B&L Associates

Attorneys pushing for eDiscovery certification

April 20, 2011

As eDiscovery becomes a growing and more common part of doing business, many attorneys are advocating a movement toward certifying eDiscovery professionals.

Writing for law blog Above the Law, Washington, D.C.-based attorney Gabe Acevedo noted that many organizations, including the Association of Certified eDiscovery Specialists and members of the Organization of Legal Professionals, have pushed for eDiscovery certification for some time.

eDiscovery certification ensures that attorneys are knowledgeable about a number of facets of the practice, including litigation hold implementation, project management, international discovery and project planning.

Speaking at the recent ACEDS conference, Parsons Farnell & Grein counsel Seth Row said eDiscovery certification could have a positive impact for companies that are often requested to produce electronic documents, Acevedo reported. Large firms, in particular, can show they are serious about eDiscovery by requiring professionals to become certified in such practices, Row noted.

Another way law firms and businesses can improve their eDiscovery practices is by implementing tape management software, which enables them to locate storage tapes quickly in the event of an eDiscovery request.