The e-discovery explosion creates a risk that firms will lose sight of the larger litigation support picture. There may not be a single right way to “do lit supp” but firms should analyze their processes and strive to develop consistent guidelines.
The table here presents a framework for thinking about litigation support. Columns represent phases of a case and rows represent player roles, software involved, and issues to consider. (Apologies, but putting the table in the blog does not work for tech reasons.)
The text in each cell is merely suggestive. Each firm, indeed each case, may have different answers. Even the rows and columns can differ. The point though is twofold:
1. Make explicit and informed litigation support decisions.
2. Analyze processes at both a micro and macro level and strive to develop a consistent approach based on adherence to a set of guidelines that covers typical scenarios.