Electronic Discovery and Evidence

E-Discovery Law a Boon for Lawyers.

E-Discovery Law a Boon for Lawyers.  "New regulations governing the storage and management of electronic data that might be needed in federal court actions has an increasing number of organization turning to outside counsel for help, according to a new study. An annual survey about litigation matters asked 303 corporate lawyers about the impact of the e-discovery law that went into effect last year. The e-discovery law is an amendment to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure related to finding and managing electronically stored information that might be relevant in a legal dispute in federal court. The new law requires processes and technologies . . ."

The New E-Discovery Financial Burden - The New Rules in Action

The new e-discovery burden.  Rather than streamline and limit litigation, a rule change adds a new financial burden, Internet attorney Eric J. Sinrod says, "Almost a year ago the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure governing the discovery of electronic data were amended. While the changes were designed to reduce litigation costs, we've seen just the opposite.  The amendments broadened the definition of items subject to legal discovery, ranging from "documents" or "data compilations" to include all electronically stored information. Parties in a lawsuit can now demand from each other word processing documents, e-mails, voice mail and instant messages, blogs, backup tapes and database files. Failure to comply with these sundry electronic production obligations can lead to serious sanctions, sometimes to the tune of millions of dollars. In the aftermath of all the changes in the e-discovery landscape, let's take a closer look at how recent rulings are shaping the legal terrain. . . . "

Retrieving Electronic Evidence in the Courtroom.

Complex cases often depend on electronic evidence organizers. "Deborah Burk showed how effective litigation support technology can be in a dramatic “gotcha” moment during the 17th day of the Peregrine Systems fraud trial, a Tuesday morning in May. VideoTrack owners Deborah Burk and Shayne Davidson stood in the mock courtroom where lawyers practice presentations. The control room has a one-way viewing window for observers.  Under questioning by a prosecutor, Peregrine's former assistant controller, Denise Mastro, described how she helped others . . . "