EDRM – the Electronic Discovery Reference Model – was created in May 2005 to address the lack of standards and guidelines in the electronic discovery (e-discovery) market – a problem identified in the 2003 and 2004 Socha-Gelbmann Electronic Discovery surveys as a major concern for consumers and providers alike.

The completed reference model provides a common, flexible and extensible framework for the development, selection, evaluation and use of electronic discovery products and services. The completed model was placed in the public domain in May 2006.

In its on-going effort to provide standards and guidelines, EDRM is updating and expanding the original model to include six projects: EDRM Evergreen, EDRM XML, EDRM Metrics, EDRM Model Code of Conduct, EDRM Search and EDRM Data Set.

In the 2008-2009 year, EDRM will focus on six projects designed to educate e-discovery consumers and providers, simplify the industry landscape, and improve and streamline e-discovery processes. The projects are:

EDRM Evergreen: The Evergreen Project is aimed at ensuring that the Electronic Discovery Reference Model remains current, practical and relevant in the ever-changing e-discovery landscape. The participants in this project will work to enhance content at each node of the model and educate end-users about how to make effective use of the model.

EDRM XML: The EDRM XML Project will help practitioners significantly streamline processes and enable the integration of multiple e-discovery technologies. In the 2008-2009 project year, this group will continue development of version 1 of the EDRM XML schema, including the validation tools and related materials. Additionally, the EDRM XML group begin development of version 2 of the EDRM XML schema and also promote the use of the EDRM XML schema.

EDRM Metrics: The Metrics Project will work toward completing the EDRM Metrics model which aims at providing an effective means of measuring the time, money and volumes associated with e-discovery activities. In addition, the Metrics model group is responsible for creating tracking, reporting and measurement protocols to assess e-discovery activities, and, to the extent metrics data becomes available, begin analysis of that data.

EDRM Model Code of Conduct: The goal of the Model Code of Conduct Project is to develop voluntary ethical guidelines for electronic discovery providers and consumers. Ultimately, these guidelines will be akin to those under which attorneys, court personnel and others in the legal space operate. The group will deliver materials and Webinars to discuss the meaning and use of the newly established code.

EDRM Search: The goal of the Search Project is to provide a framework for defining and managing various aspects of Search as applied to E-discovery workflow. E-discovery practitioners use several search techniques for culling and locating electronically stored information. By specifying the type of search, its behavior and expected results, the uncertainty and incompleteness of search can be addressed.

EDRM Data Set: The goal of the Data Set Project is to compile a 100 gigabyte data set that can be used to test various aspects of electronic discovery software and services.

EDRM operates as a set of working projects. The projects operate on a May-to-May year. Each project has its own goals, deliverables and timeline. For a list of current projects and links to those projects, go to edrm.net.

Most projects are organized as a series of working groups. This is done to provide tighter focus and to divide the work into more manageable chuncks. As with the projects, each working group has its own goals, deliverables and timeline.

Each project has two leaders. Each working group has one, two or three leaders. The role of the leaders is to keep the projects and working groups on track, on task, and on time.

EDRM has four in-person meetings each May-to-May project year.

Spring: Each project year starts with a two-day kick-off meeting in May. Participants are strongly encouraged to attend this meeting, as this is where projects for the coming year are finalized, leaderships positions filled, and preliminary work on the projects begun.

Summer: At the Annual ILTA Education Conference, EDRM holds informal get-together sessions for EDRM participants.

Fall: EDRM holds a two-day, mid-year working meeting each Fall. This is an opportunity for participants to sit down with each other and make the kind of process that only can be accomplished at in-person meetings.

Winter: At LegalTech New York, EDRM holds informational sessions, informal get-together sessions, and a reception for current and potential EDRM participants.

Most EDRM working meetings are virtual, however, conducted via email, through teleconferences, with electronic bulletin boards, etc.

A participant-only section of the EDRM website is used to help manage the projects and working groups. It has areas for each project and each working group, and provides task, calendar, file upload and download, and related functions.

Each project and each working groups also has its own dedicated email communications capabilities and bulletin board forums.

Teleconferencing capabilities are provided as needed.