eDiscovery Fundamentals & New Rules
 
Sponsored by The Sedona Conference in cooperation with
Northwestern University School of Law
 
Friday September 15
2:00 – 5:30
Northwestern University School of Law
Parrillo Courtroom
375 East Chicago Avenue, Chicago IL
 

Since 2000, civil litigation has experienced a sea change as more and more litigants are pursuing “electronic discovery,” seeking information created and stored on computers, cell phones, and other digital devices-- information that has never been and often cannot be produced in paper form. In turn, responding parties are vigorously resisting electronic discovery, citing high volume, cost, and an inability to protect privilege and confidentiality. Discovery battles that used to be found only in large-scale corporate litigation are becoming common in employment, divorce, and personal injury cases. To help judges understand the nature of electronic discovery, and to help judges develop case management strategies to avoid disputes and resolution procedures if disputes arise, The Sedona Conference is holding a half-day “Mini-Sedona” conference for judges on Friday September 15 at Northwestern University School of Law in Chicago.
 
This Mini-Sedona will be led by a panel of experienced judges, including Hon. Lee Rosenthal, chair of the U.S. Judicial Conference Advisory Committee on Civil Rules, Hon. Nan Nolan of the Northern District of Illinois, Hon. David Waxse of the District of Kansas, and Hon. Stanley Levine of Indiana; and non-judicial experts including John Jessen, CEO of Electronic Evidence Discovery, Inc., Jonathan Redgrave of Redgrave Daley Ragan & Wagner LLP, and Ken Withers of The Sedona Conference. Using the unique dialogue-based approach that is the trademark of The Sedona Conference retreats in the high desert, the panelists and the audience of state and federal judges will explore the basic concepts behind electronic discovery, the common problems that arise in litigation, and the approaches to problem-solving embodied in the new Federal Rules of Civil Procedure expected to take effect in December, the proposed Guidelines for State Trial Courts, and “The Sedona Principles Addressing Electronic Document Production,” the treatise most cited in the electronic discovery case law. Participants will receive a binder with all these resources.
 
The Mini-Sedona will be held on Friday September 15 in the Parrillo Courtroom at Northwestern University School of Law, 375 East Chicago Avenue, Chicago IL, from 2:00 to 5:30 p.m., with a reception following (in conjunction with one for the participants from a one-day eDiscovery CLE for lawyers sponsored by The Sedona Conference Institute, being held on campus the same day). The Mini-Sedona is free and open to all sitting judges, but prior registration is required. Attendance will be limited to 50 to assure maximum opportunity for meaningful dialogue. For more information and a registration form, visit the special judges-only section of The Sedona Conference web site at http://www.thesedonaconference.org/conferences/judge/20060915.  When prompted, the user name is 20060915 and the passcode is minisedona (lower case and case sensitive).
 
The Sedona Conference is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) research and educational institute dedicated to the advanced study of law and policy in the areas of antitrust law, complex litigation, and intellectual property rights. Through a combination of Conferences, Working Groups, and the "magic" of dialogue, The Sedona Conference seeks to move the law forward in a reasoned and just way.