Issue link: https://epubs.iltanet.org/i/7694
ILTA White Paper The Business of Law 36 I n today's highly litigious world, the question of whether to have an internal records management group is a no-brainer. The bigger question for firms is whether the records management group is an effective organization that has a say in how records should be managed at the firm, or whether the group performs simply a passive function, principally acting as a conduit for archiving firm records. A good records management program creates efficiencies in the overall litigation process by providing key infrastructure channels to store, retain, process and produce records. Such a program can help facilitate better management of client information and assures its confidentiality, integrity and reliability. All clients expect that their information is retained in a secure manner, but the reality, in some cases, is somewhat different. We have all heard the story of records found in dumpsters, and woe unto the law firm that happens to be associated with such a story. However, the pace at which law firms or internal counsels operate can make it hard to apply good information management practices. Barely has a matter finished when three more are already in the pipeline, and all require immediate attention. In addition, a matter that was closed a year ago may now have to be reopened and all relevant material reviewed across various file servers, hard drives, separate repositories and offsite storage. What can law firms do to ensure that their primary legal work is not affected while they work to establish sound records management practices? Here are some key considerations. • Funding: Law firms must allocate at least some funding to the records management program and provide for adequate hiring of personnel, equipment and technology to support the firm's needs. Asking for money is never fun, but if law firms want good records management, they have to get serious about providing at least enough funds to sustain an effective records management group. Rather than make the junior paralegal the records person, a firm should hire an experienced records manager to help establish and maintain the program. • Policy: Having a documented records management policy that is consistent across all the legal practice groups is fundamental to ensuring record ganesh vednere Good Records Management Equals Good Business