“Data discovery business booms”

Not surprising news to litigation paralegals, but what about the new career opportunities provided?

"The pre-trial discovery phase and case management processes have grown so complex in corporate legal cases that lawyers increasingly rely on technology experts to help them gather and wade through the evidence.

"The need for what is known as litigation support is growing quickly, and San Antonio companies such as Liquid Litigation Management and Scarab Digital Imaging are a byproduct of that growth.

"’There has been an explosion,’ said Randi Mayes, director of the Austin-based International Legal Technology Association, which provides technical guidance to law firms on how to cope with managing data.

[snip]

"’What I have seen is, in many cases, a law firm’s in-house staff will develop expertise and then leave the firm to do consulting,’ Mayes said. ‘There are also lawyers who are technologically savvy that will join EDD firms to help with marketing.’"