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WHAT WE'RE WATCHING

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PREVIEW, PLEASE - Judge James Boasberg in D.C. federal court has given the DOJ until April 1 to hand over—to him—the James Comey records at the center of a public-records lawsuit. Media outlets are challenging redactions to the so-called “Comey Memos” that memorialized the then-FBI director's interaction with President Trump. Boasberg wants to review the records in his chambers before making any conclusions about what, if anything, to release. Lawyers from Ballard Spahr, including partner Charles Tobin, represent CNN in the lawsuit.

DATA ANGST - The good news: Lawyers are making fewer flubs with regard to e-discovery. The bad news: They're uneasy about keeping up with technology to preserve and collect data. Victoria Hudgins reports that federal courts, according to a study of about 700 decisions, are granting fewer spoliation sanctions based on the federal civil procedure rule regarding the failure to preserve electronically stored information. But they're skittish about the responsibilities pertaining to data because technology devices are constantly changing.

PATENT PENDING? The small number of patents obtained by women, minorities and veterans—so-called Lost Einsteins—is a detriment to the economy. Scott Graham reports that the House Judiciary's subcommittee on courts, intellectual property and the Internet is studying the problem, and according to one economist, output could increase by 3 percent to 4 percent if the innovative process were more inclusive.