Coronavirus – what next?
We are moving into unprecedented times. The world is moving into lock-down, so How are you coping as an individual? How has your organisation responded? How will eDiscovery/Disclosure move forward?
One thing that has stood out over the last couple of weeks after speaking with various friends is how differently their work organisations have reacted to the CoVID-19 outbreak. The company I work for has been excellent, communication has been key; the board has sent messages to the whole work force when there is something to say, they haven’t over communicated, the emails have been to the point, with all the relevant information that we need. When there is a change in government policy they have responded and communicated how we will handle it as an organisation. Once working from home was initiated they set about finding ways for teams of people who haven’t worked from home before to do so, and this is no simple task.
My line manager has been in regular contact, which to make sure that I am well and to make sure that I am in regular contact with my team, keeping them busy while we are quiet and just to make sure that their wellbeing is good and if not finding ways to improve it. The most difficult part of this experience for some is the isolation you feel from working at home because some people may lose the only social interactions they have by not being in an office. I read a great piece on how to work from home by Relativity and you can find this link below:
https://www.relativity.com/blog/how-to-work-from-home-a-guide-for-beginners/
To keep sane stay in contact with your team and manager, have video conferences so that you can see other people. When I WFH I dress like I would if I was going into the office, it puts me in the right mental state and I find having regular meetings with my colleagues helps stave the cabin fever!
I think the eDiscovery / Disclosure industry will be buoyant when we all come out of hibernation. The cases will still be there and the courts certainly won’t be shutting down. The way in which the courts work will have to change and the use of technology will become paramount. The Lord Chief Justice has said the following:
It is not realistic to suppose that it will be business as usual in any jurisdiction, but it is of vital importance that the administration of justice does not grind to a halt.
https://www.judiciary.uk/announcements/coronavirus-update-from-the-lord-chief-justice 17th March 2020
In the past as the times of adversity passed, the industry picked up and went on to be stronger. As the software developers continue to make smarter systems I only see the industry picking up and striving forwards. The way we work may change but there will still be work that needs to be done and we will still be in demand.
jmerritt
This blog is by James Merritt. For the last ten years I have worked in the Forensic Technology and eDisclosure sector. The views expressed on this website are those of my own and have no bearing on those of my employer. I have been debating whether or not to start this blog, whilst I have many years of experience, I don’t want to sound contrived and call myself an industry leader. However if what I decide to write about on this blog is considered interesting (and hopefully helpful) by those that read it, I have achieved what I set out to do, which is provide insight and advice. In my career I have been lucky enough to work on some incredible cases that have taken me all over the world. If you work in the industry then you know that big cases can be a life stealer, and I have worked on plenty of those. However, there is a certain degree of satisfaction on working with complex data and helping others understand it. I have worked with various litigation support tools over the last ten years but of late I specialise in Nuix and Relativity. This blog will be written with the industry in mind but only what I find interesting and on varying topics, from conferences to current developments, from products to training courses.