Dearest EDRM Community,
Word of the week: Power
In legal tech last week, many went without power due to weather or battle-related reasons.
EDRM projects invite your expertise and collaborative spirit. We’d love your opinion about pricing models for E-Discovery and the emerging AI-enabled workflows.
Mary Mack, EDRM.
Email info@edrm.net to be connected with the project trustee(s) for the area of your interest.
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 sixth year.
On the EDRM Blog:
- Exterro Strengthens Customer Data Protections and Trust with Achievement of ISO 27001 Certification
- HaystackID Partners with Andersen Consulting to Expand Global Legal Tech Reach
- ESI Protocol Disputes Were Resolved by Court
- The $1.5 Billion Reckoning: AI Copyright and the 2026 Regulatory Minefield
- Facial Recognition Technology in Maryland Criminal Cases
- Five Reasons Why Your Best Document Reviewer Isn’t Human Anymore
Upcoming Webinars on the EDRM Global Webinar Channel:
- 10 February 2026, 1 PM ET – Sixth Annual eDiscovery Today State of the Industry Report Survey Results
- 12 February 2026, 1PM ET – “Artificial Intelligence for the Rest of Us” Author Panel: Learn How to Navigate Legal AI with Confidence
- 16 February 2026, 1 PM ET – Important eDiscovery Case Law Decisions for February 2026
- 25 February 2026, 12 PM ET – [HaystackID® Webcast] Real Benefits, Real Constraints: A Practical Guide to Copilot Rollout
Updates from Around the Globe:
- Global Legal Tech Developments: The Hon. Ralph Artigliere (ret.) explained “Effective Advocacy 101 in the Age of eDiscovery and AI: A Guide for Lawyers and Their Clients.” Ralph Losey conversed with multiple AI’s to chronicle “Lessons for Legal Profession from the Latest Viral Meme: ‘Ask an AI What It Would Do If It Became Human For a Day?’.” TechCrunch reported on Harvey’s acquisition of Hexus, a company that builds tools for creating product demos, videos, and guides. US Immigration enforcement greenlighted the use of administrative warrants to forcibly enter homes, changing the requirement from a judicial warrant, reported ABC’s Laura Strickler and Phil Helsel. Bill and Hillary Clinton were held in contempt of Congress for not appearing at an Epstein hearing, according to CSPAN. Meta requested that surveys about teen mental health (and other evidence) be excluded from a New Mexico trial as hearsay, reported Wired’s Lauren Goode, published by Ars Technica. The Press Gazette’s Charlotte Tobitt reported a dramatic shift in web referral traffic this year. ALM’s lawjobs.com provided advice on interviewing as a colleague versus interviewing as a candidate. ComplexDiscovery reported on Moltbook, a social network for agentic AI that seems to have a life of its own, and the one-eyed kings exploiting shadow AI-IT, a challenge for governance.
- International eDiscovery Trends: EDRM Trusted Partner HaystackID welcomed new president, Chad Pinson, as Hal Brooks ascended to Executive Chairman. Level Legal’s Level Table takes on lessons learned in antitrust in conversation with Kati Robson, Partner, Antitrust and Competition, Willkie Farr and Gallagher, on Tuesday, January 27. Mike Berman continued his analysis of the opinions in the Blake Lively Case and added two more on privilege: “Inadequate Privilege Log Fails to Meet Burden of Proof; Waiver Doctrine Does Not Apply” and “A Privilege Log Can Be Admissible Evidence.” ComplexDiscovery envisioned “From Principles to Practice: Embedding Human Rights in AI Governance.” Purpose Legal acquired Hire Counsel. US DOJ attorneys not on an active trial were all redacting the Epstein files, reported Politico’s Erica Orden. ComplexDiscovery’s Five Great Reads surveyed the globe and reported on the White House’s AI Report, Shanghai finding AI developers criminally liable for chatbot content, the evidence in AI powered warfare, and human rights in AI development.
- World Events Impacting Legal Tech: The Red Cross requested blood donations as the supply is critically low. The Southern and Eastern US were in the grip of extreme snow and thunderstorms as Australia faced scorching temperatures. Power is still out for some. Afghanistan’s winter weather saw 61 dead over three days. Russia struck Ukraine, leaving thousands without power in the winter. China placed its top general under investigation, reported the BBC. The Board of Peace was chartered to govern Gaza and launched at Davos. The Northern Lights illuminated our Earth’s beauty, captured by NASA.
Catch our latest syndicated EDRM Global Podcast Network episodes on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, and more.
Recent Illumination Zone Podcasts:
- Recent guests include Jenny Hamilton, Tom O’Connor, Elizabeth Guthrie, and Brett Burney, Sam Morgan and Mark MacDonald, Nate Latessa, and Greg Moreman.
Recent Echoes of AI Podcast:
- Episode 44 | Lessons for Legal Profession from the Latest Viral Meme: ‘Ask an AI What It Would Do If It Became Human For a Day?’
- Episode 43 | Cross-Examine Your AI: The Lawyer’s Cure for Hallucinations – Debate Format
- Episode 42 | Cross-Examine Your AI: The Lawyer’s Cure for Hallucinations – Discussion Format
EDRM Announcements:
- EDRM released an open call for contributors for key projects, including the ESI Protocol Project, the Discovery Workflows Project, the AI-Ethics and Bias Project, and the Testimony Evidence Reference Model (TERM) Project. If you are interested in collaborating and contributing, please contact info@edrm.net.
- Law.com announced the 2026 Legalweek Leaders in Tech Law Awards, highlighting leadership and innovation across the legal technology ecosystem. Lifetime Achievement Awards recipients include Shannon Bales, co-Trustee of the EDRM 2.0 Project; David Greetham, Vice President of Digital Forensics at Trusted Partner Level Legal; and Mary Mack, CEO and Chief Legal Technologist of EDRM. EDRM Trusted Partners HaystackID, Reed Smith, Relativity, and eDiscovery AI were also recognized as finalists across multiple award categories.
- ComplexDiscovery OÜ has launched the Winter 2026 eDiscovery Pricing Survey. Developed in partnership with EDRM, this semi-annual survey continues to serve as a vital benchmark for legal and technology professionals seeking transparency in an ecosystem increasingly defined by the practical adoption of Generative AI (GenAI).
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 311th call. For mental health care, consider these professional resources.
All are welcome,
Mary and Holley
Subscribe to EDRM’s Weekly Newsletter
P.S. This update was assisted by GAI and LLM Technologies as per EDRM’s GAI and LLM Policy.
