In the third installment of this four-part series, we discussed how the e-data attorney can deliver “holistic services” to her clients by combining her background in process re-engineering with her mastery of new technologies. In this installment, our final one of the year, we recommend strategies the e-data attorney can use to leverage her experience and skills to lead a rapidly changing legal profession.

We’ve woven two themes through our articles this year. First, we described the e-data attorney as the consummate learner. As e-discovery grew from an administrative support function into a specialized practice, we observed the e-data attorney learning to use her experience as a litigator to become a skilled tactician and technologist. The e-data attorney evolved further by adapting business processes, such as Six Sigma, Lean and Agile Project Management, to the practice of law. She was an early adopter of data analytics, operational discipline, data-driven decision-making, and performance management. The results of these activities brought efficiencies to discovery, while delivering significant benefits to clients.