Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/2923
ILTA White Paper Practice Management 10 T he field of litigation support is burgeoning much more quickly than the industry has been able to establish standards for the training, knowledge and experience that professionals should bring to the job. That's causing problems for attorneys who hire litigation support professionals while attempting to prove their worth to clients and working with them on quickly moving cases. Any of the subsequent scenarios, based on real situations, could occur in the worlds of internal or external litigation support and e-discovery. Leaders in the litigation support industry, however, are working on one major solution that could obviate these threats. SCenArIo one: The neW hIre Who IS noT In The KnoW Imagine that you have been asked to hire a new lower- to mid-level litigation support employee and your supervisor will not authorize the use of a recruiter. With the help of your HR department, you slog through job descriptions to come up with the right skills. You advertise the job, sort through the incredible range of skills and backgrounds on the applicants' resumés, narrow the candidates, interview and eventually hire someone who seems to fit all your qualification and technical background requirements. You are relieved because with your caseload you really don't have time to do a lot of training. Fast forward three months. You get a call at 6:00 p.m. on a Friday from the lead associate on a very important case. Apparently, the production your new employee was supposed to complete and send out was put aside. The attorney is very upset and demanding immediate completion. When questioned about the situation, the new hire is offended that everyone is upset and does not understand why "they can't just ask for an extension," which is what the employee told the legal team when confronted. The legal team promises that they will "discuss it later." You are horrified that you missed this employee's lack of fundamental understanding of legal requirements. What other undiscovered weaknesses might there be in your new employee's basic knowledge? Certification Is Vital to Law Firm Management Formal Accreditation Clearly Shows Who Is the Perfect Candidate for the Job WinLock broWn aSSociation oF Litigation Support proFeSSionaLS