Data Verification and Documentation: eDiscovery Identification Part 3

Extract from Helen Geib’s blog post “Data Verification and Documentation: eDiscovery Identification Part 3” 

This is the third and final part of a series on the identification stage of eDiscovery. Part one was an overview of purpose, process and practical considerationsParts two and three are a detailed review of the five step process of identification.

Step 4: Targeted follow-up
In step 3, a target list of relevant ESI was developed using custodian questionnaires and interviews. The next step is to circle back with the IT contact. It may also be helpful or necessary to follow up with records custodians, employees who don’t have substantive knowledge about the case but are most familiar with the actual ESI, such as records management staff and database administrators.

Follow up will be needed on some or all of these issues:

  1. Data volumes – Inventory the data volumes of the various sources identified by the custodians.
  2. Verify and translate responses – Some employees give confusing answers because they don’t know where or how their files are actually stored on the company’s IT systems. The IT contact may be able to directly translate what the employee said based on experience; at other times a little legwork may be required.

Read the full post here

ACEDS