Tips for Making the Legal Document Review Process Economical
Most attorneys know that document review is an expensive process. That has been confirmed by the Rand Corporation: Their study of 57 large-volume cases and concluded that legal document review accounts for 73% of the cost of producing documents. All attorneys are concerned with how to make the legal document review process more economical without sacrificing quality.
The American Bar Association and the Rand Corporation have some tips for making the review process more economical.
- The lead attorney should carefully think through exactly what the goal is for reviewing electronically stored information (ESI) so that an efficient plan can be prepared. When reviewers know exactly what they are looking for, the review process will identify only those documents that meet the terms of the discovery request.
- Narrow the discovery request to a date range. Not every existing document has to be reviewed.
- Use keywords to filter the information. If this seems unsuccessful, you can broaden your search.
- Predictive coding is a legal document review process using the computer to categorize documents according to concepts and terms in sample documents. Documents of particular interest may still be reviewed by an experienced reviewer, coded according to case issues, and flagged for the client.
- Consult with an outside vendor that has extensive experience before beginning the review process so costly mistakes can be avoided.
- Track the costs of production so you will know exactly where and how the money is being spent. That way, you can fine-tune your process and make it even more economical for the future.
- Partner with a legal process outsourcing (LPO) company to open up internal resources and reduce costs.
Baer Reed is a boutique offshore legal services provider that can offer the information security and oversight necessary for a comprehensive and economical legal document review process, conducted by licensed attorneys. Contact Baer Reed today for more information.
- On March 28, 2018
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