How to Become a Director of E-Discovery
If you graduated with a law degree and have some understanding of technology, than you have skills that are in high demand. Electronic discovery, or e-discovery, is a growing area of law that deals with the collection, processing, review and production of electronically stored information in preparation for litigation and regulatory investigations. Because historically both IT and legal have had difficulty communicating, it is the job of the director of e-discovery to ensure that communication across all stakeholders in the e-discovery process is understood. This how to will help you learn how to become a director of e-discovery.
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Things You'll Need
- Law degree
- Some knowledge of technology
- Knowledge of the e-discovery process
Instructions
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Becoming A Director of E-Discovery
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Study the current state of e-discovery. A great resource is the Electronic Discovery Reference Model Web site, www.edrm.net.
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Review the vendor market. Reach out to various legal technology vendors and ask as many questions as you can, including pricing, case studies and specifics about the functionality of the technology.
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Attend e-discovery seminars. There are many seminars focused on the legal technology market, including LegalTech and the Sedona Conference.
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Subscribe to legal trade publications. There are a number of legal trade publications that either solely focus on technology or have technology sections.
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Research companies to determine which organizations have a need for a director of e-discovery. Some larger companies already have this function in place. It is advised to scout out companies that are currently relying on outside resources to perform the director of e-discovery function.
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Send your resume and cover letters to the companies you have pinpointed as being viable options. Try to set up an informational interview with the general counsel or another high-ranking member of the legal department. The point is to get your foot in the door.
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Suggest to the company that you can begin as a consultant, contracting vendors and coordinating with legal and IT to perform various e-discovery-related tasks.
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Track your success as a consultant with the company. Be sure to record how you have reduced risks and costs for the company. Eventually, once you have proven that yourself as an asset, you can begin negotiating a staff position as the director of e-discovery.
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Tips & Warnings
Try to market yourself by writing articles for various trade publications and speaking at legal conferences.
If you cannot find work internally at a company, try working for a consultancy or a law firm.
Not all companies are prepared to bring on a director of e-discovery. Be sure to do your research before approaching a prospective employer.
E-discovery presents major risks to a corporation. You must understand the inherent risks associated with e-discovery prior to becoming a director of e-discovery.
