Forensic Accounting Course Features Mock Trials for Real-Life Trial Experience

ASU Professor Joe Epps Focuses on Teaching Students Forensic Accounting in Litigation

(Scottsdale, AZ) – Joe Epps, President of Epps CPA Consulting PLLC, has witnessed just about every form of fraud, schemes and scams under the sun during his 33 years working in the currently hot field of Forensic Accounting. Epps has testified as an expert witness on various forensic accounting issues in Michigan, Arizona, Wisconsin, Indiana and Ohio, and his passion and experience for the subject led him to becoming an associate professor, teaching a graduate level course on the topic. Epps is currently on the faculty of the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University. Less than half of the top 25 graduate accounting programs at major universities include Forensic Accounting as a course offering – and as a result, Epps and his ASU Masters of Accounting program are at the forefront of the burgeoning field.

This spring marks Epps’ fourth year teaching the course, and as part of their Forensic Accounting course in the Master of Accounting program, graduate accounting students learn the basics of the legal system and the role of accountants as expert witnesses in litigation. In addition to Litigation Support, the ASU Forensic Accounting course covers fraud prevention and investigation, business valuation and other forensic accounting topics.

The core element of the ASU Forensic Accounting course is an interaction between teams of graduate accounting students and local attorneys. The students are assigned as plaintiff and defense teams and are given a litigation case study. Each team develops an expert report, rebuttal report and trial exhibits. The teams are then matched with an associate attorney from a local law firm who prepares the expert for testimony in a mock trial. Experienced local attorneys act as judges in these mock trials. This experience is invaluable for both the accounting students and the associate attorneys. This year’s Mock Trials begin on Thursday, April 29.

“The really exciting thing about this curriculum is that I get to offer my 30-plus years in litigation and trial support experience to teaching accounting students and young attorneys,” says Epps. “Our mock trials program offers an opportunity to deal with expert witness testimony in an actual trial setting.”

“This year we’ve assembled an impressive group of attorneys from top-notch firms,” notes Epps.  Firms donating employee time to this year’s mock trial include: Bonnett, Fairbourn, Friedman & Balint, P.C.; Fennemore Craig, P.C.; Gust Rosenfeld P.C.; Herman, Goldstein & Forsyth P.C.; Hopkins Law Offices, P.L.C.; Jones, Skelton & Hochuli, P.L.C.; Koeller, Nebeker, Carlson & Haluck LLP; Langley Law Firm, P.C.; Law Offices of John Chaix; Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP; Meyer Hendricks, P.L.L.C; O’Conner & Campbell, P.C.; Renaud Cook Drury Mesaros, PA; Schneider & Onofry, P.C.; Tiffany & Bosco, P.A.; and Turley, Swan, Childers, & Torrens, P.C.

And as Epps gears up for another year, he’s also on the lookout, recruiting attorneys who may be interested in this dynamic initiative. “I encourage local attorneys to get involved,” adds Epps. “If you’re an experienced lawyer, you can act as a judge and I guarantee you it’s a ‘win/win.’ Our students will learn from your experience and you’ll come away with some new insights from our talented pool of accounting majors.” 

Published on behalf of Epps CPA Consulting PLLC
Epps CPA Consulting PLLC is a Forensic Analysis accounting firm located in Scottsdale, Arizona. Led by their president, Joe Epps, the company is a member of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners ACFE; American Institute of Certified Public Accountants AICPA; National Association of Certified Valuation Analysts NACVA; National Society of Professional Insurance Investigators NAPII; National Association of Forensic Economists NAFE; Arizona Society of Certified Public Accountants; ASCPA; and Loss Executives Association LEA. For more information, please call (480) 595-0943 or visit www.eppscpa.com.

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