Electronic Discovery and Digital Evidence

• Semester: Spring 2025
• Course ID: 386N
• Credit Hours: 3
• Unique: 29085

Description

This unique 3-hour course explores the hottest topics in litigation today: electronic evidence and digital discovery (including emerging roles for AI). Evidence is information, and nearly all information is created, collected, communicated and stored electronically. Thus, the ability to identify, preserve, interpret, authenticate and challenge electronically stored information is a crucial litigation skill.

This course seeks to reconcile the federal rules and e-discovery case law with the sources, forms and methods of information technology and computer forensics. Students will explore the roots of information technology, learn to "speak geek" see information with "new eyes" and acquire hands-on, practical training in finding electronic evidence, meeting preservation duties, guarding against spoliation, selecting forms of production, communicating and cooperating with opposing counsel and managing the volume and variety of digital evidence and metadata. You will use real world software tools and emerge with an understanding of the nuts and bolts of information technology and discovery,  No prior background in law, computing or technology is required to succeed. 

Grading is based on five self-administered, timed quizzes via Canvas at roughly two week intervals and class participation. You must also submit written exercises on approximately a weekly basis.  There is no midterm or final.  Note: the course has been reconfigured for 2025 to scale back the workload and better accommodate competing demands on students' time.

If you have questions about the course to decide if it's for you, I can be reached via email as craig@ball.net or by phone at 713-320-6066.