On The Pulse … Marshall Dennehey Invests in Technology to Benefit Clients
As Director of Legal Information Services at Marshall Dennehey, I frequently speak to our 485 attorneys about ways they can use technology to provide innovative and cost-efficient legal services to our clients. When posed questions about which specific tools to use in certain situations, I am so passionate about these technology products that I often rattle off a number of options before I realize that the attorney’s eyes have glazed over.
This article discusses several of these useful technology tools, which the firm provides to the greatest advantage in knowledge management, research, e-discovery, security and trial presentation.
Knowledge Management: Decisiv/Lexis Search Advantage
All documents created by our attorneys are saved and indexed in FileSite, our document management system. To harness this stockpile of information, the firm has invested in Decisiv Search with Lexis Search Advantage to locate documents using a universal or Boolean search (similar to conducting a search in Lexis). Through this system, our attorneys can, in minutes, locate documents created by other firm attorneys, thus, significantly reducing research time. Each case cited in a brief is followed by a real-time Shepard’s citation signal, allowing the attorney to immediately determine if the law cited in the brief is still valid. Additionally, the law cited in the document is hyperlinked to Lexis, and, with one click, the attorney is taken to the pinpoint cite within the court opinion or statute.
Decisiv Search has additional valuable benefits. For example, our lawyers use it to determine which attorneys in the firm have experience with a judge, attorney, mediator or expert. Decisiv Search is also used to navigate and search our firm’s expert database, which contains more than 12,000 records. The information in this database includes transcripts and reports, which aid the attorney in selecting a reliable expert as well as in preparing to cross-examine an opponent’s expert.
Lexis/Lexis for Microsoft Office
The firm has a flat fee agreement with Lexis that covers many of the firm’s commonly used research databases. In addition, we have a subscription to Lexis for Microsoft Office. From the Lexis tab in Microsoft Word, our attorneys can import a PDF document received from a non-firm attorney into Word, Shepardize the document, and automatically check all cites and quotes contained in the document. The attorney can also quickly retrieve all cited cases and create a Table of Authorities.
E-Discovery/Litigation Support
The firm uses Summation Pro, an Access Data program for e-discovery review and litigation support. Summation Pro is a powerful, web-based tool with early case assessment (ECA) capability. Summation Pro uses Access Data’s FTK engine to ingest, process, deduplicate and cull electronic information. Attorneys and paralegals use the review platform to search, annotate, redact and mark evidence for production. Summation Pro also has Technology Assisted Review (TAR) capability, visual analytics of case data (used to identify relevant relationships) and real time transcription. The firm houses the Summation Pro software on servers behind the firewall, eliminating the expense of monthly hosting fees.
Trial Director/Trial Presentation
Many courts now have fully automated “high-tech” courtrooms available for enhanced presentation of evidence at trial. Marshall Dennehey attorneys make use of these high-tech courtrooms in conjunction with a laptop or iPad running Trial Director, a trial presentation software.
Trial Director is first used by attorneys and paralegals to organize various types of evidence, including print or native file documents, video and audio. By using Trial Director, the attorney or paralegal can quickly locate and present evidence at trial using a few keystrokes or a bar code reader. Once displayed, important sections of the evidence can be highlighted or blown up for emphasis. Trial Director can also display print and video testimony separately or simultaneously.
Biscom/Bitlocker/Security Software
Lastly, Marshall Dennehey uses Biscom Secure File Transfer and Bitlocker drive encryption to secure and protect client data. Biscom Secure File Transfer is used to transmit large files securely via the internet. Biscom uses encryption that is HIPAA and Hitech Act compliant. Bitlocker drive encryption is used to secure laptops and USB drives in the event a drive or laptop is lost or stolen.
As technology in the legal sector continues to rapidly evolve, Marshall Dennehey is committed to staying ahead of the curve. The firm will continuously review emerging technology tools and software products in order to provide our clients with the best and most efficient legal representation.
*Colleen is a shareholder and the Director of Legal Information Resources. She works in our Philadelphia, Pennsylvania office and can be reached at cmbannon@mdwcg.com.
Defense Digest, Vol. 21, No. 1, March 2015
Defense Digest is prepared by Marshall Dennehey Warner Coleman & Goggin to provide information on recent legal developments of interest to our readers. This publication is not intended to provide legal advice for a specific situation or to create an attorney-client relationship. Copyright © 2015 Marshall Dennehey Warner Coleman & Goggin, all rights reserved. This article may not be reprinted without the express written permission of our firm.