What is EDRM? – A new concept becomes an everyday reality for the legal community
So just what exactly is EDRM?
Over the last decade, eDiscovery has proven to be an integral part of day-to-day legal matters and will be an increasingly larger part of legal matters in the future. To ensure the process of eDiscovery fulfills its promise of reducing cost and improving quality, leaders in the legal, IT and Records Management industries have developed a widely accepted methodology for gathering and retaining ESI.
The Electronic Discovery Reference Model (EDRM) provides guidelines and resources designed to ensure eDiscovery is performed in a standardized way. In practical application, this means record keepers can review a past project completed by Global Legal Discovery and have an instant understanding of how information is cataloged and stored.
Walk through the EDRM process
Information Management
To ensure maximum efficiency in the initial organization of information, eDiscovery practitioners develop IT structures that follow the Information Management Reference Model (IMRM). This structured framework for sharing information provides a common language and reference for discussion and decision-making. Preparing your IT infrastructure as a first step helps mitigate risk and reduce expenses throughout the eDiscovery process.
Identification
Once the Information Management structure is complete, it’s time to identify potential sources for relevant information. This may come from business units, people, IT systems or paper files. Identification teams are formed that interview key stakeholders to determine the location of data. These teams work quickly and must be flexible in order to accommodate the discovery of information from unplanned sources. As a final step, information must be reviewed and certified as credible and useful for the legal matter at hand.
Preservation
With much at stake in many legal matters, preserving ESI from inappropriate use, alteration or destruction is of paramount importance. EDRM provides a detailed methodology for making sure information is safe and sound before it is collected using tools like Global Hold from Global Legal Discovery.
Collection
Once preserved, ESI and all metadata must then be collected in a way that is legally defensible, proportionate, efficient, auditable, and targeted. Tools like GlobalHarvest from Global Legal Discovery may be of great assistance in this phase. It is during the collection phase that counsel gains a clear understanding of the scope of what will be required from the overall Discovery process.
Processing
Once information is collected, eDiscovery experts must determine the nature and value of the various documents. It is during the processing phase that paper files are converted into electronic format, metadata is captured and any forensic data capture is conducted. It’s also appropriate to selectively reduce items not relevant to the case moving forward.
Review
Using tools like Reveal and Venio from Global Legal Discovery, legal counsel and other eDiscovery experts evaluate the newly processed documents for relevance to the matter. Technology that facilitates collaboration and communication can help lower costs and ensure a higher quality of information moving forward.
Analysis
Analysis may occur at many stages of the eDiscovery process. One of the important functions of Analysis is to insert a level of quality control and increase productivity of the Review process and cull documents deemed not relevant to the case. Analysis can become quite complicated with many steps outlined by the following EDRM “Analysis Phase Diagram”
Production
The advent of eDiscovery has necessitate the addition of multiple technicians, including IT staff as partners in executing the process of Discovery and delivering ESI to be used throughout a case. In the Production phase, this team of eDiscovery partners meets and decides upon a methodology for working together prior to production of any documents. This coordination of various skill sets ensures a higher level of accuracy and greater likelihood of meeting timelines.
Presentation
This is when ESI is actually displayed. By following the process of EDRM, those viewing ESI at depositions, hearings or trials see documents in their native or near native formats. This helps with validating facts, eliciting further information form witnesses or in the persuasion of a jury.
Find out why Global Legal Discovery’s adherence to EDRM standards can save you money for months after the end of a project. Contact a Global Legal Discovery representative today.