Our industry has no shortage of conferences, webinars, training programs, and opportunities to talk about the latest technology. ACEDS is proud to support that learning and professional development throughout the year.
E-Discovery Day is different. E-Discovery Day is the one day we set aside to celebrate ourselves.
It is a day to recognize the people doing this work, the many roles that keep it moving, and the collective expertise that helps legal teams turn growing volumes of information into legal data intelligence they can understand, trust, and act on.
On Thursday, December 3, ACEDS will join Exterro, EDRM, eDiscovery Today and LegalOps.com for the 12th annual E-Discovery Day.
This year’s celebration will include a live keynote debate about AI, new industry research, the first Rising Stars of E-Discovery Awards, and local events hosted by ACEDS chapters. Some chapter events will also raise funds for charities and nonprofit organizations in their communities.
There will be plenty to learn. That is part of who we are as a profession. But at its heart, E-Discovery Day is about the people.
All of us.
The Work Is Bigger Than Any One Title
When people outside the industry hear “e-discovery,” they may picture lawyers reviewing documents or technologists processing data.
Those professionals are certainly part of the story, but they are not the whole story.
E-discovery works because attorneys, paralegals, project managers, review professionals, forensic specialists, technologists, data analysts, information governance teams, legal operations professionals, educators, consultants, and service providers bring different kinds of expertise to the same challenge.
It also works because sales professionals understand what legal teams are trying to solve and connect them with the right resources. Marketing professionals translate complex ideas, introduce the industry to new approaches, and make education more accessible. Recruiters help organizations find the talent they need. Event professionals create places for the community to learn and connect.
Judges help shape standards. Corporate teams bring the realities of business, risk, and regulation into the conversation. Law firms bring litigation strategy and advocacy. Technology and service providers turn emerging ideas into practical tools and workflows.
There is no single role that defines an e-discovery professional.
If your work helps legal teams identify, preserve, understand, manage, or use legal data more effectively, you are part of this profession. E-Discovery Day is for you.
Celebrating the Work Behind Legal Data Intelligence
Legal data intelligence is more than having access to information. It is the ability to turn that information into something useful.
It helps teams understand what happened, identify what matters, manage risk, make informed decisions, and develop stronger legal strategies.
Getting there requires more than technology.
It takes people who understand the law, the data, the tools, the process, and the business problem. It takes people who can communicate across disciplines, question results, manage projects, and explain complicated information in a way others can use.
Much of that work happens behind the scenes. It often happens under tight deadlines and with little room for error. When it is done well, the result can look effortless.
We know it is anything but.
E-Discovery Day gives us a chance to recognize the knowledge, care, creativity, and judgment that go into the work every day.
The AI Conversation Has Moved On
This year’s E-Discovery Day keynote will focus on one of the biggest questions facing the profession: As AI becomes more capable, who does the work now?
“In a New AI World, Who Does the Work Now?” will be presented live at 11:00 a.m. ET on December 3. The 75-minute session will bring together leaders from the judiciary, corporate legal departments, law firms, professional associations, legal technology, and industry media.
At the center of the program will be a live oral argument presided over by Hon. Xavier Rodriguez, U.S. District Judge for the Western District of Texas.
Lea Malani Bays, Porschia Clarke, David Cowen and Khrhysna “Khrys” McKinney will argue assigned positions on whether AI is ready to execute e-discovery work with humans providing approval and oversight. Doug Austin, Editor-in-Chief of eDiscovery Today, will moderate. The audience will be polled before and after the debate to see whether the arguments change any minds.
A few years ago, the central question was whether AI belonged in e-discovery. Today, AI is already influencing how teams collect, organize, review, analyze, and understand information. The more important questions now involve trust, responsibility, and judgment.
What should AI be allowed to do? Where must people remain directly involved? What does meaningful human oversight look like? Who is accountable when an AI-supported process produces the wrong answer?
These questions do not affect only lawyers or technologists. They affect anyone responsible for choosing, explaining, marketing, selling, implementing, supervising, or using AI-supported e-discovery solutions.
The keynote will also introduce new research examining how legal and e-discovery professionals are using AI today. Developed jointly by the five E-Discovery Day partner organizations, the research is intended to become an annual benchmark for tracking how the division of work between people and technology continues to change.
Education Keeps the Profession Moving
E-Discovery Day is a celebration, but learning will always be part of the day because education is part of how this profession moves forward.
Technology changes. Data changes. Case law changes. Client expectations change. Roles that existed ten years ago look different today, and entirely new career paths are continuing to emerge.
People entering e-discovery need a strong foundation and a clearer understanding of where they can contribute. Professionals already doing the work need opportunities to sharpen their skills, learn new technology, and prepare for changing responsibilities.
ACEDS supports both.
Programs such as the eDiscovery Executive Certificate help law students, paralegals, attorneys, IT professionals, and other new entrants develop a practical understanding of the complete e-discovery process.
Live and on-demand webinars, technical and advanced certificate programs, micro-courses, conferences, and chapter education help experienced professionals continue building their expertise.
The Certified E-Discovery Specialist certification gives professionals a way to validate their knowledge across the e-discovery lifecycle and demonstrate their commitment to professional development.
Education is how we welcome people into the profession. It is also how we help those already here continue growing with it.
Making Room for New Faces
Celebrating the profession also means thinking about who will carry it forward.
The first Rising Stars of E-Discovery Awards will recognize five practitioners with five years or less of experience in the field. Nominees will be evaluated on their craft, impact, judgment, contributions to the profession and future potential.
Winners will be announced during the December 3 keynote and featured through the E-Discovery Day partner organizations. The recognition fills an important gap.
Our industry is fortunate to have established leaders who have spent years building practices, developing standards, educating colleagues, and moving e-discovery forward. Their experience remains essential.
We also need to make sure newer professionals can see a future for themselves here.
That means recognizing people before everyone already knows their names. It means providing education, mentorship, visibility, and opportunities to contribute. It means welcoming people who arrived through traditional legal paths as well as those who came from technology, project management, communications, sales, marketing, investigations, or another field entirely.
There is no single path into e-discovery. There should not be only one picture of what an e-discovery leader looks like.
Bringing the Celebration Into Our Communities
E-Discovery Day is an industry-wide celebration, but many of its most meaningful moments happen locally.
ACEDS chapters will host E-Discovery Day celebrations, holiday gatherings, and networking events in communities across the country. Some chapters will also incorporate charitable fundraisers, giving attendees an opportunity to celebrate together while supporting organizations doing important work in their communities.
These events give us a chance to step away from our screens, reconnect with colleagues, and welcome new people into the conversation.
They are also where relationships begin. A chapter event can be where someone meets a future mentor, hears about a new role, finds a collaborator or realizes that they have found their professional community.
Events will vary by location, and additional programs will be added as chapter plans are finalized. Visit the ACEDS events calendar to find upcoming E-Discovery Day and holiday events near you.
This Day Belongs to All of Us
There are several ways to take part in E-Discovery Day 2026:
- Register for the free keynote, “In a New AI World, Who Does the Work Now?”
- Nominate an eligible professional for the Rising Stars of E-Discovery Awards
- Attend educational programs offered throughout the day
- Join an ACEDS chapter’s E-Discovery Day or holiday event
- Support a chapter charity fundraiser where available
- Invite someone new to the profession to participate with you
- Take a moment to recognize a colleague whose work makes a difference
Nominations for the Rising Stars of E-Discovery Awards, including self-nominations, are open through November 6, 2026.
Visit E-DiscoveryDay.com to register for the keynote, submit a Rising Stars nomination, and watch for additional programming.
Check the ACEDS events calendar for chapter events, and subscribe to ACEDS updates to receive the latest news and announcements.
E-Discovery Day is not about one title, one discipline, or one part of the industry. It is one day to celebrate every person whose work helps move legal data intelligence forward.
That means you.
