How to Work with the IT & How to Work with the IT & Litigation Support Departments – Litigation Support Departments – A Manager’s Guide to Strategic A Manager’s Guide to Strategic

Team BuildingTeam Building

Andrew Hall, MBAAndrew Hall, MBAPractice Technology ManagerPractice Technology Manager

Working with IT/Lit Sup

What is Litigation Support? Automation of traditional legal work

Document Review Databases Electronic Productions High-Tech Court Room Presentations

Where do these people come from? Former legal staff (paralegals, legal secretaries, etc.) Former Attorneys Former IT personnel

Where do they work? Practice Support Litigation Support Department Information Technology

Working with IT/Lit Sup

Residence of Litigation Support Practice Support

Separate Division or part of ParalegalsTimekeeper Quotas

Information Technology DepartmentNot the Help Desk/Networking/AppsTimekeeper Goals

Litigation Practice Group Is it Litigation or Practice Technology? Works with all Practice Groups

Working with IT/Lit Sup

Residence of Litigation Support Answer: Depends on Firm Setup

Large Firm Considerations Size of Litigation Practice Do you have a Litigation Practice Group? Does Lit Sup work with all Practice Groups routinely

Small Firm Considerations Do you have resources for dedicated staff? If not, who will do this?

Most often the “techy” paralegal IT person/consultant may not understand litigation Outsource to specialized consultant

Example: Crowell & Moring LLP

Practice Technology Department

Project Management Technical Services

Project Managers

Chair - eDiscovery Practice Group

Analysts/Specialists

TS Manager

IT Director

PM Manager

Data Flow

eDiscovery Practice Group

Working with IT/Lit Sup

Strategy to Working with IT and/or Litigation Support

Identify and know your needsWhat do you need from themWhat do they need from you

Understand your SoftwareDon’t need to be an expertJust know what is needed to get requests done

Reach out to Department Director/ManagerDiscuss commonality

Look for ways to collaborate What can you do to support them How can they support you

Working with IT/Lit Sup

Practice Support Challenges Electronic discovery changes role Paralegals managing more ESI – less paper Older processing models do not necessarily apply Many matters with little or no paper discovery Cases may involve 100’s of millions of pages Many complex pitfall to avoid Review and productions options changing Greater risks – and much greater costs

Working with IT/Lit Sup

How Can Litigation Support Help?Transcript ManagementConsultingProject ManagementPaper Document Databases

Scanning, coding, OCRElectronic document (ESI) databases

Conversion to searchable depositoryElectronic ProductionsData analysisASP services and outsourcing

Working with IT/Lit Sup

Partnering Together Ensure Relevance in changing world Understand the issues, risks, costs,

options Advocate best practices to attorneys Manage, store, and retrieve data

Litigation Support Help? Training programs and presentations Project management and technical skills Work with Records and PSP to

manage/archive data

Thank You

Discussion/Questions