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Five Organizational Tips for Staffing a Document Review Project

Have you been given the enormous undertaking of putting together a document review? Whether you are an attorney, a paralegal or an administrator, this task can be daunting. These helpful tips will help unravel the mystery of the perfect document review.

1.  When is the "drop dead date"? Determine the exact date that the documents must be produced. Then decide how much time will be needed for any quality control and cleanup. From there, build in a few extra days to battle the unforeseen. ("Oh no! We ‘found' another 100,000 documents!") Now you have a good timeline for your project.
    
2. Select your document management/e-discovery firm. Do your homework! On one of our projects, dozens of attorneys sat around waiting for the document management firm to load documents that should have already been loaded. Research success and horror stories before deciding on a firm to handle these very important documents.
    
3. Attorneys—Who? How many? What level? Before making this decision, consider a few factors. First, are the documents e-mails, which you can breeze through speedily or massive documents with many attachments? Second, what level of experience are you seeking? Finally, how many hours will your contract attorneys work? Contract attorneys are almost always willing to work significant overtime, which can cut down on the number of attorneys you'll need. You should also meet the attorneys for the project to make sure their personalities mesh with your needs because, unlike Blackman Kallick, many agencies just register candidates without interviewing them.
    
4. Space and IT support. If space in your firm is limited, there are important considerations when choosing an off-site location. Ideally, the location will already be outfitted for computers and have reliable high-speed Internet available. Also, the environment should be comfortable, well lit, properly ventilated and heated or cooled, and near washroom facilities. These qualities contribute to a productive work environment.
    
5. All of those temp agencies—which one do you choose? Choosing an agency should not come down to the lowest bid—that is not always a direct route to a successful project, as you may get what you pay for. First, demand that your agencies do more than have the candidates fill out paperwork and shake their hand. Without an in-depth interview of each contract attorney, the agency representative cannot possibly uncover skill sets not readily apparent on a resume, weed out the undesirables and select a group that will gel. Second, investigate! Ask others who have used the agency if their project ran smoothly. Third, find out how the agency treats its candidates. If an agency is treating their candidates poorly, the candidates are not likely to remain on your project, which is imperative for consistency. Finally, can the agency run the project out of its space, or do they have to bill you for rent? Do they have full-time IT staff to handle setup, concerns and emergencies, or do they hire people on a case-by-case basis?

Armed with these simple tips, your document review project can be a success! Good luck!

Something to Think About—How strict will you need to be with regard to security measures?

We recently managed a project where the documents were highly confidential and the client was concerned about a leak. As a result, we provided lockers for the attorneys to store their personal electronics, did not provide access to printers, and offered Internet access only to the document management Web site. Further, our IT department swept the computers each night to search for unauthorized downloads. Having the right space and IT team in place makes potential security issues manageable.

This publication is part of Blackman Kallick’s marketing of professional services, and is not written tax advice directed at the specific facts and circumstances of any person and/or entity. Contents of this publication are of a general nature, and you should not act on this information without obtaining professional advice from your business advisor that is appropriately tailored to your individual needs and circumstances. This written advice is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used by any taxpayer, for the purpose of avoiding penalties that may be imposed under the Internal Revenue Code.