Members participate in networking and productive work sessions; chart path for future\r\n\r\nSaint Paul, Minnesota—October 21, 2013—EDRM, the leading standards organization for the e-discovery market, held its annual fall meeting on October 9-11. The meeting was a remarkable success with several notable outcomes emerging from the event. In addition to progress achieved on current key projects, members and leaders agreed to initiate the process for transforming EDRM into a nonprofit organization.\r\n\r\nEDRM members met as a committee of the whole to review progress since this year’s spring kickoff meeting and to set the direction for current and new initiatives. Project teams then used the time together to work on achieving or revising the goals of each of the projects. Key updates attained or on track for completion this quarter include:\r\n
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- Improvements to the Privacy Risk Reduction Model
- Finalization of version one of the Collection Standards
- Completion of the Metrics glossary
- Publication of an IGRM white paper
- Revisions to the iconic EDRM framework
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\r\nIn addition to noting advancement and completion of numerous projects, continued work on current and new endeavors, and active participation of its membership, meeting leaders and attendees addressed EDRM’s long-term continuity.\r\n\r\nEDRM was cofounded by industry consultants George Socha and Tom Gelbmann in 2005 to address a lack of standards and guidelines in the e-discovery market. Since publishing the original Electronic Discovery Reference Model in 2006, EDRM has continued its mission to share best practices and establish improved standards for the industry. Frameworks addressing computer-assisted review, information governance, metrics and other important topics are now available, along with other core standards and educational resources including project guides, glossaries, white papers and more.\r\n\r\nAs the organization continues to grow, delivering new and important models and standards for the e-discovery and information governance markets, members intend to position EDRM for long-term sustainability through a transition from its current LLC status to that of a not-for-profit, member-driven organization.\r\n\r\n“While we have led EDRM since its inception, we also have encouraged active member participation and leadership because it was never our intent to continue in our current roles forever,” say EDRM cofounders Socha and Gelbmann. They add, “This change in EDRM’s organizational structure paves the way for new leadership, which is necessary to ensure that the group’s important work endures as long as the industry continues its growth and evolution.”\r\n\r\nAn advisory board will help oversee the organization’s transition over the next six months. The board is comprised of current EDRM members Deborah Baron, Julie Brown, Aliye Ergulen, Quin Gregor, David Haines, Bill Hamilton, Reed Irvin, Eric Mandel, Browning Marean, Dera Nevin, Tom Palladino, Chris Paskach and Bob Rohlf.\r\n\r\n“The work produced by EDRM, including frameworks and standards that have been widely adopted by the e-discovery industry, demonstrates what can be achieved when a group of dedicated peers commits itself to the betterment of the whole,” says advisory board member Dera Nevin. “George and Tom’s leadership in this endeavor has been invaluable, and we have an obligation to ensure the continued work of EDRM into the future,” she adds.\r\n\r\nNo details about the organization’s new structure are available at this time. Socha and Gelbmann remain in their current leadership roles and, with the assistance of the advisory board, are leading the transition efforts. More information about EDRM’s structural changes will be shared with members and with the public when it becomes available. The change is expected to occur in advance of EDRM’s 2014 spring meeting.\r\n\r\nAbout EDRM\r\nEDRM creates practical resources to improve e-discovery and information governance. Launched in May 2005, EDRM was established to address the lack of standards and guidelines in the e-discovery market. In January 2006, EDRM published the Electronic Discovery Reference Model, followed by additional resources such as IGRM, CARRM and the Talent Task Matrix. Since its launch, EDRM has comprised 268 organizations, including 172 service and software providers, 68 law firms, 3 industry groups and 24 corporations involved with e-discovery and information governance.\r\n\r\nContact\r\nTom Gelbmann\r\nEDRM, LLC\r\n(651-483-0022)\r\ntom@gelbmann.biz
