Regulatory and business pressures have upped the ante for data management, and “information governance” has emerged as the new buzzword for meeting and beating these stakes. Unlike many buzzwords, however, IG is not old concepts dressed up in new clothes—it’s a new way of looking at information management that combines the best of what’s come before with new perspectives and approaches to keeping information secure, accessible and available.
It also means a new world of responsibility for law firm IG professionals. As an effective IG program transcends traditional records and information management to include compliance requireents, security, privacy and dataflow of all firm assets, so too must the new law firm IG professional. They are responsible not just for the life cycle management of a record; they now are chief stewards of all data, electronic and hard copy, wherever it resides. They are charged with putting the processes and policies place to effectively use information to the benefit of the firm while meeting legal and compliance requirements.
