Very interesting blog post about e-discovery. Use this link to access
the full posting

http://shrinkster.com/11kb

Sent to you by pakurilecz via Google Reader: Tech v. Law - a Plea for
Mutual Respect via e-Discovery Team by Ralph Losey on 8/24/08

Ever wonder what the big tech companies moving into e-discovery really
think of the field, or the people in it like you and me? Thanks to a
recent article in the Wall Street Journal we now know. They think we
are morons! Or at least one CEO of a high tech company does. There are
so many mainline technology companies now muscling into e-discovery
these days that the Wall Street Journal ran a feature article on the
subject. Tech Firms Pitch Tools For Sifting Legal Records, Wall Street
Journal at B1 (August 22, 2008). As part of this article WSJ reporter,
Justin Scheck, interviewed Michael Lynch, the CEO of a British software
company, Autonomy, about their move into e-discovery. Mr. Lynch is
quoted as saying e-discovery work "…is work that requires little
brain-power or legal training." I guess he figured e-discovery workers
have too little brain power to read such a bastion of intellect as the
Wall Street Journal. This is especially ironic coming from the man who
decided to pay $375 million last year to buy Zantaz. So it seems that
e-discovery is the Rodney Dangerfield of the tech world - "can't get no
respect."

Conflict Between The Two Professions

You could say this is just one man's opinion, and the quote was
probably taken out of context. Maybe, but I don't think so. This
comment demonstrates a real antipathy between Law and IT. It also
illustrates a lack of understanding or appreciation as to what each
side really does. For instance, Mr. Lynch is also quoted as describing
what he thinks discovery lawyers do, and why they need help from
super-tech gurus like him:
"The old-fashioned way of doing this was having a lot of lawyers doing
a lot of simple things," he says. "You would literally have lawyers
reading through things saying 'there was chicken for lunch.' You don't
need lawyers to know it's a lunch menu."


-- 
Peterk
Richmond, Va

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