Exploring the three main areas of ethical obligation, cost, competence, and security, and how they apply to cloud computing.
Written by: Babs Deacon, LegalTech News
Cloud has emerged as a powerful way for attorneys and clients to reduce IT overhead while maintaining easy access to data and processes. Consumers, especially attorneys having special, ethical obligations, need to understand the impact of cloud on e-discovery management. An attorney who refuses to consider cloud offerings because of a lack of understanding about the technology is shirking the responsibility to participate competently in the discovery process.
Says Greetham:
“An attorney cannot ignore cloud options because of lack of knowledge or discomfort; there is an ethical responsibility to understand this area of the law to best serve clients. In fact, it’s one that the industry takes seriously.It is the responsibility of an e-discovery professional, attorney or not, to understand the potential cost/time savings from processing ESI in the cloud. We have seen that processing within the cloud is significantly faster and less expensive. Considering the mammoth benefits and enhanced security options, the transition to the cloud is inevitable, and should be a welcomed one as it will ultimately deliver valuable business benefits.
Realizing that scale also applies downward is vital to today’s changing work environment and the need to access information anytime and anywhere. Benefits of using the cloud go far beyond e-discovery – it is critical and will likely better align with an organization’s needs.”
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