One of the most discussed topics in e-discovery articles today is that most organizations do not have enough knowledgeable people prepared to manage an e-discovery project effectively. It’s been my experience as a trainer that most organizations do not have a solid succession plan in place for litigation support career paths at their firm and so when one person leaves, they must start over. This is the essence of today’s blog post as we discuss the 5 stages of workplace learning. Learning about litigation support and electronic discovery is an ongoing process that should include more than just your current litigation support department team.

Working is learning. A best practice in firms that have successful litigation support teams is to identify paralegals, project clerks, IT and other staff who have an affinity or interest in litigation technology well before they need them on the team and begin training them in advanced concepts and techniques necessary to engage in litigation support. Litigation Support Training involves both technical software instruction and project or case management workflow instruction.

Many firms do not have a dedicated training resource for litigation support / e-discovery training. Most of what litigation support professionals learn is on their own via self directed training or social networking (linked in groups or twitter) which lead to blog posts and articles that provide some insight and clarity as to best practices. Software & technology training is a little different. More often than not, it will involve formal training from the software vendor or an approved “certified” trainer. Or software administrators learn collaboratively on the job from peers & colleagues, trial & error or asking questions on listservs and Linked In groups.

There are five stages according to a recent blog post by Jane Hart. They are outlined in her chart here:

“… some of the key mindset changes that will move organisations into Stage 5 are:

• recognising that working=learning; learning=working
• understanding that informal learning needs to be enabled, supported and encouraged – but not designed or managed
• “letting go”, so that there is a move from learner control to learner autonomy
• realising that autonomous, independent and inter-dependent, self-directed learners are essential  in an agile organization”

Jane describes in her blog post that learning is not an event but a process continues beyond the first stage classroom training. LitWorks provides formal classroom training for case & project management in e-discovery & litigation support.  LitWorks can be your “stage 1” resource but it shouldn’t stop here. How can you enable your litigation support team, attorneys, paralegals and IT staff to learn more about e-discovery and litigation support best practices? One way is by sending a couple of people to a formal training training class with the expectation that they will work with the rest of the team upon their return to build your organization’s best practices. Achieve a greater return on your training investment through encouraging your staff to attend industry networking events and conferences. This too will foster learner autonomy.

Another blogger expounds upon Jane’s original post with this updated version of her chart here:

The new chart adds an additional layer of focus in extending the importance and reality of informal learning while pointing out that leadership can control only about one-half of the learning evolution. I think this is true for litigation support and e-discovery learning. When I talk to our attorneys, paralegals and litigation support professionals, I hear the same complaint: the information available about e-discovery and technology is overwhelming! Where do I even start???

The five stage approach calls for classroom training first then eventually works its way to the work and learn stage. However, in our industry, what we typically do is start with stage 5 and work backwards. So our learning path usually ends in a classroom or instructor-led course for the software / technology information but the collaborative OJT happens as we get our feet wet. Often the “all-hands-on-deck” world of litigation support necessitates learning litigation technology and e-discovery best practices informally.

Today’s marketplace calls for us to modify our traditional approach to learning and be more proactive and flexible in how we achieve our learning objectives. In reviewing the five stages of workplace learning, I’ve outlined some practical ideas for implementing this learning model at your organization (feel free to start at stage 5 or at stage 1):

Classroom Learning

• LitWorks – project management & workflow

• Software & Technology – by developer approved certified trainer

E-learning

• Webinars – some are edu-marketing, some are simply educational
• Create e-discovery content for your learning management systems

Blended Learning

• Actively facilitate an on-demand webinar with your team where you stop and start the webinar to address questions & key points
• This can be a formal combination of e-learning and classroom learning activities

Social Learning

• LitSupport Yahoo Group
• Twitter
• LinkedIn Groups
• Blogs (participate by leaving comments)

Collaborative Learning / Working

• Supervisor or Peer directed learning
• This is not an event but rather a process
• Apprenticeship-like environment

Each of the five stages outlined above is essential to a well rounded workplace learning system. Actively developing the skills of everyone who bears responsibility for litigation technology and e-discovery best practices in your organization includes making sure they participate weekly in one of these five stages. LitWorks can be a part of your succession plan and a stage one resource for your organization.

Here’s a more detailed overview of our LitWorks Certified Litigation Support Professional training class… let us know if you have questions. The next class is scheduled for April 20 – 23, 2010. Register here.

Attendees will learn:

• Litigation Management Concepts
• Discovery Project Management Methodology
• How to Assist Case Teams with Responding to Electronic Discovery Requests

Workshops Include:

• The Corporate Perspective – Litigation Readiness Planning & Execution: Every corporations’ business model is different so asking questions about how your firm’s clients manage ESI is increasingly important. We will discuss what information LSPs should know in order to make the best recommendations for how data will be managed in litigation later in the discovery process
• Cool Tools & Technology Overview: Our training program is vendor & technology agnostic, however we will discuss and provide attendees with information regarding the role technology plays in litigation, the types of litigation technology available and discuss what is bleeding edge vs. tried & true technology.
• Introduction To Electronic Discovery Best Practices & Concepts: Our advanced attendees will appreciate the “train the trainer” delivery of this topic while our less experienced attendees will gain a strong foundation of what makes e-discovery so special… in the end, it’s all just discovery.
• Managing & Responding To Discovery Requests: LSPs often participate on case teams in a consultative role, this workshop teaches how to address technology questions at every stage of the discovery workflow
• Litigation (EDD) Case & Project Management: Attendees will learn how to apply project management methodologies and traditional litigation support case management techniques
• Managing Internal & External Resources: Attendees will learn how to assess their internal organization resources and identify, manage and build relationships with both internal & external resources.
• Defining The Role & Responsibilities Of Litigation Support Professionals: This discussion addresses the varied structures of litigation support departments and the role LSPs play in law firms, government agencies and corporate legal departments
• Overview of Traditional Litigation Support Techniques & Strategies: Paper still exists in discovery and it would be almost negligent not to train today’s litigation support professionals on what to do with it in managing discovery. We address how many of the best practices developed over the last 25 years in paper discovery can still be applied to litigation projects today.
• Database Design Methodology: LitWorks is software agnostic and we believe that the tools are not as important as the process. In this workshop, we define the process and goals of the database to learn how to make the best technology application decisions for our case teams
• Strategies For Managing Transcripts: Attendees will learn about the various ways transcripts are used in litigation and trial, how to manage them and make them available to case teams for searching and reporting
• The Lifecycle Of A Matter: Many of our attendees come from an IT background so we make sure we start class on the first day with an overview of what happens in litigation, the objectives of the case teams and how technology can be applied to every phase in the litigation lifecycle.
• Effective Billing, Cost Containment & Cost Recovery Best Practices: Discussed in greater detail in our manager & director level class, we provide an overview of goals, objectives and best practices that are working in the industry today

Lineup includes a special one-day e-discovery workshop in Chicago

ATLANTA – February 24, 2010 – Document Technologies, Inc. (DTI), the nation’s largest independent provider of legal support services and document outsourcing, and its wholly-owned training company LitWorks™, today announced LitWorks’ 2010 spring course schedule along with a special training event being held next month in Chicago, IL. The E-discovery Management Workshop will take place on March 23, 2010 at DTI’s newest Regional Technology Center in the heart of downtown Chicago by LitWorks’ Training Director Erika Santiago.

The one-day Chicago seminar is designed for litigation support professionals and litigation paralegals and will focus on developing project management skills for electronic discovery. Participants will learn how to plan and manage e-discovery projects, cost containment and budgeting techniques, and develop a checklist for scoping and change management.

Additionally LitWorks, the first and most comprehensive training company dedicated to developing and sharing best practices in the litigation support industry, is offering the following two courses this spring:

• LitWorks Certified Litigation Support Manager Training is being offered March 9-11, 2010. The three-day course focuses on a mix of business skills, litigation support, e-discovery and technology and is offered to litigation support supervisors, managers, and directors seeking to build or grow their departments to better compete in today’s competitive litigation environment.

• LitWorks Certified Litigation Support Professional Training will be offered April 20-23, 2010. This is a four-day course offering industry best practices learned through hands-on experience, networking with peers, and reviewing leading software tools. The course is designed for professionals with one to five years of litigation technology support experience, or for litigation paralegals, document review attorneys and legal IT professionals.

To register for these or any upcoming LitWorks training courses, visit www.LitWorks.net.

LitWorks is among the industry’s premier providers of formal training courses specifically developed for litigation support professionals. The company also offers a three-day Certified Litigation Support Project Manager Training course, focusing specifically on project management skills. Last year LitWorks also announced the addition of custom Web-based training courses for law firms and corporate legal departments.

DTI delivers a full range of electronic data discovery solutions including data collection, processing, Web hosting and review, along with traditional paper-based litigation support services and comprehensive facilities management services at locations throughout the U.S.

About LitWorks™

LitWorks™, a DTI Company, is a leading provider of comprehensive training programs for litigation support professionals in AmLaw 200 law firms and Fortune 500 corporate legal departments. For more than five years, LitWorks™ has been dedicated to developing and sharing best practices in the litigation support industry through a variety of consulting and training services.

About DTI

Document Technologies, Inc. (DTI) is the nation’s largest independent provider of legal support services and document outsourcing, servicing clients through offices in 22 markets across the U.S. DTI delivers end-to-end solutions for electronic discovery including forensics, data collection, processing and an array of hosting platforms to meet a variety of litigation support needs. The company also provides facilities management and traditional paper-based litigation support services. DTI services both top law firms and Fortune 500 clients. For more information, visit www.DTIGlobal.com.

Join our ongoing discussion of communication best practices for project management in litigation & e-discovery by commenting/ responding to the following questions:

• How do you communicate with each other?
• How do you share resources?
• How are the resources managed?
  • at the local level?
  • at the regional level?

Working with virtual litigation support teams will include embracing new media and technology designed for effective project management.  Recently,  Paul Easton listed a number of project management collaboration tools on his blog that you may find useful.

LitWorks™ is among the industry’s premier providers of formal training courses specifically developed for litigation support professionals. Our team of experts research and develop industry best practices, and share those with attendees of courses targeted to specific roles and responsibilities. Whether you are new to the litigation support industry or working to advance in your career, LitWorks offers courses that will strengthen your knowledge of basic litigation principals, sharpen your understanding of the latest technology, and arm you with practical strategies to employ in daily activities.

For more than five years AmLaw 200 law firms and Fortune 500 corporate legal departments have leveraged LitWorks’ training expertise for the benefit of their litigation support staff and ultimately of their entire organization.

LitWorks’ comprehensive training programs include:

• Certified Litigation Support Professional Training – A one-week course designed for staff with one to five years of litigation support experience. The course teaches industry best practices through hands-on experience, review of software tools, and networking with other litigation support specialists. Students gain the skills needed to effectively review a case, assess its needs and make comprehensive recommendations on how best to manage that case from start to finish.

• Certified Litigation Support Manager Training – A three-day course that includes a mix of business skills, litigation support, e-discovery and technology. This class is offered to litigation support supervisors, managers and directors who want to build or grow their departments to compete in today’s litigation environment.

• Certified Litigation Support Project Manager Training – A three-day course offered to litigation support professionals with three or more years of industry experience that is focused on improving project management skills. Attendees receive checklists, templates and real-world resources to manage their litigation support projects more effectively in today’s fast-paced, high-risk litigation environment.

LitWorks also offers custom, Web-based team training programs for both large and small litigation support departments that is designed to focus on the topical areas most important to each class. Discussions are centered on their unique needs, which is possible when all students are already working together and approaching the course with the same frame of reference. Teams are able to apply principles and best practices taught in the class to the workflow already being used in their department. And because the course is Web-based, flexibility in scheduling is available and attendees experience less out-of-office time compared to traveling to a traditional training course.