High School

Take a broad range of classes in high school, including English, speech, philosophy, mathematics, social studies or government, and foreign languages, especially Spanish and Latin (because legal terminology frequently contains terms in Latin). Since litigation support/ediscovery analysts must be technology experts, you should take as many computer science classes as possible. Learn how to use databases, try your hand at basic coding, and otherwise immerse yourself in technology. Join your school’s computer club to learn more about information technology.   

Postsecondary Education

Most aspiring paralegals prepare for the field by earning an associate’s degree in paralegal studies from a community college, technical college, or vocational institution. There are also bachelor’s degree programs in paralegal studies, ediscovery and litigation technology, or a related field. A few schools offer master’s degrees in paralegal studies. There are approximately 1,000 paralegal programs in the United States, more than 260 of which have been approved by the American Bar Association. Visit https://www.americanbar.org/groups/paralegals/paralegal-resource-directory for a list of programs. A small percentage of paralegals prepare for the field by completing training in the military.

Those who have degrees in an IT–related field—or other STEM fields—typically prepare to work as an analysts by earning a certificate in ediscovery and litigation technology and augmenting this training by taking classes, seminars, and webinars that expand their knowledge in these areas.

It’s important to remember because that this career is so new, many employers value a candidate’s ediscovery and litigation support skills, rather than their educational training. But candidates with formal training and advanced skills will have the best job prospects.    

Certification

A growing number of colleges and universities—including the University of California, San Diego and Cleveland State University—offer certificates in ediscovery, litigation technology, and related fields. Contact schools in your area to learn more about available programs. Additionally, the Association of Certified E-Discovery Specialist offers an eDiscovery Executive Certificate Program. Learn more at https://www.aceds.org/page/training.

NALS...the association for legal professionals offers specialty certificates in civil litigation, e-discovery, and more than 20 other areas. Visit https://www.nals.org/page/specialtycertificate for more information.

Other Education or Training

Litigation support/ediscovery analysts must continue to learn and expand their skills throughout their careers in order to stay competitive in the job market and improve their chances for promotion and salary increases. Many professional associations offer webinars, in-person, workshops, and other continuing education opportunities. For example, the Association of Certified E-Discovery Specialists offers classes such as E-Discovery Essentials, Catching the Impostors: Spotting Deepfakes and Challenging Fabricated Electronic Evidence, and Technology Options for Audio Review. The American Bar Association offers eDiscovery Processes & Procedures: The “Know-How” with the “How-to,” and NALA-The Paralegal Association offers eDiscovery: Do I Really Need to Know this?, Defensibility and Best Practices in eDiscovery, and The Future of Analytics and Technology in eDiscovery, Investigations, and Beyond.

Certification or Licensing

Certification for paralegals is provided by the American Alliance of Paralegals, NALA-The Paralegal Association, the National Federation of Paralegal Associations, and NALS...the association for legal professionals.

The Association of Certified E-Discovery Specialists offers the certified e-discovery specialist credential to applicants who pass an examination that covers the following topics: information management and litigation readiness, project planning, litigation hold implementation, collection planning and implementation, data processing, data culling, review planning, document review, data production, project management, legal framework and obligation, international discovery, ethics, technology, and budgeting. 

No licensing is required for litigation support/ediscovery analysts.

Some employers hire entry-level litigation support/ediscovery professionals straight out of paralegal education or other allied law postsecondary programs and provide them with extensive training. Other employers require their analysts to have several years of experience as paralegals or legal assistants or experience in litigation support/ediscovery in these or other positions.

To be successful in this career, litigation support/ediscovery analysts must have expertise in using document management, trial presentation, and data analytics software; computer graphics applications; basic office equipment (scanners, fax machines, etc.); and other technology. They must be familiar with litigation and ediscovery processes and be able to effectively troubleshoot technical and data analytics–related issues. Important soft skills for analysts include excellent communication and interpersonal skills because they frequently interact with lawyers, their ediscovery/litigation support colleagues, software vendors, and clients; strong problem-solving and organizational ability; patience; tenacity; a detail-oriented personality; the ability to multitask; and excellent project management skills.