By Christopher Zegers, CIO, Lowenstein Sandler LLP – Law and the legal language used to make agreements and settle disputes are verbose. I would venture to say law firms’ output of words rival any traditional publisher, before the advent of email. Law firms are very practical with their clients in that they agree in a formal engagement letter to keep every correspondence, brief, letter, motion, etc. related to the matter for the entirety of the engagement, plus 7-10 years depending on the state in which the law was practiced. This was a practical engagement, before email. But somehow these attorney-client agreements on data storage have not changed. Law firms have been able to maintain an antiquated agreement because of their long-standing use of document management systems (DMS).

Law and the legal language used to make agreements and settle disputes are verbose. I would venture to say law firms’ output of words rival any traditional publisher, before the advent of email. Law firms are very practical with their clients in that they agree in a formal engagement letter to keep every correspondence, brief, letter, motion, etc. related to the matter for the entirety of the engagement, plus 7-10 years depending on the state in which the law was practiced. This was a practical engagement, before email. But somehow these attorney-client agreements on data storage have not changed. Law firms have been able to maintain an antiquated agreement because of their long-standing use of document management systems (DMS). Read more: