Blogs

Reading the Smoke Signals

By Phil Weldon posted 05-02-2025
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Please enjoy this blog authored by Jerry Bui (Founder & CEO, Right Forensics) and Phil Weldon, CEDS, RCA ( Director of eDiscovery and Litigation Support Technology at HeckerFink LLP) (Image Source: ChatGPT 4o; Prompt “I'm writing an article on ephemeral messaging. Create an image for me to use with the article.”) In the context of electronic discovery, Signal poses a unique evidentiary challenge. Its technical safeguards, combined with the ephemeral nature of its communications, render data difficult to preserve, extract, or meaningfully analyze under traditional methods. This article provides an overview of the current state of ...
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Our Next Journey – Selecting a Review Platform for Discovery

By Julie Brown posted 01-24-2024
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On this date, 11 years ago, I shared a blog post about how we chose an eDiscovery platform for Vorys. It seems that our decision in 2013 was a wise one, as Viewpoint and Conduent have been serving our firm very well for over a decade! The world is a different place today and many of the tools we investigated in 2013 are no longer in existence. I also had the advantage of using Bing AI and Chat GPT to assist with this writing! :) Vorys began a firm-wide initiative in 2023 to move our key platforms to the cloud. This meant that we had to find a new cloud-based eDiscovery platform that could replace Viewpoint. First Things First Before ...
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What Impact Could the EU AI Act Have On eDiscovery?

By Franki Russell posted 01-05-2024
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Please enjoy this blog authored by Tom Whittaker, Senior Associate, Burges Salmon LLP. AI regulation will affect the eDiscovery industry directly and indirectly. It may be directly relevant to providers of an AI system incorporated into an eDiscovery platform, the provider of the platform, and users of the eDiscovery platform (end clients and advisors). This article summarises the EU Act from an eDiscovery perspective, including how the Act could affect the providers and users of AI in eDiscovery. What does the future hold? AI technologies and use cases - and, simultaneously, the eDiscovery industry - are currently developing at ...
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How to Wade into the Generative AI Tsunami

By Franki Russell posted 12-18-2023
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Please enjoy this blog authored by Beth Patterson, Director ESPconnect. Introduction If you are feeling nervous about Generative AI (GenAI) and what your organisation should be doing about it, don’t worry, you are not alone. We are at the beginning of one of the largest technology “experiments” that Silicon Valley has ever thrust upon us. Some are comparing it to revolutionary developments like the internet or electricity. It has been just over a year since ChatGPT was launched by OpenAI and took the world by storm. We’ve all heard lots of predictions about the potential impact of Generative AI, like Mckinsey research which suggests it could add ...
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When to GenAI

By Bill Bice posted 12-18-2023
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Please enjoy this blog authored by BIll Bice, CEO, nQ Zebraworks. It’s been the “The Year of GenAI”. Generative AI (“GenAI”) burst on the scene in late 2022 with the public release of ChatGPT, the fastest-growing application ever. It exposed AI to everyone, everywhere, all at once. Here we had a technology where attorneys – not just born-on-the-Internet associates, but senior partners – were asking IT, “What is this?” and “How do we use it?” Instead of trying to cajole firm leadership into looking at new technology, many technologists and innovation leaders in law firms were in the strange position of trying to get in front of the train, sometimes ...
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Up In the Clouds: eDiscovery's Move to the Cloud

By Rachel McAdams posted 10-16-2023
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Please enjoy this blog article posted on behalf of the author, Jeff Jarret, Director of Innovation, Sky Discovery. Since the 1990s, the domain of Electronic Discovery and Disclosure, commonly referred to as eDiscovery, has evolved into a crucial component of litigation, dispute resolution, and investigations. In its early days, eDiscovery entailed the meticulous task of sifting through extensive electronic data via eDiscovery software installed on local servers, colloquially known as "Tin." These servers were typically procured by law firms, corporations, or eDiscovery vendors. However, around the mid-2010s, a pivotal shift occurred in the eDiscovery landscape ...
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The Pros and Cons of Using Google Vault for Evidence

By Ann Halkett posted 07-12-2023
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Please enjoy this blog posted on behalf of: Dave Caballes, Senior Manager and Leader of Deloitte Canada’s Computer Forensics practice. In the digital age, where vast amounts of information are stored electronically, organizations require efficient methods to manage and preserve electronic evidence for various purposes, including legal matters, investigations, and compliance. Google Vault, a robust data retention and eDiscovery tool, has gained popularity among businesses and individuals. This blog will discuss the pros and cons of using Google Vault for evidence preservation, helping you understand its benefits and potential limitations. The Pros of Using ...
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Project Validation for TAR: Part 1

By Brian Balistreri posted 05-08-2023
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Please enjoy this blog posted on behal f of the co-authors, Trevor Burroughs, Sr. E-Discovery Analytics Adv, Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP and Adam Strayer, E-Discovery Analysis & Review Technology Manager, Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP. Technology Assisted Review (TAR) is a process in e-discovery that leverages advanced technology to complement human review. Given the sophistication inherent in some TAR tools, it can be important to leverage and apply the right expertise when using TAR, including as part of the procedure to validate its results. Working with experts can speed up a TAR project while also ...
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Introducing eDiscovery Concepts to Newbies (For Those New to the Area - Even if Experienced in Other Areas): Technical Side

By Brian Balistreri posted 04-26-2023
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Please enjoy this blog posted on behalf of the author, Ravi Sharma, Consultant, Sky Discovery. The eDiscovery industry is a fast-paced, dynamic area of legal technology. As a result, there are often a lot of concepts to navigate in a short space of time, particularly if you are from a non-legal background. Although understanding the lifecycle for an eDiscovery lifecycle ( the EDRM ) is a good starting point, I have listed 4 key concepts to be aware of for those with a technical background that are looking to take their first steps into the world of eDiscovery. Collection of evidence: it is essential that any evidence is handled in ...
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Project Validation for TAR: Part 2

By Brian Balistreri posted 04-26-2023
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Please enjoy this blog posted on behalf of the author, Jonathan Kiang, Senior Electronic Discovery Consultant, Epiq. At the end of a long and tedious document review, the last thing any attorney wants to be told is that more documents need to be reviewed. Maybe the recent relevancy rates for documents selected based on the TAR model had reached near zero. And perhaps the number of documents marked relevant is close to the estimated total number of relevant documents. So why, after thousands or even millions of documents have already been reviewed, is more review for validation needed? TAR validation may seem like an afterthought, but it’s ...
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Coming to “Terms” with eDiscovery: What It Is and How it Works

By Brian Balistreri posted 04-25-2023
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Please enjoy this blog posted on behalf of the author, Doug Austin, Editor of eDiscovery Today. Providing legal services in an era involving the cloud, social media, remote work and collaboration and artificial intelligence is more challenging than ever. Most of the evidence we work with today is generated electronically using technology, so having a basic understanding of electronic discovery is a “must” for any legal professional today. This article is designed for “newbies” of “eDiscovery” to help you understand what eDiscovery is, important terms to know, types of discoverable electronic evidence and how eDiscovery is conducted. What ...
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Introducing eDiscovery Concepts to Newbies (For Those New to the Area - Even if Experienced in Other Areas): Corporate Side

By Brian Balistreri posted 03-28-2023
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Pleased enjoy this blog posted on behalf of the author, James MacGregor, Partner, FORCYD. In today's digital age, the use of electronic data has become ubiquitous in business transactions and legal disputes. As a result, eDiscovery has emerged as a critical process to find, preserve, and analy s e electronic data for use in legal proceedings. However , for those new to eDiscovery, it can be overwhelming, with complex legal and technical concepts that can be challenging to understand. While its easy to get fixated on the legal and technical hurdles to overcome during the process of eDiscovery, for those new to the industry, it’s also fundamental ...
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Excel Tips for eDiscovery

By Brian Balistreri posted 01-16-2023
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***Please enjoy this blog posted on behalf of the author Kathy Dallaire, CEDS, eDiscovery and Litigation Support Coordinator, Stikeman Elliot LLP. In this blog, we will demonstrate some handy Excel formulas commonly used to build load files where the information required is spread out over multiple spreadsheets or has been parsed out into separate cells. While there can be numerous situations which require manually building a load file, hopefully these tips will save you some time and effort. Combining values from multiple spreadsheets using VLookup. In this scenario, we want to append values for Title and Filename from separate sheets of an Excel ...
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Excel Tips for Litigation Teams (Or Anyone) - Pivot Tables

By Brian Balistreri posted 01-16-2023
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****Please enjoy this blog posted on behalf of Julie Niebel. Julie has over 25 years of experience in Litigation Support / Information Services and is now retired. She is passionate about education, learning and trying to keep up with technology! Pivot Tables Pivot noun the central point, pin or column on which something turns or balances. [1] In the context of litigation and data sets, the two key words are: “column” and “turns”. A pivot table provides a way to “turn” or change the way you look at information by adjusting the data columns. Pivot tables in Excel are used to view and analyze complex information to identify patterns ...
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Excel Tips for Litigation Teams (or Anyone) - Cheat Sheet

By Brian Balistreri posted 01-13-2023
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****Please enjoy this quick cheat sheet posted on behalf of the author, Denise Ash, Event Education Manager, ILTA. Concatenate Have you ever been tasked with having to combine multiple fields? If so, hopefully you used a formula to do it! If not, you should definitely check out the Concatenate function. Here is how I always get to it because it’s how I found it initially. 1. Click the Insert Function button (it is an fx ) to the left of the Formula Bar. 2. The Insert Function box will appear. Type the word Join into the top text box and click Go . 3. Several options should appear; choose Concatenate and the following dialog box will appear: ...
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Automate, Automate, Automate! (Like Marsha, Marsha, Marsha. Brady Bunch? Anyone? Sigh... Part 2

By Brian Balistreri posted 01-13-2023
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***Please enjoy this blog posted on behalf of the author, Phil Weldon, Director of eDiscovery and Litigation Support Technology, Kaplan Hecker & Fink LLP. With Artificial Intelligence and Robotic Process Automation (RPA), software has undertaken a Copernican Revolution. OpenAI's GPT3-5 has passed both Evidence and Torts on the bar exam . Where we used to have to point and click, we now have software that pushes its own buttons. We can now use low code RPA workflows coupled with API or GUI access to have software run itself. To your delight or dismay, this is already happening. Sneaker heads and Swifties have been using this technology ...
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Automate, Automate, Automate! (Like Marsha, Marsha, Marsha. Brady Bunch? Anyone? Sigh... Part 1

By Brian Balistreri posted 01-13-2023
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***Please enjoy this blog posted on behalf o f the author, Stephanie Clerkin, Director of Litigation Support, Korein Tillery, LLC. Automation can be a powerful tool for streamlining processes, saving time, and increasing efficiency. Automation can also reduce the risk of human error, leading to more accurate and consistent results. However, it is important to approach automation with care, as there are also potential dangers to consider. Given I am a department of one, I have no choice but to turn to automation in order to stay on top of my workload. As a starting point, I automate as many repetitive, routine, or mundane tasks as possible. I ...
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How Do You Measure ROI and Why You Should: Practical How-to Advice

By Ann Halkett posted 09-28-2022
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Please enjoy this blog, posted on behalf of the author, Andrea Williams, Principal, Fides essociates Inc. When undertaking initiatives and new opportunities, it isn’t always possible or easy to deliver to the classic Return on Investment (ROI) formula. While showing the profitability, or savings, that has resulted is very important, there are frequently many more results and learnings identified that have significant benefits and impact to the organization beyond the baseline ROI calculation. It’s not a black and white world, so painting your ROI picture using more of your palette will reflect the additional dimensions. Why is it important and valuable? ...
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eDiscovery Project Management: Tools and Decision Tracking

By Tanya Pereira posted 04-26-2022
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Please enjoy this blog post authored by Tanya Pereira, Discovery Services and Litigation Support Coordinator, Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP. As a Discovery Services and Litigation Support Coordinator, I have a 360-degree view of how projects are managed, both on the internal legal operations side as well as the eDiscovery and client matters side. Legal project management is becoming increasingly prevalent in the industry as more firms build out dedicated project management offices and encourage teams to be trained in legal project management. In eDiscovery, it remains critical to adopt a standardized approach to projects due to the need to monitor ...
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Practical Tips/Strategies for Selling Innovation Upwards – The Constant Struggle of Litigation Support

By Charles Neal posted 02-25-2022
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Shawn McClurg moderated a pre-recorded roundtable discussion today with Peter Pepiton entitled Practical Tips/Strategies for Selling Innovation Upwards – The Constant Struggle of Litigation Support . The focus of this roundtable was determining ways that innovation could be achieved inside a law firm. How do you best identify an innovation ‘need’? There are a few ways in which you would identify an innovation need. First, a need might be glaringly obvious (i.e. a problem is out in the open and needs to be solved). If it is not easily identifiable, you might have to suss it out by talking to people and others in your firm about their pain points. And ...
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