Robert Ambrogi Blog
The past year has seen a growing number of states adopt the ethical duty of technology competence for lawyers. What does the duty mean and how does it apply to e-discovery?
I will be moderating a free webinar on that topic tomorrow, Oct. 29, from 1 to 2 p.m. Eastern time. The webinar is sponsored by the e-discovery technology company Catalyst.
The issue has come to the forefront as a growing number of states have recognized that lawyers have an ethical duty to be competent in technology. Recently, a State Bar of California ethics opinion extended that duty of technology competence to e-discovery.
Formal Opinion No. 2015-193 was a wake-up call for litigation teams everywhere. It requires lawyers who represent clients in litigation either to be competent in e-discovery or associate with others who are competent. This opinion also included a strong warning: A lack of technological knowledge could render an attorney “ethically incompetent to handle certain litigation matters.”
This live webinar will review what the duty of technology competence means in practical terms for law firms and in-house counsel.
We plan to cover:
- How much technology you really need to know, and why.
- The legal groundwork for the duty of technology competence.
- Why it takes a team to manage the 9 aspects of e-discovery.
- How to avoid “danger areas” and common mistakes.
- How to best manage the transition to new technologies like CAL.
I will be joined by Mark Noel and Niki Nelson from Catalyst’s professional services team to discuss the key issues and what people need to know about technology competence and e-discovery.