Lawyers and law firms face both opportunities and risks when using the multitude of social media tools now available. On April 4, 2011, the Practice Management Service Committee in cosponsorship with the Law Practice Management section are presenting a free program that will explore the issues faced by the legal community when using such social media tools as LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and more. 

Seats are limited and you must register.  For full information click here.

On Thursday, March 3, from 1-5pm, the University of Richmond Journal of Law & Technology (JOLT) will host a symposium, “Electronic Discovery in a World of Cloud Computing, Data Hoarding, and Social Networking,” in the law school’s moot court room. Approved for 3.5 CLE credits, the symposium is free and open to the public. Held in conjunction with the publication of JOLT’s Annual Survey, the symposium will feature the survey’s contributors speaking on the latest legal issues in technology and of the application of e-discovery law.

Presenters include keynote speaker Chief Magistrate Judge Paul Grimm for the U.S. District Court of Maryland, who has published some of the most important opinions on e-discovery during the past five years. Grimm will speak about the implications of Federal Rule of Evidence 502 on e-discovery.

Other speakers include:

• Jason R. Baron, director of litigation for the National Archives, presenting his article exploring trends in e-discovery search.
• Bennett Borden, co-chair of the Williams Mullen e-discovery section, presenting his article summarizing 2010 developments in e-discovery law.
• Anthony J. Diana, partner at Mayer-Brown, presenting an article he co-authored on e-discovery in social media.
• Maura Grossman, counsel at Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, presenting an article she co-authored on the proficiency of technology-assisted e-discovery review.  
• Leslie Haley, senior assistant ethics counsel, Virginia State Bar, presenting on the ethical hazards posed by the digital age.

For full details click here.

20 September 2010 — There are (at last count) 23,781 e-discovery conferences booked for the remainder of 2010.  Ok, an exaggeration.  But there are a lot.  And many are redundant, repetitive and  of little value. 

Not so the Intermountain eDiscovery Conference sponsored by Orange Legal Technologies (for full details on the conference click here).   The event organizers have wisely chosen to focus on the “buzz” topics of e-discovery today:  social media and how to handle it from an e-discovery perspective; the continued emergence of Early Case Assessment in all its permutations; metadata (why it’s important and why you should care); and organizing and managing large document reviews – the last one being near and dear to our hearts. 

The faculty is AAA and include such e-discovery luminaries as Sharon Nelson and John Simek from Sensei Enterprises, the computer forensics company experts who were recently on a “Digital Detectives” program on the Duke Law Conference  (click here); Tom O’Connor, Director of the Gulf Coast Legal Technology Center (click here)   who is an expert on document intensive cases;  Rudy Perrino, a partner at Fulbright & Jaworksi, who is well known for his ability to develop and execute “bet the company” litigation strategies (click here); plus many other excellent faculty members. 

We’ll be at the event and we’ll have a post-conference wrap-up with pdfs, links and other conference material. 

Virtual LegalTech is on September 23rd and one of the webinars is on social media and e-discovery.

The cross roads of social media and e-discovery are the new lawyer nightmare.  Posse List members across the whole e-discovery vortex –– the data collector vendors, the forensic experts, the contract attorneys, etc. —   are dealing with it.  With eDiscovery expenses on the rise and data volumes increasing rapidly, e-discovery can be challenging enough. 

However, with social media sites including Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, and LinkedIn having 100s of millions of users worldwide, this adds a new dimension to the challenge of managing ESI. 

The webinar is called “Social Media & eDiscovery: Untangling the Tweets for the Trials,” and it’s complimentary.    It is taking place in the Virtual Auditorium at Virtual LegalTech on September 23rd, from 4:00 – 5:00 pm ET. 

Among some of the questions being addressed: 

- Are social media sites discoverable?

- Should your organization be saving every “tweet” and web-page?

- What is reasonable and what could you be held accountable for?

- Can technology help manage these potential data sources?

The webinar is sponsored by Autonomy and the participants are: 

*  Jack Halprin, Esq., Vice President, eDiscovery & Compilance, Autonomy

*  Michael E. Lackey, Jr., Partner, Mayer Brown LLP

*  Honorable David J. Waxse, US District Court, District of Kansas

And you can earn free CLE credit. 

The whole Virtual LegalTech experience is helpful:  you can chat with vendors, see product demonstrations, collect information, network with colleagues and get the latest news from the ever-evolving legal industry. 

Registration is complimentary.  Follow this link to register and mention Priority Code VLSM2 when registering: 

http://alm-promotions-us.msgfocus.com/c/1dlx2iXsmqbqRoZmKt

Tomorrow, August 31st, Digital Reef is hosting a webinar on the best practices for social media and eDiscovery.  Legal counsel from CISCO Systems  and Mayer Brown will be joined by Landmark Ventures’ Chief Information Security Officer to have an interactive discussion on the growing risks enterprises face as they increasingly integrate social media into their communications pipeline.

It will be interesting for all Posse List members considering all the issues surrounding the management of new social media information sources in preparation for mandated eDiscovery requests.

The webinar is the first installment of Digital Reef’s series of discussions on eDiscovery preparation and compliance. 

To register click here.

There is a very good free webinar coming up on FRCP 26(f).  We know the sponsor and we have heard the participants on other programs.  As many Posse List members have moved into the planning phases of conference preparedness and best practices we think it is very much worth your attention.  You will hear from the judge who decided the seminal Rhoads Industries cases. 

Planet Data is hosting the free webinar titled “FRCP 26(f) ALL ACCESS – A Behind The Scenes View Of Current Requirements”.  It will be held on Wednesday, June 16, 2010 at 2:00 PM (EDT). 

It will be led by Howard Reissner, Planet Data CEO.  From the webinar announcement: 

“The webinar will cover current trends and guidelines needed to attain the highest level of preparation. Judge Michael M. Baylson, US District Court, the author of the Rhoads Industries opinions, will discuss judicial expectations and best practices. The dialogue will also address fundamentals of what is considered “adequate knowledge” of client systems and data at the outset of a case, and how ECA technologies and analytical tools can enable counsel to place their clients in an advantageous position. 

The panel also features Ian Hochman Esq. (Special Counsel for E-Discovery at Willkie Farr & Gallagher) who specializes in implementing cost-efficient and defensible strategies for collection, processing, and review; and James J. Stricker Esq. (Partner at Kasowitz, Benson Torres & Friedman) who focuses on complex civil litigation, including class actions in courts throughout the country. Howard J. Reissner, a former practicing lawyer with extensive experience in providing technology and e-discovery solutions to the legal industry, will serve as moderator. 

Mr. Reissner notes “the Judiciary continues to hold counsel to an increasingly higher standard of ESI knowledge. Understanding the technologies and issues involved is crucial. The level of preparation can make or break your case. Those who properly leverage ECA tools will gain an advantage over opposing counsel. We are fortunate to have a leading judicial authority on 26(f) conferences, as well as distinguished counsel well-versed in ESI joining us in discussing this important issue”. 

Free registration at http://www.PlanetDS.com

Ari Kaplan is offering a free bonus webinar in his series “30-Minute Thursdays” at 2pm EDT.   His series is a paid subscription-based series, but this program is a free bonus edition.  He always has great info (for our other posts on Ari click here).

This program will give attendees tips on:

*  How to Write a White Paper Your Audience Will Read
*  Converting Print into Multimedia Content
*  Engaging Your Clients With White Papers
*  Selling Your Products and Services With Statistics
*  Thoughtfully Promoting Thought Leadership

For more info and to sign up for the event click here.

Titled “Future Ed: New Business Models for U.S. and Global Legal Education,” Harvard Law School and New York Law School kicked off a conference yesterday which will be a yearlong “contest of ideas” to bridge the gap between the high cost of a law school education and the tightening job market, and to give students the skills they need to hit the ground running. 

The 3Ls will spend their first two weeks of the semester in an immersion course in practical skills — one on office and transactional practice skills, the other on skills related to litigation and conflict resolution, said Robert Danforth, associate dean for academic affairs.  Then, they participate in clinics, externships or experiential modules designed to simulate live client experiences, in addition to a legal profession course that teaches students about work-life balance, ethics and other issues involved in being a practicing lawyer. They’re also required to do service, Danforth said.

For the full post from law360.com click here.

We receive on average 300+ emails a week from Posse List members.   About 200 of them are from our contract attorney members.  The questions we receive from you range from “where is the best city to be for constant doc review work” to “I am moving to [fill in city/state] and want to know if there is contract work” to “what is the hourly rate in [fill in city/state]” to “how do I get a gig in Europe” to “can you recommend a webinar/webcast for [fill in the subject area]”.  

But since the legal market melt-down (well, no melt-down now in D.C. if you are on one of the 6 Japanese language projects or on the A&P or Howrey project which each seems to have 200+ contract attorneys doing mega hours) the top question we have received has been “how do I get out of this contract stuff?”   We don’t know if it because a lot of you had extra time during the “dead zone” of no work and did a rethink of what you want to do/need to do, or what.  But we have tried to provide help through our sister site www.theposseranch.com as well as free webinars from folks like Ari Kaplan who have provided us tons of useful information.

Because in spite of all the challenges you will face trying to hit the “exit” button and get of contract legal work — either staying in e-discovery/ESI management or getting out completely — be comforted by the fact that scores of Posse List members are doing it, and have been successful at doing it.  They have ignored the difficulty, the negativity.  The best news:  we are working in a part of the legal industry that is unusual because it is open to sharing and collaboration, through publications, quality conferences, and trade shows, and peer networking organizations.  And it has certainly worked for those of you who want to stay in e-discovery/ESI management especially those of you we have met at the conferences and tradeshows, who have worked the vendors, worked the law firms, and gone on to project management or some other facet of ESI work.       

But when it comes down to “going solo” one of the biggest challenges that any Posse List member faces in opening his or her own your own solo practice is … funding. Moola.  A big chunka change.  And it is enough to frustrate the hell out of anybody.  Because you need the jack to:  take classes to get the practical knowledge that law school doesn’t provide; to get design, programming, copy, and hosting for a website; to buy practice management software; to take CLE courses …. yadda yadda yadda.   And all this on top of staggering educational loans. 

And we have spoken to scores of you who have started a solo practice or are in the process and you are looking for that little financial “push” to get it happening, get it on track. 

So after that (over long) intro we want to tell you about the “Proud to be Solo” scholarship contest being sponsored by Solo Practice University.  The goal of the contest?  To knock down some of the financial roadblocks you face. 

In the contest they are giving away 18 prizes with a total combined value of approximately $12,000.  The prizes include (almost) everything you could need including cash, a scholarship to Solo Practice University, CLIO practice management software, a complete website/blog design package from Smart Marketing, etc., etc, etc. 

No, it is not for everybody.  It’s for folks serious about doing a solo practice, who now have a practice or are in the process of opening a solo practice.  But you can check out all the details here and see if it fits for you:  click here.    

And the process is rather cool because the entry form is … well … a video.  You need to do a video.  And we aren’t talking “Avatar” or a Spielberg production here.  Web cam, computer camera or flip video.  They’ll do.  The tech quality won’t impact choice.  It’s the content that counts.  But video is the future.  That’s why they are doing it that way.  But all the details are in the link above. 

Anyway, you have until April 19th to enter.  And it’s free with no obligation.  So check it out. 

What do we get from Solo U and/or the sponsors giving out the loot?  Zippo.  Nada.  We thought it was a good deal so we thought we’d pass it on to you.  We are trying to meet the needs of what is now a very diverse Posse List membership.    

The remainder of 2010 has a significant number of key electronic discovery related conferences, events, seminars and tradeshows.   We thought having a calendar of events would help in your planning.  For a link click here.

The list was compiled by E-Discovery Sensei Master Rob Robinson of Applied Discovery  and published on his new  electronic discovery resource site (experimental and in progress) Complex Discovery (click here).

The Posse List cannot cover all the events on Rob’s list but we will be covering the following events … and we good use some help.  See last paragraph on this page:

APRIL

IQPC: Corporate Counsel Exchange
April 18-20, 2010
Brussels, Belgium
Click here for more information

The Computer Forensics Show
April 19-20, 2010
New York, NY
Click here for more information.  

IAPP Global Privacy Summit
April 19-21, 2010
Washington, DC
Click here for more information.

MAY

EDRM Kickoff Meeting Update
May 11-13, 2010
St. Paul, MN
Click here for more information.

IQPC Information Retention & E-Disclosure Management Summit
May 17-19, 2010
London, UK
Click here for more information.

ACC Europe Annual Conference
May 30 – June 1, 2010
Vienna, Austria
Click here for more information.

JUNE

ALM: LegalTech West Coast
June 23-24, 2010
Los Angeles, CA
Click here for more information.

AUGUST

ILTA 2010
August 22-26, 2010
Nashville, TN
Click here for more information.

OCTOBER

The Masters Conference
October 4-6, 2010
Washington, DC
Click here for more information.

ACC Annual Meeting
October 24-27, 2010
San Antonio, TX
Click here for more information.

2010 Techno Forensics & Digital Investigations
October 25-26, 2010
Gaithersburg, MD
Click here for more information.

At present we have 6 Posse List members who cover various events during the year.  But we have a growing need as we cover more events, write more posts.

If you are going to be attending any of these events and you’d like to assist us in covering them, email us at the address below.   Or if you are not going but you will be in any of those cities, email us.  We always seek out Posse List members who are experienced in the applicable field/area to write about a session/panel, interview a presenter or vendor, etc.  You’ll get a byline on the post and wide distribution through our listservs, our JDSupra network (in fact, we recommend you set up your own JDSupra account by clicking here), as well as our social media accounts. 

We can’t reply to everybody (the last time we did this we got swamped) so we can only reply to qualified candidates.  Send your resume and a cover note telling us your experience and expertise, plus what event you’d like to cover and why.  Email us at:   media@theposselist.com