Ad Litem Consulting, Inc.
Technical Standards
Includes: - Load Files - Cost Codes - Quotes - For Vendors - For Firms  |
Newsletter Signup
Read about litigation tech strategies and best practices for the case and firm.
|
Litigation Support Department Includes:
- Budget Spreadsheet - Needs Assesment - Case Technology Plan - Task and Check Lists - Member's Area Access  |
Table of Content - Complete Book
Clients
Preface
About Mark Lieb
To Litigation Support Professionals
To Attorneys and Paralegals
I Heirarchy II Services
III Needs Assessment
IV Tools
V Litigation Case Lifecycle
VI Supporting Files
Buy the Book
This task list walks the Litigation Support Department through the entire case lifecycle. By following this lifecycle, the Litigation Support Department provides all parties with a consistent experience for every case. This lifecycle meshes with the flowchart, budget spreadsheet, and technical standards. While the task list assumes the Litigation Support Department has achieved a complete and successful implementation of the principals outlined in the book, use of this list does not require it.
This lifecycle matches the discovery lifecycle flowchart (included here). Whereas the flowchart provides an understanding of how discovery flows as the case matures, this task list details the actual project management steps. As the flowchart illustrates potential loops where steps repeat, such as rolling productions, associated tasks may repeat accordingly.
Litigation Support does not always begin work during the pleading phase. As such, the department's first task is to begin handling the case, and data, according to the task list. Only then can both the Litigation Support Department and legal team be certain they are following a proven technology plan that minimizes the chance of future technical problems.
The reader should only use the lifecycle task list in the book for reference purposes. For actual case work, the VP of Operations should create a fresh copy of the included Microsoft Project file, as included on the CD, named for the client matter number. The Litigation Support Department technician or project manager will update this file as the case progresses.
Throughout the case lifecycle, the Litigation Support Department will need to perform standard tasks, e.g., generating blow-backs, dealing with legacy databases, incoming media, and generating productions to opposing. These tasks are too involved and occur too sporadically to place in the lifecycle. Therefore the lifecycle references these "supporting" tasks. These tasks actually reference each other. To learn more about the tasks, please read the section, "Litigation Support Tasks".
Although the flowchart only covers up through the production phase, through the following lifecycle sections, one can understand how the department and legal team use the document review software for exhibit purposes.