Litigation support can no longer be an afterthought for law firms – litigation technology is growing more sophisticated, e-discovery case law is requiring more expertise, and clients are demanding more streamlined processes.
Additionally, the topography of litigation is transforming. The revered traditions around litigation remain intact, but the strategic decisions are acutely affected by society’s saturation with technology. This reality has pervaded the practice of law through the scheme of “electronic discovery.”
The Federal Rules of Civil Procedure were amended in 2006 to incorporate “electronically stored information,” and many states have followed suit in amending their local rules. Recent case law demands that litigators educate themselves on the various stages of e-discovery and cooperate with opposing parties to ease the burdens involved in today’s discovery requirements.
Law firms that boast a litigation practice must establish an effective litigation support structure to remain competitive. Corporate clients are swiftly educating themselves on the best practices around e-discovery, and are progressively internalizing tasks such as data processing and document review away from their more expensive (and more experienced) outside counsel.
The law firms that are taking affirmative steps to improve and streamline their litigation support services are enjoying new and innovative relationships with their clients around technology and data management, as well as new avenues of billable revenue.
For more information, contact Burney Consultants:
(216) 245-1414
burney@burneyconsultants.com
