How can technology help lawyers in litigation? This talk explains how digital information processing can increase efficiency and simply fact gathering and organization.

1. Litigation Technology
How to manage information in the digital era
Ernie Svenson

2. Ernie Svenson
‣EDLA Law Clerk
‣Practiced law 27 yrs
‣ErnieTheAttorney.net
‣“Blogging in One Hour
for Lawyers” (ABA book)
‣“Acrobat in One Hour
for Lawyers” (ABA book)
‣PaperlessChase.com

6. “ The illiterate of the 21st century will not
be those who cannot read and write but
those who cannot learn, unlearn and
relearn”
-Alvin Toffler

7. Part 1: Why use technology?
Framework
4:00 – 5:00 pm
‣ What are the key
goals?
‣ Can technology help
us achieve those
goals?
‣ Data v. Information

8. Convince me

9. Gather

11. Organize

13. Present

14. Make your complex
arguments seem…

15. Simple & Self-Evident

16. Can technology help?

17. Just because you can...
Doesn't mean you should

18. Gettysburg Address
(what if Lincoln had used Powerpoint?)

23. US Military Powerpoint
Explaining Afghanistan

24. Information
overload

26. Facts
Research
Gather
Discover
Inform
Organize
Arrange
Present
Story

27. Part 2: Gathering & Organizing
Framework
Gathering &
Organizing
‣ What are the key
goals?
‣ Internet & Social
Media
‣ Can technology help
us achieve those
goals?
‣ How to search on
your own
‣ Organizing data
‣ Data v. Information
4:00 – 5:00 pm

28. Facts
Research
Gather
Discover
Inform
Organize
Arrange
Gather

29. Facebook

31. Casey Anthony

33. Facebook Relevance
Bass ex rel. v. Miss Porter's Sch.,
2009 WL 3724968 (D. Conn.)
—“Facebook usage depicts a
snapshot of the user's relationships
and state of mind at time of posting.”

34. Matrimonial Lawyers
—81% say: increase in SN evidence
—Facebook: “unrivaled leader for
online divorce evidence.”
—66% say: FB is “primary evidence
source”
—The National Law Journal September 21, 2010

35. Facebook Subpoena
—Will provide basic subscriber information,
if valid subpoena from California state ct, or
Fed Ct.
—Will not provide user content, citing SCA
—Don’t expect to talk to anyone at
Facebook by phone
—Their subpoena requests are handled by
outside counsel

36. Facebook Ethics
—The Philadelphia Bar Ass'n
Professional Guidance Comm.,
Op. 2009-02 (Mar. 2009)

37. Verdicts Challenged
Since 1999: 90 verdicts challenged
Reason: internet misconduct
In 28 cases: new trial granted
Source: Reuters Legal 2010

38. Actions by 30 Federal Judges
Removed
Cautioned
Mistrial
Contempt
Fined
Source: Federal Judicial Center

39. Judges: are jurors violating
SM ban?
79%
“No way to know”
Source: Federal Judicial Center

41. How to search

42. What’s happening?
Search
jury duty
Off to jury Duty
got some of and my iPod
the best sleep
Jury Duty
injust died...HELP!
my life in jury duty...

43. Browser
1. Type: search.twitter.com
2. Do advanced search
3. Hone this skill

44. http://twitter.com/i/#!/search-home

45. from:anthonyweiner
near:NYC within:15mi

46. TweetKeeper
3200 tweets - $1.99

47. Alerts
Search query:
Result type:
How often:
How many:
Deliver to:
Everything
News a day
Once
Blogs
Only best results
Video
esvenson@gmail.co
Discussions
▼

48. Facts
Research
Gather
Discover
Inform
Organize
Arrange
Arrange

49. Depositions
Ask questions: receive paper

50. Unlearn

51. Relearn

53. $49

54. $400

55. Case Mapping
Identify: key facts, issues, themes

56. 2

57. Hawkins - LexisNexis Casemap
File
Edit
Facts
Date & Time
Mon 12/01/2003
View
Insert
Records
Reports
Fact Text
Tools
Source
Hawkins promoted to Anstar Biotech Industries
VP of Sales
Interview notes
Sat 07/30/2005
Hawkins demoted to sales manager
Depo. Philip
Hawkins 24:18
Thu 08/11/2005
Hawkins transferred to ABI office in Fresno
Depo. Philip
Hawkins 43:18
Tue 11/15/2005
Hawkins turns 51
Depo. Philip
Hawkins 56:11-23

58. Hawkins - LexisNexis Casemap
File
Edit
Facts
Date & Time
Mon 12/01/2003
View
Insert
Records
Reports
Fact Text
Tools
Source
Hawkins promoted to Anstar Biotech Industries
VP of Sales
Interview notes
Sat 07/30/2005
Hawkins demoted to sales manager
Depo. Philip
Hawkins 24:18
Thu 08/11/2005
Hawkins transferred to ABI office in Fresno
Depo. Philip
Hawkins 43:18
Tue 11/15/2005
Hawkins turns 51
Depo. Philip
Hawkins 56:11-23
Wed 05/11/2005
Hawkins receives performance review from
William Lang. Is rated #1 “Outstanding”
Hawkins performance
review

59. Hawkins - LexisNexis Casemap
File
Edit
Facts
Date & Time
View
Insert
Records
Reports
Fact Text
Mon 12/01/2003
Hawkins promoted to Anstar Biotech Industries
VP of Sales
Wed 05/11/2005
Hawkins receives performance review from
William Lang. Is rated #1 “Outstanding”
Tools
Source
Interview notes
Hawkins performance
review
Sat 07/30/2005
Hawkins demoted to sales manager
Depo. Philip
Hawkins 24:18
Thu 08/11/2005
Hawkins transferred to ABI office in Fresno
Depo. Philip
Hawkins 43:18
Tue 11/15/2005
Hawkins turns 51
Depo. Philip
Hawkins 56:11-23
Tue 07/15/2005
Hawkins makes derogatory remarks about Linda
Collins to Karen Thomas
Interview notes

60. Hawkins - LexisNexis Casemap
File
Edit
Facts
Date & Time
View
Insert
Records
Reports
Fact Text
Mon 12/01/2003
Hawkins promoted to Anstar Biotech Industries
VP of Sales
Wed 05/11/2005
Hawkins receives performance review from
William Lang. Is rated #1 “Outstanding”
Tools
Source
Interview notes
Hawkins performance
review
Tue 07/15/2005
Hawkins makes derogatory remarks about Linda
Collins to Karen Thomas
Interview notes
Sat 07/30/2005
Hawkins demoted to sales manager
Depo. Philip
Hawkins 24:18
Thu 08/11/2005
Hawkins transferred to ABI office in Fresno
Depo. Philip
Hawkins 43:18
Tue 11/15/2005
Hawkins turns 51
Depo. Philip
Hawkins 56:11-23

61. Hawkins - LexisNexis Casemap
File
Edit
View
Facts
Date & Time
Mon 12/01/2003
Insert
Records
Reports
Q.
What was your role at Anstar Biotech when you first started
working there?
A.
Initially my role was to be sales manager. I had met Bill Lang
while touring the Converse Chemical Lab in Bakersfield. That
was in December of 2002, as I recall.
It was about a month later that he offered me the sales manager
position, and I accepted right away. I didn’t start until a few days
later, though.
Fact Text
Hawkins promoted to Anstar Biotech Industries
VP of Sales
Wed 05/11/2005
Deposition when you
Hawkins receivesrelationship like with Bill Langreview from
performance
Q. What was your working
first started at Anstar?
William Lang. Is rated #1 “Outstanding”
of
Tue 07/15/2005
Hawkinshe didn’t micro-manage things. He expected people about Linda
makes derogatory remarks
part and Philip Hawkins
do work hard and bring in the results, but that was it. Also, as
Collinswent onKaren that he was an avid fisherman and
time to I found out Thomas
Sat 07/30/2005
A.
We got along great. Bill was an easy going guy, for the most
so was I so we kind of bonded on that front. We talked about
taking a fishing trip together, but never got around to making it
happen.
01/16/2009
Hawkins demoted to sales manager
Q.
Tue 11/15/2005
A.
I was promoted in December of 2003, on the first of the month
Q.
When did you first learn that your job status would be changing?
A.
Thu 08/11/2005
How long had you been VP of sales?
I think it was at the end of July in 2005. It was on a Saturday,
which I remember because I was trying to leave town to join
my family on a vacation and that’s when Bill Lang came to my
office and gave me the news
Hawkins transferred to ABI office in Fresno
Hawkins turns 51
Affiliated Reporting
24
Tools
Source
Interview notes
Hawkins performanc
review
Interview notes
Depo. Philip
Hawkins 24:18
Depo. Philip
Hawkins 43:18
Depo. Philip
Hawkins 56:11-23

62. Preparing Witness
Outlines

63. Hawkins - LexisNexis Casemap
File
Edit
Facts
Date & Time
Mon 12/01/2003
View
Insert
Records
Reports
Tools
Search
Linked People, Documents, etc.
Fact Text
Source
Linked to Issues...
Hawkins promoted to Anstar Biotech Industries
Interview notes
VP of Sales
Wed 05/11/2005
Hawkins receives performance review from
Advanced Search
William Lang. Is rated #1 “Outstanding”
Hawkins performance
review
Tue 07/15/2005
Hawkins makes derogatory remarks about Linda
Collins to Karen Thomas
Interview notes
Sat 07/30/2005
Hawkins demoted to sales manager
Depo. Philip
Hawkins 24:18
Thu 08/11/2005
Hawkins transferred to ABI office in Fresno
Depo. Philip
Hawkins 43:18
Tue 11/15/2005
Hawkins turns 51
Depo. Philip
Hawkins 56:11-23

64. Hawkins - LexisNexis Casemap
File
Edit
Facts
Date & Time
Mon 12/01/2003
Wed 05/11/2005
Tue 07/15/2005
View
Insert
Records
Reports
Tools
Search
Fact Text
Source
Search for Links to People, Documents etc.
Hawkins promoted to Anstar Biotech Industries
VP of Sales
Search for receives linked to a:
Hawkins Facts performance review from
William Lang. Is rated #1 “Outstanding”
Person
Hawkins makes derogatory remarks about Linda
Collins Person to search for:
Select theto Karen Thomas
Sat 07/30/2005
Fullname
Hawkins demoted to sales manager
Thu 08/11/2005
Linda Collins
Hawkins transferred to ABI office in Fresno
Philip Hawkins
Tue 11/15/2005
Hawkins turns 51
Interview notes
Hawkins performance
review
Interview notes
Depo. Philip
Hawkins 24:18
Depo. Philip
Hawkins 43:18
Depo. Philip
Hawkins 56:11-23

65. Hawkins - LexisNexis Casemap
File
Edit
Facts
Date & Time
View
Insert
Records
Reports
Fact Text
Mon 12/01/2003
Hawkins promoted to Anstar Biotech Industries
VP of Sales
Wed 05/11/2005
Hawkins receives performance review from
William Lang. Is rated #1 “Outstanding”
Tools
Source
Interview notes
Hawkins performance
review
Tue 07/15/2005
Hawkins makes derogatory remarks about Linda
Collins to Karen Thomas
Interview notes
Sat 07/30/2005
Hawkins demoted to sales manager
Depo. Philip
Hawkins 24:18
Thu 08/11/2005
Hawkins transferred to ABI office in Fresno
Depo. Philip
Hawkins 43:18
Tue 11/15/2005
Hawkins turns 51
Depo. Philip
Hawkins 56:11-23

66. Preparing Exhibits
for Examination

67. Hawkins - LexisNexis Casemap
File
Edit
View
Insert
Facts
Records
Reports
CopyFact Text
Linked PDFs
Date & Time
Mon 12/01/2003
Spelling
Tools
F7
Linked Files
Batch Process to Anstar Biotech Industries
Hawkins promoted
VP of Sales
Case Tools
Bulk Import PDFs
Source
Interview notes
Bates stamp Linked PDFs
Wed 05/11/2005
Hawkins receives performance review from
William Lang. Is rated #1 “Outstanding”
Hawkins performance
review
Sat 07/30/2005
Hawkins demoted to sales manager
Depo. Philip
Hawkins 24:18
Thu 08/11/2005
Hawkins transferred to ABI office in Fresno
Depo. Philip
Hawkins 43:18
Tue 11/15/2005
Hawkins turns 51
Depo. Philip
Hawkins 56:11-23
Tue 07/15/2005
Hawkins makes derogatory remarks about Linda
Collins to Karen Thomas
Interview notes
Mon 08/21/2006
Hawkins leaves for Spring meeting with other
Sales managers
Depo. Philip
Hawkins 123:11

68. Hawkins - LexisNexis Casemap
File
Edit
Facts
Date & Time
Mon 12/01/2003
Wed 05/11/2005
Sat 07/30/2005
View
Insert
Records
Reports
Tools
Batch Processing - Review Linked Files
Fact Text
Hawkins promoted to Anstar Biotech Industries
Batch Processing...
VP of Sales
Linked files:
Hawkins receives performance review from
William Lang. Is rated #1 “Outstanding”
C://EES_Cases/Hawkins/Contract
Hawkins demoted to sales manager
C://EES_Cases/Hawkins/Lease_01
Thu 08/11/2005
C://EES_Cases/Hawkins/Lease_04
Hawkins transferred to ABI office in Fresno
C://EES_Cases/Hawkins/Email934
Source
Interview notes
Hawkins performance
review
Depo. Philip
Hawkins 24:18
Depo. Philip
Hawkins 43:18
Tue 11/15/2005
Hawkins turns 51
Depo. Philip
Hawkins 56:11-23
Tue 07/15/2005
Hawkins makes derogatory remarks about Linda
Collins to Karen Thomas
Interview notes
Mon 08/21/2006
Hawkins leaves for Spring meeting with other
Sales managers
Depo. Philip
Hawkins 123:11
C://EES_Cases/Hawkins/Email1001

69. $700

70. Part 3: Presenting to persuade
Framework
‣ What are the key
goals?
Gathering &
Organizing
Presenting
‣ Internet & Social
Media Limits on
gathering
‣ Brain rules
‣ Can technology help
us achieve those
goals?
‣ How to search on
your own
‣ Display tools
‣ Data v. Information
‣ Organizing data
‣ Visual Grammar

71. Inform
Organize
Arrange
Present
Story
Persuade

72. Brain Rules
How can we make it easier for jurors to
understand, remember & be engaged?
Brain Rules

73. Brain Rules book

74. Boring
We don’t pay attention to boring things. We
like emotional engagement: fear, sex, pattern
matching. These stimuli work best.

75. Repeat
Repetition helps us remember. Memories are
volatile, and to keep them we need to
reinforce them (or have them reinforced)

76. Visuals
Vision trumps all the other senses. Your brain
wants to see, and it likes to gather information
in the form of a story.

77. Multi-sensory
The more senses you stimulate the faster the
audience understands and remembers.

78. Challenger
Last flight: Jan. 28, 1986

80. ‘O’ Ring Problems
Flight
Date
Temp °F
Erosion
Blow-by
Damage Index
1
Apr. 1981
66°
2
Nov. 1981
70°
3
Mar. 1982
69°
0
5
Nov. 1982
68°
0
6
Apr. 1983
67°
0
41-B
Feb. 1984
57°
1
4
41-C
Apr. 1984
63°
1
2
51-A
Nov. 1984
67°
51-C
Jan. 1985
53°
51-D
Apr. 1985
67°
61-C
Jan. 1986
58°
0
1
4
0
3
2
11
0
1
4

81. ‘O’ Ring Problems
Flight
Date
Temp °F
Erosion
Blow-by
Damage Index
2
Nov. 1981
70°
1
3
Mar. 1982
69°
0
5
Nov. 1982
68°
0
6
Apr. 1983
67°
0
51-A
Nov. 1984
67°
0
51-D
Apr. 1985
67°
0
1
Apr. 1981
66°
0
41-C
Apr. 1984
63°
1
2
61-C
Jan. 1986
58°
1
4
41-B
Feb. 1984
57°
1
4
51-C
Jan. 1985
53°
3
4
2
11

82. ‘O’ Ring Problems
15
12
Damage
Erosion
9
6
3
0
70°
69°
68°
67°
66°
63°
Temp °F
58°
57°
53°

84. $65

86. Spreadsheet
a simple weapon

87. John Gotti

89. “ jury requested a chart that showed the
criminal backgrounds of seven
prosecution witnesses.”

90. Crimes
Murder
Informants
CARDINALE
LOFARO
X
X
X
Attempted Murder
Heroin Possession & Sale
X
Cocaine Possession & Sale
X
MALONEY
POLISI
SENATORE
FORONJY
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Marijuana Possession & Sale
X
Gambling Business
Armed Robberies
CURRO
X
X
X
X
Loansharking
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Kidnapping
X
X
Extortion
X
X
X
X
X
X
Assault
Possession of Dangerous Weapons
X
X
Pistol Whipping
a Priest
X
Perjury
X
X
Counterfeiting
X
Bank Robbery
X
Stolen Financial Documents
X
X
X
X
Tax Evasion
X
X
X
X
Bribery
X
X
X
Armed Hijacking
Burglaries
X
X
X
Theft: Auto, Money, Other
X
X
Bail Jumping & Escape
X
X
X
X
Forgeries
Pistol Whipping a Priest
X
X
Insurance Frauds
X
X
X
X
X
Sexual Assault on a Minor
X
Reckless Endangerment
X

91. Documents
Typography for Lawyers
– Matthew Butterick
– Website: www.typographyforlawyers.com
– Book: $25 on Amazon
– Principles of design for legal documents
– How to create a proper caption
– Effective letterhead design

94. Summary
Framework
Gathering &
Organizing
Presenting
‣ Key Goals
‣ Social Media
‣ Brain rules
‣ Data versus
Information
‣ Search yourself
‣ Visual Grammar
‣ Organize case
data
‣ Display tools

95. “Unlearn and
relearn…”
-Alvin Toffler

98. paperlesschase.com/awanola