A Discovery: Study Tech-Aided Review Before It’s an Ethics Issue
While staying current on e-discovery technology can be daunting, some attorneys say ignorance of the tools may soon be considered an ethical violation. After all, it’s tough to claim ethical competence if you’re not well-versed in legal technology, according to Courtney Barton, assistant general counsel for AOL.
Barton advises getting up to speed on e-discovery before it’s too late. “Automated review is in the not-too-distant future,” said Barton as part of an e-discovery panel at LegalTech New York 2012. “I think we’re going to have to go there because of the logjam.”
Two recent court decisions have come out in favor of technology-assisted review, though not without objections from the opposing side.
One way attorneys can make a quick study of the spectrum of e-discovery applications now available is to check out the eDJ Tech Matrix, an online forum designed to be an information clearinghouse for every significant e-discovery tool on the market. Offered as a free service by eDiscovery Journal, eDJ Tech Matrix features product descriptions and critiques on more than 220 e-discovery applications.
Solution users in the community can comment candidly about their experiences with the products. Competitors are also encouraged to comment, and an eDiscovery Journal expert will sometimes put a product through its paces.
The site enables visitors to search for e-discovery solutions based on specific features, including audio search, automated review management, chain of custody, conceptual review, fuzzy logic search and metadata culling.
