cycle and an annual renewal fee

Vetting an ABVE Fellow for your matter

The ABVE Fellow is the American Board of Vocational Experts' certification for a forensic vocational expert. It establishes that the holder has a master's or doctoral degree from an accredited institution in vocational rehabilitation, psychology, vocational counseling or a closely related human service field, three years of documented experience in assessment of vocational capacity and as a forensic vocational expert, training and experience in vocational assessment, testing, job analysis, placement and job surveys with expert testimony in those areas, a redacted forensic work product that passed the board's peer review, a passing score on the board's examination and a signed code of ethics, and that the holder keeps the certification current through continuing education on the board's three-year cycle.

The Fellow establishes forensic standing at the board's first level, not the Diplomate's. A Fellow and a Diplomate apply the same earning capacity and employability methods, are held to the same admissibility standard and disclose the same material; what separates them is the length of the record and the distinguished performance the Diplomate requires, not the content of the opinion. The certification does not establish experience in the case type at hand, since the board's requirement is forensic vocational experience in general, and it does not establish recent testimony: a senior Fellow may have moved toward review or supervision, and counsel who need an expert at deposition soon should ask about the current calendar rather than rely on the title. The board excludes Social Security vocational expert testimony from the experience it counts, so a Fellow's forensic record was built elsewhere, but the credential does not say in which forums.

Counsel vetting a Fellow asks the questions any forensic vocational credential invites and a few particular to this one. When was the holder last examined at deposition and at trial, and in what forum? Does the work product the holder submitted to the board resemble the report the matter needs, and can a redacted copy be reviewed? Has the holder's work been limited or excluded, and on what ground? Will the Fellow personally perform the evaluation and write the report, or work under a Diplomate who signs and testifies? Is the holder's experience in the case type at hand, and does the fee structure fit the size of the matter?

The Fellow pairs with testimony experience by construction, because the board counts experience as a forensic vocational expert toward the certification and asks for a work product built to withstand an admissibility challenge. In a routine matter a Fellow with a current testimony record in the forum at hand is a proportionate choice for the sole vocational expert role; in a complex earning capacity dispute or a rebuttal of an opposing expert whose credentials are strong, counsel may look for the Diplomate's longer record. There is no comparison page for the Fellow because the certification is compared with the Diplomate rather than with another credential; the Diplomate and CRC comparison below covers the ground the two ABVE certifications share, and the requirements above state where they differ.

When a KWVRS expert holds the Fellow certification it appears in the credential list on the expert's profile, and where the profile carries a Prior Testimony section that section describes the record the certification rests on. Counsel choosing between a Fellow and a Diplomate for a particular engagement can raise the question at intake, and the answer turns on the matter's complexity and calendar rather than on the title alone.

Compare

KWVRS experts holding ABVE/F

ABVE/F by state

Frequently Asked Questions

How does a Fellow differ from a Diplomate?

The Diplomate is the board's higher designation: at least seven years of documented forensic vocational experience and distinguished performance such as publications, office in a professional organization or awards, against the Fellow's three years. The two certifications share the degree requirement, the examination, the peer-reviewed work product and the code of ethics, and the board takes a separate application for each.

References

  1. ABVE Fellow InformationOrganization

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