EDRM’s Spring 2019 Workshop/Forum examines challenging issues of e-discovery and technology

May 21, 2019Latest News

The spring 2019 EDRM workshop/forum, held at Duke University Law School on May 15-17, 2019, examined issues and challenges involving e-discovery and technology, including GDPR compliance, TAR guidelines, and proportionality. Over the course of the workshop, 54 participants worked in small groups on eight different EDRM projects.

According to EDRM’s director Jim Waldron, the workshop’s objective is to generate practical guidelines and advice to help legal professionals and judges navigate complex challenges related to technology and the law.

“EDRM is member-driven, and the collaborative work we do at this annual forum is core to our ability to continue to provide guidance, best practices, and useful conversations that drive e-discovery forward,” said Jim Waldron, director of EDRM. “We are tremendously grateful to the members who invest time and care in these projects. The energy and productivity of this workshop is a testament to our members’ interest and deep expertise in e-discovery and information governance. Given the expansion of our projects and our desire to reach the broadest collaboration possible, we are actively seeking additional members to participate in this important work.”

GDPR Lunch Session in Star Commons

Judge James C. Francis (Retired United States Magistrate Judge from the Southern District of New York) presents about GDPR and cross-border discovery at a lunchtime training session.

Current EDRM projects include updating the EDRM model, creating guidelines and best practices around artificial intelligence, and developing a code of conduct for cross-border discovery under GDPR.

Tara Emory, director of consulting at Driven Inc, is leading the team that is working to update the EDRM model. She has attended the conference for the last two years and said she appreciates EDRM’s guidance and tools that help parties and courts advance the goals of just, speedy, and inexpensive determination of cases.

“Duke EDRM is working to bridge the gap between legal principles and real-world practices, in light of the challenges we face from constantly evolving technology and growing amounts of data,” Emory said. “Industry experts are coming together to create straightforward guidance to help practitioners navigate the complexities of electronic discovery, and to create model protocols that facilitate cooperation in discovery between parties.”

This year’s workshop featured two panel discussions: a panel of in-house e-discovery professionals from Exxon/Mobil, American Airlines, and GSK, and a panel of federal judges. These discussions offered insights about the different e-discovery and IT challenges facing corporations and the judiciary, and encouraged open conversations between the judges, lawyers, software developers, and industry leaders in attendance.

Following the Bench-Bar Conference on Evaluating the 2015 Rule 26 Discovery-Proportionality Amendments June 20-21, 2019 in Washington, D.C., the materials presented at the conference will be made publicly available.

Bolch Judicial Institute’s Deputy Director John Rabiej (left) moderated the in-house panel. On the panel: Robert Levy, Executive Counsel Legal Policy and Administration, Exxon/Mobil; Jana Mills, Director and Sr. Attorney, American Airlines; Kelly Clay, Global eDiscovery Counsel and Head of Information Governance, GSK

 

 

George Socha, EDRM’s co-founder, moderated the panel of judges. On the panel: Hon. James Wynn, Jr., U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit; Hon. Iain Johnston, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois; Hon. Gary Jones, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Florida; Hon. Katharine Parker, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York

About EDRM

EDRM is a community of e-discovery and legal professionals who create practical resources to improve e-discovery and information governance. As technology radically transforms litigation and the legal profession, EDRM members collaboratively develop vital frameworks, standards, educational tools, and other resources to guide the adoption and use of e-discovery technologies.