Brown snakes are no friend of Guam.
The invasive snakes, which first appeared on the island during World War II, now number around 2 million – or roughly 25 snakes per acre – on the 212-square-mile island. They have depleted the native bird population, caused power outages and bitten residents.
You may think it a stretch, but Guam’s plague of brown snakes reminds me of the challenges of document review. Evolving methods of communication such as collaboration sites and social media and increasing data volumes often leave legal professionals feeling overwhelmed and outnumbered. The brown snakes (the overall pool of big data) have quickly eclipsed the birds (relevant information). The result is an expensive and unpredictable document review process that may not be defensible.
While Guam is turning to more stringent means to combat the brown snakes, I prefer the power of educational resources to meet the challenges of document review while providing defensible results. Here are a few I recommend.
Calculators
In the throes of document review, the big picture can get obscured. This Managed Document Review Calculator allows you to input data such as document volume, number of reviewers and length of discovery phase, then calculates the days and review pace required to complete review. You can alter the numbers depending on your desired results to accurately predict required resources and time.
Retaining and reusing custodian collections and work product across multiple matters often results in significant time and cost savings throughout the entire eDiscovery process – including review. This Cross-Matter Management Calculator takes in pertinent information such as matter pricing, number of custodians and percentages of responsive/privileged documents and then creates a financial savings summary estimating efficiencies you can achieve with Cross-Matter Management.
White Papers
Right-Size Your Review – Leveraging Data Analytics – This white paper discusses using an adaptive approach to develop effective search criteria, combining technology and human review for defensible and cost-effective results and focusing on responsiveness rate to keep your review costs in line with the value of your case.
Application of Simple Random Sampling in eDiscovery – Bone up on the defensibility issues of technology assisted review with this in-depth technical brief that explains how Simple Random Sampling (SRS) can be used to accurately make predictions about the composition of eDiscovery data sets and validate eDiscovery processes.
Presentations
Following the theme of introducing efficiencies into the eDiscovery process, Daegis’ Vice President of Product Marketing Anita Engles led a discussion at LegalTech New York 2013 titled “Interoperability & Data Reuse in the Era of Big Data and eDiscovery.” The panel, which included seasoned litigation support and forensics experts, addressed the complexities of and best practices for interoperability, data reuse and big data. Download the slides here.
How to Decipher Advanced Search for Document Review – This on-demand webinar includes a briefing on updated case law, real-world techniques for searches, tips for obtaining buy-in with clients and opposing counsel, and how search is evolving in the changing technological landscape.
While the quest for defensible, efficient and cost-effective document review continues, it is good to know that there are tools and information you can use to help attain your desired results. You can find more great information by visiting our resources page.
Are there specific eDiscovery areas or challenges you’d like to learn more about? Leave a comment below.
