Law Firms | Litigation Support Division

Over the past 10 years, document review has exploded and has quickly become one of the most challenging issues law firms face in the litigation arena. The volume of documents creates myriad workload challenges; many law firms have performed the balancing act of assigning document review to well-paid associates and justifying billable rates and value to clients. Most are now feeling pressure to handle this work differently.

Counsel On Call has been heavily involved in the evolution of this process. Serving hundreds of clients on a wide variety of litigation support needs, we have seen what works and what doesn't. With this in mind, we established our Litigation Support Division.

The Counsel On Call Litigation Support Division is composed of talented attorneys who choose to practice law by specializing in litigation support. Our attorneys have prior litigation experience and understand the Rules of Civil Procedure and evidentiary issues. They have experience working on various software platforms. They enjoy discovery, its challenges and the opportunities this type of work provides.

Our Litigation Support Division enables law firms to bring in efficient and qualified attorneys who complete the work correctly the first time. The peace of mind this provides allows law firms to assign associates higher-billable work while the review is completed at very reasonable rates. In many jurisdictions, our attorneys' rates can be marked up to a level that is considered reasonable for an attorney with like experience.

Before the Actual Review

The initial step is to surmise the size and scope of the project. Counsel On Call meets with the client to gain a solid understanding of the client's specific needs, the volume of materials, time limitations, where the review will take place, who will handle the computer set-up, and who within the firm will oversee the review. This process allows Counsel On Call to assist the client, if needed, with software, hosting or other recommendations. We can house the attorneys, provide computers, enable the attorneys to work remotely, or manage whatever other issues are presented.

Once this information is analyzed to select the right attorneys — and the right number of attorneys — an orientation is conducted. This allows our attorneys to get to know the issues at hand and clearly defines their roles in the process.

During the Review

Our attorneys understand how to get in and get the work done with minimal disruption. A clear line of communication within our team is established — including identification of a Counsel On Call team leader — to ensure that questions are directed to the right person and answered promptly. Our attorneys work closely with the law firm attorney(s) to ensure they have a solid understanding of what is contained in the documents. In addition, many of our clients utilize our attorneys to assist with other phases of discovery, from drafting jury instructions to responses to discovery.

Technology is also a significant part of the equation that allows our team to be more efficient. We utilize the best technology available — whether it is our client's preferred platform or our recommendation — to cull through documents. We are an Attenex Advantage? Review Partner and have vast experience working with different software platforms, including many linear software programs.

The combination of experienced attorneys and the smart use of technology makes for a highly accurate and efficient review.

After the Review

When the work is gone, so are our attorneys. There is no scrambling to keep attorneys busy when a case settles immediately or a stay is entered. No money is spent if there is not billable work to be done. However, often our attorneys (or at least a few) are brought back to participate in the discovery process in other ways.

For more information, please contact one of our offices.