Seventh Circuit Electronic Discovery Pilot Program Issues Final Report on Phase Two
Phase Two of the Seventh Circuit’s Electronic Discovery Pilot Program ended in May and the Final Report on that phase has now been issued. According to that report, much was accomplished during Phase Two, including the creation of several subcommittees such as the Criminal Discovery Subcommittee, dedicated to developing “resources to educate criminal practitioners about the use of electronic discovery,” and the Technology Subcommittee, which was “formed … to keep up with rapidly evolving technology and to further advance the bench’s and bar’s understanding and use of new technology in the electronic record retention and discovery field.” A Web Site Subcommittee was also formed which was responsible for the creation of www.DiscoveryPilot.com, a valuable informational resource on the Pilot Program and related topics. Phase Two also included a survey about the Pilot Program and its Principles, the results of which are shared in the Final Report. Notably, according to the report’s Executive Summary, “[b]oth the Phase One and Phase Two surveys’ results show that in those cases in which the Principles had a perceived effect, those effects were overwhelmingly positive with respect to assisting attorneys’ cooperation and enhancing their ability to resolve disputes amicably, their ability to obtain relevant documents, and their ability to zealously represent their clients, as well as providing fairness to the process.”