Extract from Petra Pasternak’s article “Top Benefits of Early Case Assessment for In-House Teams”
Outside counsel often leave no stone unturned in their search for relevant documents — a thorough but expensive approach to discovery that can overwhelm legal budgets. For in-house legal teams working with lean resources, that kind of wide-net strategy is not sustainable. The good news? It isn’t necessary, either.
Modern ediscovery tools have made it possible to get control of vast amounts of data early. In fact, up to 75% of collected data for a legal matter is irrelevant or duplicative. Early Case Assessment, or ECA, gives in-house teams the power to quickly and defensibly reduce data volumes to just what matters — saving time, money, and unnecessary effort. Whether review is handled by a third party or internally, attorneys only need to set eyes on relevant information.
With the right approach, ECA doesn’t just reduce review costs. It provides legal teams with early insight into the risks and strengths of their case, helping shape strategy and control outcomes.
