California Lawyers Association
California Lawyers Association Announces Pivotal Technology Partnership Impacting the Legal Field
January 30, 2025
California Lawyers Association (CLA), the state’s largest volunteer Bar Association with 45,000 members, announced today is has partnered with Electronic Discover Reference Model (EDRM), the internationally recognized e-discovery global best practices leader. This elite group of attorneys, technical experts, AI industry leaders, universities, and others, will improve e-discovery, privacy, security, and information governance for California’s justice system and legal profession.
“This is a forward looking partnership for California and the practice of law,” says Chris Nguyen, CEO, California Lawyers Association. “It is imperative that all attorneys have the most relevant knowledge and a practical understanding about issues surrounding technology and how it effects their clients and practices.”
Privacy, security, and AI-enabled e-discovery technology and services will play a central role in organizations as they strive to keep their data secure. Robust e-discovery technology, supported by expertise and services, helps organizations respond to litigation, compliance, and investigation demands. In the era of hybrid and remote work at scale, organizations need to securely manage information, protect confidential and privileged access, and collaborate effectively to be efficient and productive and adhere to the increasingly complex demands of security and data privacy frameworks. The ability to have trusted relationships with organizations like CLA in the legal environment is mission-critical.
EDRM is a giant in the areas of Artificial Intelligence, e-discovery, privacy, and how everything from data collection to social media may impact fair and equitable access to justice. While these issues have received national attention recently, the organization was established 20 years ago to better educate lawyers and strengthen best practices around the world.
“California attorneys, located in the epicenter of the technical world, face novel and cutting-edge issues as they navigate the bread and butter of e-discovery practice,” explains Mary Mack, CEO and Chief Legal Technologist for EDRM. “We are thrilled by the opportunity to learn from California Lawyers Association and to share our best practices with them.”
Shannon Bales, CLA Chair, Law Practice Management and Technology Section, oversees CLA’s educational component surrounding such things as the latest innovations in law practice management and ethical concerns related to technology. “California Lawyers Association holds its principles of diversity, transparency, and fairness in the administration of justice as its mission. Our new partnership will ensure that our members are up-to-date on current trends, processes, and influences.”
CLA’s members will now have EDRM’s connections to in-person events, webinars, video programing, podcasts, and other tools available to them from around the country and the world. This helps make certain that lawyers and other legal professionals receive the most recent and accurate information regarding complex legal matters associated with generative AI, data mapping, electronic records review, and a host of technology driven issues, as well as their benefits.
More information about California Lawyers Association is available at www.calawyers.org or on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and X. Learn more about EDRM at: EDRM.net.