New Georgetown Law E-Discovery Training Academy Provides Training on Best Practices, Forensics and the Use of Forensic Software

Patrick Burke On Monday June 6, 2011, the Georgetown University Law Center launched its ground-breaking week-long eDiscovery Training Academy. The Academy combines training for lawyers and litigation support professionals on e-discovery legal concepts and hands-on training in forensics and technical concepts important to accomplishing e-discovery tasks. The innovative program was sold-out and had to turn potential attendees away. Guidance Software donated copies of EnCase® Forensic software for each Academy attendee for use during the week.

The program kicked off with instruction by the renowned lawyer-technologist Craig Ball, explaining local computing systems and applications. His training included both conceptual teaching and hands-on data manipulation using EnCase® Forensic software (which was provided free of charge to all attendees). Guidance Software trainer David Neal followed up with enterprise IT architecture including networks, servers, backup systems and the Internet. The day closed out with a roundtable discussion moderated by US Magistrate Judge John Facciola.

The five-day intensive program also features US Magistrate Judge Paul Grimm, Michael Arkfeld (Arkfeld & Associates LLC), Jason Baron (National Archives & Records Administration), Maura Grossman (Wachtel,Lipton, Rosen & Katz), Tom O’Connor (Gulf Coast Legal Technology Center), and Larry Center (Georgetown CLE).

The Academy wraps up on Friday, June 10th with Judges Grimm and Facciola conducting a mock 26(f) conference with Andy Spruill (Guidance Software), and a closing session on the “lurking dangers of admitting ESI” with Michael Arkfeld.