Like it or not, an amendment to Federal Rule of Evidence 702 regarding testimony by expert witnesses is set to take effect on Dec. 1.

For anyone just catching up on this process that’s been years in the works from the Judicial Conference Committee on Rules of Practice, here’s a redline version of the coming changes:

A witness who is qualified as an expert by knowledge, skill, experience, training, or education may testify in the form of an opinion or otherwise if the proponent demonstrates to the court that it is more likely than not that:

(a) the expert’s scientific, technical, or other specialized knowledge will help the trier of fact to understand the evidence or to determine a fact in issue;

(b) the testimony is based on sufficient facts or data;

(c) the testimony is the product of reliable principles and methods; and

(d) the expert has reliably applied expert’s opinion reflects a reliable application of the principles and methods to the facts of the case.