LITIGATION AND PRACTICE SUPPORT
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understand the cost of their services throughout the life of a case. For example, when
seing up a case with a provider, you should be able to establish a budget with them
using assumptions and track the costs over time in relationship to that budget for all
costs, from database set-up through archiving/case close-out.
Where a law firm or legal department addresses the full workflow from an IT
standpoint, these functions can be performed in-house; however, it is important to
understand the resources needed for those services to ensure that IT resources can continue
to keep the office running smoothly.
Deliver Discovery Results
When delivering discovery information, there are many formal and informal methods to
managing client data. Always have a clear record of what was done with files, whether you
work with the files yourself or outsource ediscovery. This documentation can take many
forms — from official chain of custody and data logs to a summary email that includes the
steps taken by the legal team. This will provide clarity in the event the metadata and/or
location of files is questioned later in the case.
Where small firms or legal departments have discovery, dealing with client files can be
a challenge to IT and network resources. But, with some planning, policies and procedures in
place, it can be handled effectively with internal guidelines or outsourced services. This is a
business decision that firms or legal departments need to make aer careful consideration of
their workload, litigation profile and client needs. ILTA
