Local Government Law

Although the “digital age” has been upon us for many years, the legal system continues to struggle to keep pace with the fundamental transformation it has caused in the way people communicate and generate and store information. The discovery of electronic information in civil litigation is one area that presents particular difficulties for public sector entities. The sheer volume of data that is now generated and stored electronically and the dispersion of that data across multiple platforms and repositories pose ever-increasing costs and burdens on public sector litigants forced to search, retrieve, and review electronic information pursuant to even routine discovery requests.

During this workshop participants will identify the differences between electronic data and traditional paper documents, analyze how these differences increase the burdens and costs of litigation, and discuss potential tools and strategies to address the increased burdens and costs.

Program Topics:

• What is electronic (e-) discovery and what electronic data is subject to search and retrieval?
• What are the current rules of civil procedure in North Carolina state and federal courts that relate to the discovery of electronic information?
• What are best practices in managing, searching, and retrieving electronic information?