State Bar offers 'Ethics of E-Discovery' June 23 online

The State Bar of Michigan's Practice Management Resource Center will continue its new webinar series with "Ethics of E-Discovery" offering presentations on the ethical use of technology, practice management, and risk management. The 60-minute webinar will take place on June 23, at 2 p.m. and features legal educator and author, Brett Burney of Burney Consultants LLC.

No litigation matter today can escape the dreaded "e" of discovery-virtually every piece of information is electronic today because of the dependance on computers and smartphones. Regardless of the size of an attorney's firm or the focus of the practice, every lawyer needs to know how to appropriately handle the collection, preservation, review, and production of electronically stored information (ESI). It's important to competently discuss the responsibilities your client has regarding the information they create and store. Attorneys also need to have confidence when discussing the review and production of ESI with opposing counsel, and to the court.

The webinar will cover these topics (and more) in this session covering the ethics of e-discovery:

  • The duty of technology competence required for e-discovery
  • The differences involved with discovery of paper information vs. electronic information
  • How to properly review email and text messages
  • How to discuss the "form or forms" of production with opposing counsel

Always anxious to encourage legal professionals to take better advantage of the technology available to them, Burney primarily helps law firms and corporate legal departments overcome their e-discovery challenges. He regularly writes for Legaltech News and American Bar Association publications and authored the "eDiscovery Buyers Guide" (free download at www.ediscoverybuyersguide.com) designed to help small- and mid-sized law firms understand the options available for their e-discovery needs.

In addition, Burney teaches lawyers how to integrate Macs and iOS devices in their practice and coauthored the ABA-published book "Macs in Law: The Definitive Guide for the Mac-Curious, Windows-Using Attorney." He can be followed on his Macs in Law blog (www.macsinlaw.com) and Apps in Law blog (www.appsinlaw.com) which features video reviews of apps and a helpful podcast.

Burney served as the chair of the 2015 ABA TechShow Planning Board and regularly speaks around the country to lawyers and legal groups on a wide variety of technology-related topics.

Cost for the webinar is $25. To register, visit www.michbar.org/pmrc/webinars.