OLP eDiscovery Certification Scheduled for October 15: First of its kind will set standard for industry

LOS ANGELES, August 10, 2010 –The Organization of Legal Professionals, an industry group that includes some of the most respected eDiscovery thought leaders in the field, announced today that it has finalized preparations for its eDiscovery certification exam scheduled for October 15.  The exam, developed in conjunction with Pearson Learning Solutions, a $7 billion company that specializes in certification examinations for a wide variety of industries, incorporates content created by OLP members including eDiscovery lawyers, consultants and experts. The OLP is the first organization to offer eDiscovery certification.

“Lawyers need an effective and efficient way to identify people who possess the skills and qualifications necessary to meet eDiscovery obligations in today’s litigation,” said Douglass A. Mitchell, a partner and litigator in the Las Vegas office of Boies, Schiller & Flexner, LLP who chairs the OLP’s Board of Governors. “Given the technically sophisticated, rapidly evolving issues affecting eDiscovery, the time has come for the legal profession to adopt an eDiscovery certification program.  The OLP has developed an exemplary education and certification process that provides the requisite criteria to fulfill the demand for qualified professionals.”

The OLP’s three-hour certification exam covers seven primary areas in eDiscovery.  Professionals wishing to sit for the exam, administered in a secure environment at more than 1,000 locations around the world, may apply by logging on to mailto:info@theolp.org.  The exam was developed by over 30 high-profile attorneys, law school professors, consultants, eDiscovery masters, litigation support managers, paralegals and other top eDiscovery professionals.  The development of the exam took over a year to produce.

The OLP’s goal in developing and administering an eDiscovery certification examination is to establish a standard that can be immediately recognized as a symbol of excellence and signify that an individual has demonstrated the knowledge and skills required to perform competently in today's complex eDiscovery environment.  The three levels currently proposed by the OLP are PEDD® (Professional in EDD); SPEDD® (Senior Professional in EDD); and GEDD® (Global Professional in EDD).

About The OLP

The OLP drives education and best practices and provides certification for those involved in complex litigation support. Through its programs, the OLP ensures the requisite level of competency in complicated disciplines — including trial support and eDiscovery — is met. It is the only organization whose members represent all sectors of the eDiscovery profession:  attorneys, paralegals, technical support staff, litigation support professionals, consultants, vendors, software developers and the judiciary.

Its current and past Board of Governors includes Laura Zubulake, Linda Klein (past president of the Georgia State Bar Association); Herb Roitblat, Ph.D.; Ron Friedmann, Integreon; Anne Kershaw, Esq.; Tom O'Connor; Browning Marean, DLA Piper; Arnold Blair, WilmerHale; Sara Hook, Adjunct Professor, Indiana School of Law; Kevin Cranman, In-House Counsel, Ericsson: Nigel Murray, CEO, Trilantic: Jeff Fowler, Partner, O'Melveny & Myers; Karen Willenken, Skadden Arps; and other well-known legal icons.