When we created the Reed Smith E-Discovery App, we couldn’t have predicted how broadly it would be adopted by litigators, judges, and discovery professionals. As of last week, the App has been downloaded onto over 5,000 🎉 smartphones! The App was originally conceived as a way to efficiently update and distribute our e-discovery handbook to Reed Smith lawyers and paraprofessionals in lieu of hard copy. From there, it was a small step to make the App available to clients, and then open it up as a free tool for everyone. We reasoned that the whole legal community could benefit from easy access to useful e-discovery resources, and that the App could also increase access to terrific e-discovery resources developed by others. For example, one of our first contributors was the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, which allowed and encouraged us to post on the App a Model ESI Order developed under the supervision of the Court.
The onset of COVID undoubtedly accelerated adoption of the App. It’s convenient to carry around an e-discovery glossary, forms, checklists, rules, on-demand CLEs, a solution provider directory, calendar of events, and budgeting tool in your pocket or bag—but, when people transitioned to working from home, with little access to books and form files, it went from mere convenience to necessity.
From humble beginnings, the App has grown and flourished, thanks largely to the curated links and numerous forms and features that have been added since the App launched in 2020. The numbers are impressive:
❕ Over 140 members of the e-discovery community have developed or helped to develop App content
❕ 80 e-discovery solution providers have populated free listings in the Solution Provider Directory
❕ The relevant Federal Rules of Procedure, Evidence and Professional Conduct are linked and corresponding rules for all 50 states are also included
❕ 19 E-Discovery Special Masters are profiled in the Special Masters Directory
❕ 12 separate e-discovery guides and checklists, plus 7 additional forms, are included
❕ Over 60 “Viewpoints” blog posts, 20+ articles, and 7 podcast sources are featured, and 7 CLE webinars are available on-demand
Special thanks to EDRM - Electronic Discovery Reference Model, and many EDRM team volunteers, who have created content now available at edrm.net and also through the App.
The E-Discovery App is an easy download to your smartphone from the App Store or Google Play- just search “e-discovery app.” There are no paywalls or fees. If you are not already among the 5,000+ who have downloaded the App, now is your opportunity to do so—and to help propel us onward to 6,000!
