E-Discovery Law

Electronic discovery (or e-discovery, eDiscovery) refers to discovery in civil litigation which deals with the exchange of information in electronic format (often referred to as Electronically Stored Information or ESI). Usually (but not always) a digital forensics analysis is performed to recover evidence. A wider array of people are involved in eDiscovery (for example, forensic investigators, lawyers and IT managers) leading to problems with confusing terminology.

On December 1, 2006 the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure were revised to address numerous e-discovery issues. Rules 16,26,33,34,37 and 45 require attorneys to pay specific attention to electronic discovery issues. E-Discovery practices and strategies need to be reviewed and aligned with the updated rules to ensure compliance.

These rules govern the introduction of evidence in proceedings, both civil and criminal, in Federal courts. While they do not apply to suits in state courts, the rules of many states have been closely modeled on these provisions.

This page contains links to articles, PowerPoint slide presentations, and other items of interest on electronic discovery. Unless otherwise noted, these materials were prepared by Federal Judicial Center staff for use in judicial and continuing legal education programs and are not subject to copyright. They may be downloaded and republished without permission.

Welcome to DiscoveryResources.org, where you will find the most up-to-date information, resources and news available about electronic discovery. Given the rapidly increasing importance of electronic evidence in litigation, DiscoveryResources.org offers much needed resources for legal professionals who seek to understand the many new technological and legal challenges associated with electronic discovery.

The E-Discovery Paralegals Network was founded in 2008 by Robin Elizabeth Margolis, a career paralegal and writer, who was frustrated at the lack of a central forum where she could network with other e-discovery paralegals and find out about resources specifically for e-discovery paralegals.

Today's IT organizations need to be prepared to meet the electronic discovery (e-Discovery) requirements enacted by the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (FRCP). With FaceTime e-Discovery compliance solutions you can respond effectively and minimize IM, UC and Social Network risks and liability while benefiting from proven integration with your existing storage, email and records retention systems.

The Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (FRCP) govern the evidence discovery process for litigation in Federal and U.S. District Courts. Prior to December 2006, the FRCP included no specific provisions dealing with electronically stored information (ESI), which led to ad hoc and inconsistent decisions being made with regard to ESI discovery. Through the actions of the Advisory Committee on Civil Rules, amendments to the FRCP that specifically dealt with ESI were enacted. Many state evidentiary rules apply to the production of electronic information as part of the discovery process in state courts.

This site features an e-discovery blog, an e-discovery forum where you can ask and answer questions related to e-discovery, links to syndicated e-discovery news, links to recent e-discovery job postings, and an e-discovery guide and e-discovery law overview for those who are new to e-discovery.

The daily digest of cases, comments and other matters relating to electronic discovery and electronic evidence.

For over a decade, Fios has led corporations and their law firms through e-discovery. Our clients look to us for proven services and expert guidance. We continue to share our experiences and thought leadership within the industry. We invite you to learn more with us.

In 2006, the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure were amended to provide a uniform set of rules across the federal courts to govern the preservation, collection and production of ESI. Most in-house and outside counsel who regularly litigate complex disputes are familiar with these federal e-discovery rules. At the state level, however, in-house and outside counsel must navigate a more byzantine legal landscape