Lit Support Leaders SuperConference: Socha

LIVE BLOGGING FROM THE ESTRIN LITIGATION SUPPORT LEADERS SUPERCONFERENCE:

Socha keynote highlights:

* 30-70% of EDD processing cost is in the review process -- in fact, it may constitute 30-70%  of entire litigation costs
* Eliminating the non-relevant matter can reveal the important matter -- Michelangelo's David emerged when the irrelevant stone was removed.
* Locating potential sources of data -- focus on concentric circles
* Deliver material in native files -- if a doc is a spreadsheet, don't send tiff files. send the spreadsheet. (difficult to redact or number, but you can work with it - and there are ways of tracking material.

* "Near-native" -- you want to receive the material in a usable format.

*"Near-paper" -- prolly the most common form -- converting to tif or pdf, extracting some (usually not all) of metadata and full text, handing over as a pkg -- attractive often, but $$ and time consuming. Can limit uses.

Photo - Socha, right, with Bill Long of AEA Group LLC.

*Kill a bunch of trees:  Paper still most common, wastes tons of paper.

Presentation

* At some point, if u r doing your job probably, u will want to put the data in front of an audience. For example,  to elicit further info --- u might want to put a spreadsheet in front of a deponent to say "show me how u got this number"

* Unexpected consequences -- you might find issues/strategies u did not expect.

* Persuading audience. Trying to tell the story.

EDD Tools

There is no one tool that will do everything for you. No Swiss Army Knife. You won't smooth a piece of wood w/ hammer and nail. Know the tools, know what they do and don't do.

* People who are promoting analytical tools are very hungry for business -- they may work with you. You may be able to negotiate with them.

Metrics Project

The basic idea, you need to do metrics to predict what it will cost next time, better position to do budgets, timelines, etc. In a law firm, corporate clients will be happy to hear from you, because what they want from you is to stay on budget and be predictable -- sometimes even more than winning a case. (they aren't happy if you win a million case for $10 mill)

Code of Conduct project

We will be trying to establish ethics guidelines for consumers and vendors. Posted at EDRM.net.

"Service providers should perform work in a competent, accurate, timely and cost-effective manner, adhering to highest standards of professionalism and ehtical conduct.

Clients should be forthright, accurate and timely in communications with service providers and act in accordance with highest professional standards of ethical conduct.

DOWNLOAD SOCHA'S PPT Download 20080307_estrin.ppt

Full schedule of Estrin Litigation Support Leaders SuperConference here: Download schedule_houston.doc