I tend to agree with the assessment that ALV is not the kind of expert one would want to count on to give testimony of this nature, and it's not solely due to her lack of terminal degree. I concur that the work in the trenches has its merit, but only when it is supported by continued education and scholarship.
Ms. Violette's resume leaves much to be desired, imo. Her appointments as adjunct professor do not include the course titles she taught, number of credits, frequency, nor the level of the course, (graduate/undergraduate/professional). While I believe it is an honor to hold the position she has with the US Dept of State as far as representing this county, I don't think it puts her at the cutting edge of developing knowledge about DV victims and perpetrators. For five years there has been nothing new to add to her cv under "professional background."
Her many speaking credits demonstrate that she has been working the lecture circuit for some time. What is not clear, however, is why none of these many presentations has ever been published. In my field when one attends a conference and presents a paper it is with the intention (or hope,) to one day publish that work or a version thereof. Even more concerning is the amount of repetition over the years in the speeches delivered.
The list under "conferences" must be events that she attended but at which she did not present. There are no dates given for these or for the community service/in service trainings. IMV these lists are impossible to assess meaningfully.
Her major employment in 2009 and 2008 was as a consultant and an expert witness. It is unclear where her energies have been focused since then, since she has not published since 2009.
I'm not saying she's a sluff or that she's not an expert. There are different standards for different fields, obviously. She's won many awards and is clearly respected for what she does. I think that some careful questions from JM could clarify whether her opinion reflects the most recent thinking on DV.
