Weekly Letter to Our EDRM Global Community

Image: Holley Robinson, EDRM with AI.

Dearest EDRM Community,

Word of the week: Displace.

In legal tech this week, a new US administration takes the reins, with the traditional change in focus and personnel amplified. EDRM remains steadfast in supporting Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB). You can read our policy here. We want to reiterate that all are welcome at EDRM. As we continue fostering a strong and inclusive legal tech community, we invite you to join our upcoming workshop on February 5 with Trusted Partner HaystackID, where our expert panel will discuss strategies for managing complex data challenges during catastrophic events.

EDRM congratulates Dave Cohen, Chair of our Project Trustees and Reed Smith partner, along with Hal Brooks, CEO of our most longstanding Trusted Partner, HaystackID, on earning Legalweek Leaders in Tech Law Lifetime Achievement Awards. We also extend our congratulations to Farrah Pepper of Marsh McLennan and Vazantha (“V”) Meyers of HaystackID on receiving the Monica Bay Women of Legal Tech Awards.
Mary, Kaylee, and Holley, EDRM.

Let’s remain united in our support for each other. For support or to assist a colleague, contact us at info@edrm.net and join our weekly Community Support Call, now in its fifth year.

On the EDRM Blog:

Upcoming Webinars on the EDRM Global Webinar Channel:

28 January 2025: 1PM Eastern: Strategic Tips to Recover Software Costs and Maximize Profitability for Your Firm
29 January 2025: 1PM Eastern: Creating Thoughtful Work Structures for Cross-Functional Teams – GOSP Models 101
30 January 2025: 1PM Eastern: Cellebrite Client Spotlight with Innovative Driven: Real-World Impact for eDiscovery
5 February 2025: 12PM Eastern: EDRM Workshop: Managing Data Overload and Complexity in Catastrophic Events

Updates from Around the Globe:

Global Legal Tech Developments: The new US administration is moving quickly to change out personnel and priorities. AI regulation may be faster at the state level. ComplexDiscovery covered Davos and Shadow AI. Anthropic built RAG directly into Claude with a new Citations API. Sony will stop producing the Blu-Ray media. SanDisk released a 2 TB speedy memory card. Like a DSAR, there is now an app to request a health insurance file prior to appealing a denial of coverage. Hackers are using GenAI to attack more frequently and effectively. Prince Harry settled his suit about illegal surveillance and destruction of evidence with the tabloids.
International eDiscovery Trends: Legaltech News released its Legal tech predictions for eDiscovery 2025, and Legalweek Announced its Leaders in Tech Law Lifetime Achievement Awards, including EDRM leaders Dave Cohen and Hal Brooks. Additionally, Legalweek recognized Farrah Pepper of Marsh McLennan and Vazantha Meyers of HaystackID with the Monica Bay Women of Legal Tech Awards. Craig Ball wrote on 502(d) orders with temporal limits, Judge Artigliere shared his analysis of Florida’s Rules changes, and Mike Berman shared his thoughts on a case with custodian limitations and null sets. An EDNY judge ruled that FISA searches without warrants for US residents are Fourth Amendment violations. Here’s how to limit what thieves can access on a stolen iPhone and Android. TikTok discovered Mobile Device Forensic Tools (MDFT). Doug Austin of our Trusted Partner eDiscovery Today has a kitchen sink full of articles, including one on eDiscovery job titles. We’re grateful for his coverage of Rob Robinson’s article on leadership and decision-making and Michael Berman’s on judicially imposed protocols after a failure to cooperate.
World Events Impacting Legal Tech: More hostages have been released by Hamas during a rough ceasefire. President Trump suggests Gazans be moved to Egypt and neighboring states. Musk’s straight-arm salute is being debated, as he urged the right in Germany to get over past guilt. It is 80 years since Auschwitz was liberated. South Korea indicted its impeached president. Mudslides are the new threat as rains assist in tamping the fire down in the Los Angeles area as Ireland and Scotland clock hurricane-force gales. Keep going; it takes longer than 21 days to develop healthy habits.

Catch our latest syndicated EDRM Global Podcast Network episodes on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, and more.

**Recent Illumination Zone Podcasts:**

Recent guests include Jess Moore, Jenna Rooney, Anthony Diaz, Kris Taylor, Stephanie Wienke, and Doug Kaminski.

**Recent Echoes of AI Podcasts:**

EDRM Announcements:

EDRM is proud to announce Proteus Discovery Group as our newest Trusted Partner.
EDRM’s AI Ethics & Bias team updated its GenAI Judicial Orders Repository.
Update to EDRM’s Code of Conduct: EDRM has updated its Code of Conduct for respect and civility at in-person, virtual, social, and project events.
Generative AI Policy Update: Check out our updated Generative AI and Large Language Model policy, focusing on disclosure and fact-checking. Read the Policy Here.

Weekly Community Support Call: Join us every Tuesday at 6PM Eastern on Zoom for support and camaraderie. Email info@edrm.net for an invitation to our 259th call. For mental health care, consider these professional resources.

All are welcome,

Kaylee, Mary, and Holley

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P.S. This update was assisted by GAI and LLM Technologies as per EDRM GAI and LLM Policy.

Authors

Kaylee Walstad

Kaylee Walstad, chief strategy officer of EDRM, leads the global project based organization and is the former VP of client engagement at a certification organization. Kaylee is known for her role in building communities, uniting people and companies across the globe, and brand amplification for partners through social media and events. A frequent public speaker on a variety of topics, from personal development to the nuances of e-discovery. Kaylee has a broad background in e-discovery and skills that uniquely position her to provide insight into the challenges faced by the end-users of e-discovery services and technology and the organizations serving them. She has extensive expertise in developing cross organizational discovery strategies for large litigation and investigations.
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Mary Mack

Mary Mack is the CEO and Chief Legal Technologist for EDRM. Mary was the co-editor of the Thomson Reuters West Treatise, eDiscovery for Corporate Counsel for 10 years and the co-author of A Process of Illumination: the Practical Guide to Electronic Discovery. She holds the CISSP among her certifications.
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Holley Robinson

Holley Robinson is the Marketing Operations Manager for EDRM and ComplexDiscovery OÜ. She supports social media strategy, podcast and webinar production, and content management for EDRM while also overseeing updates to ComplexDiscovery’s industry-recognized eDisclosure Buyers Guide and assisting with their social media and content efforts. A recent graduate of Texas Tech University with a background in marketing, Holley began her journey in eDiscovery as an intern with EDRM and now contributes to amplifying valuable resources for the eDiscovery community.
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