Reports from the coalface
Today’s manically paced edisclosure agenda seems persistently dominated by the launch of this or that latest software development or technological gizmo, with the occasional interruption from the courts with a spot of case law or influential judgment. But there is an infuriating lack of formal reports from the coalface, so to speak, charting what organisations actually do with the tools available to them and the potentially transformational effect they have on capacity, capability and ultimately compliance.
Legal inc is keen to redress that balance with the first of a series of case studies that focuses on the sharp end of edisclosure and how technology, process and people can be harnessed to deliver projects that would have been inconceivable even 18 months ago. Entitled ‘Legal Inc and Clearwell – Cutting complex projects down to size’, it provides graphic illustration of just what is achievable in terms of data processing and review, and provides implicit encouragement for all those seeking equality of arms in regulatory, investigatory and litigation battles.
The case study is available at http://www.legalinc.co.uk/index.php?q=206
Legal Inc launch IncSpots podcast series
Litigation support and technology specialist Legal Inc has launched a new podcast series, kicking off with an introduction to edisclosure featuring leading industry commentator Chris Dale.
The comprehensive overview will run over ten episodes of IncSpots, and will include items on the Civil Procedure Rules (CPR), the practice direction, seminal cases such as Digicel and Abela, how to prepare for case management conferences, the use of external suppliers, best practice, problem areas, global trends and pending developments within the disclosure arena.
Legal Inc director Lisa Burton is joined by head of the eDisclosure Information Project, Chris Dale, for all ten episodes as they offer their respective thoughts on each issue, Lisa drawing on her practical experience at the coal-face to add to Chris’s in-depth, incisive understanding of the subject.
Commenting on the new podcast, Lisa Burton said: “edisclosure is becoming an increasingly hot topic, with conferences, articles and blogs discussing and debating the complexities and finer points. But we thought it would be useful to start off by taking a step back and providing a basic grounding on where exactly we are at, where we are heading, obligations and requirements, mechanics and methodologies and some honest appraisal of where the reality is falling short of the rule-book, where the practice is not quite in accordance with the theory.
We also aim to provide some pragmatic advice on how to deal with the CPR and practice direction, how best to avoid some of the common pitfalls of the disclosure process, and how to leverage the expertise of external consultants and support providers.”
The first three episodes of IncSpots can be downloaded now from the Legal Inc website – www.legalinc.co.uk. These and future episodes are also available via iTunes.
Legal Inc discloses eDIKT concept
Litigation support and technology specialist Legal Inc is looking to help law firms foster greater awareness amongst corporate clients of the mechanics and merits of electronic disclosure – particularly in its application beyond traditional large volume cases.
It is launching the eDisclosure Information Kit (eDIKT), a low cost sales demonstration tool that will be tailored to the particular requirements of the law firm. Popular elements are expected to be early case assessment software such as Clearwell, and online review systems including iConect, CaseLogistix and Introspect. As well as showcasing particular features and benefits, the idea is that the law firm will use their bespoke eDIKT to demonstrate how technology and process can be harnessed to drive down costs, timescales and resourcing while simultaneously improving the quality of disclosure.
In a recent pilot project, a litigation team at a leading commercial practice had five lever arch files of client data processed and uploaded onto a hosted iConect review system ahead of a tender for new work; the system was then accessed live during a later presentation, with the client shown how the tools and functionality could be leveraged to deliver a far superior time/cost/quality outcome than that achievable by traditional paper-based disclosure.
As Legal Inc director Lisa Burton explains, eDIKT comes at a interesting time for the litigation support market: “There is a huge focus on litigation costs at the moment, with a very obvious subtext being ‘how do we reduce them’. But at the same time, there’s a clear consensus at the coal-face that we already have the means to lower costs and improve outcomes – but corporate clients, and to a lesser degree, law firms, are not necessarily embracing the new methodologies and technologies that can underpin these desired changes.
It’s tricky bringing in cost savings if a client is absolutely insistent on printing out every file and email and reviewing the resultant document population ‘by hand’ – and that’s still happening more than it should be, particularly away from large-scale litigation. However, if some of this reluctance is down to a lack of understanding of just what can be achieved through electronic disclosure – and at what cost – then we hope eDIKT will serve not solely as a persuasive sales aid for law firms but also as a valuable awareness tool for their clients. After all, this is a win-win situation for everyone.”
