DAY ONE   DAY TWO   COURSE MATERIAL

DAY ONE (September 11, 2025) 

 (Central Standard Time)

Click here to access Zoom for day one

8:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. Check-in and Breakfast

9:00 a.m. - 9:15 a.m. Welcome and Opening Remarks

9:15 a.m. - 10:15 a.m. Mock Client Interview

Watch this role play as you learn about a variety of issues that must be discussed with your client’s IT Department. For example, how does your client handle BYOD, modern attachments, and AI?  Are there document requests that would be very burdensome to comply with such that an objection is warranted?

Speakers: 
Defense Attorney: Tessa Jacob (Husch Blackwell)
IT Director:  John Benson (Consultant)
In-house counsel: Moira Sweazey (Capital One)

10:15 a.m. - 10:40 a.m.
 NeLI Talk: Two Things to Worry About

This NeLI talk will focus on the “Heads or Tails” issues surrounding collecting from mobile devices (collect from the phone vs. collecting from the 3rd party apps), modern attachments collections (are you getting the latest version vs. the one that existed when the message was generated), targeted phone collections (are they truly targeted vs. are you still accessing the entire message database) and BYOD policies (same as it ever was vs. a brave new world approach).  

Presenter: Steve Davis (Purpose Legal)

10:40 a.m. - 10:50 a.m. Networking Break

10:50 a.m. - 11:50 a.m. Mock Meet and Confer

Come listen in as opposing counsel engage in a meet and confer where they address disagreements over the use of AI in document review, the handling of linked attachments, and mobile device collection, amongst other issues often grappled with when it comes to negotiating ESI Protocols and the parameters of discovery.

Speakers:
Plaintiff Advocate:  Jillian Dent (Stueve Siegel Hanson)
Defendant Advocate: Leanne Mancari (Covington Burling)

11:50 a.m. - 12:15 P.m. NeLI Talk: AI in Document Review

AI is the hottest discussion topic in eDiscovery. But, what is it really? How does it work? What does it do? What are the benefits and limitations? Does it really save money or just add more money to an already expensive review?  How do you validate the AI review?

Speaker:
Sean Wiederkehr  (Everlaw)

12:15 P.m. - 12:45 P.m. Lunch

12:45 p.m. - 2:15 p.m. Judges’ Debate: Audience Picks the Winner

Judges pair off against each other and debate several thorny eDiscovery matters. This will allow you to hear both sides of the issue. You decide the winner!

Moderator:     
John Pappas (UnitedLex)

Advocate Judges:        
Hon. Lisa J. Cisneros (U.S.D.C. N.D. CA);Hon. Willie J. Epps, Jr. (U.S.D.C. W.D. MO); Hon. Young B. Kim (U.S.D.C. N.D. IL); Hon. Angel Mitchell (U.S.D.C. Dist. KS)
Hon. Xavier Rodriguez (U.S.D.C. W.D. TX);Hon. Andrew Peck (ret. U.S.D.C. S.D. NY; DLA Piper)

2:15 P.m. - 2:30 p.m. Networking Break

2:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. Mock Hearing: The NeLI Court  

Judge Rodriguez will preside over a mock hearing argued by seasoned litigators involving novel emerging eDiscovery issues, including alleged spoliation, sanctions, when is litigation reasonably anticipated and ephemeral messaging.  These issues often arise during litigation across multiple industries. The arguments made will educate attendees on the various ways that eDiscovery litigators may approach these issues.  Following the ruling, there will be a discussion with the audience as to why certain arguments were made and the reason for the decision.

Presenter:
The Honorable Xavier Rodriguez sitting on special assignment in the U.S.D.C. of NeLI
Plaintiff Advocate: Lea Bays (Robbins Geller)
Defendant Advocate: Edward Rippey (Covington & Burling)

3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. AI and Bias: Friends or Enemies?

It is not uncommon to hear the term “bias” negatively associated with artificial intelligence.  But, not all bias is bad or unfair; in fact, most AI tools depend on bias to function properly!  This talk will distinguish between different kinds of bias, such as “positive tendency bias,” “statistical bias,” and “discriminatory bias.” It will provide examples of how AI tools used in legal or healthcare settings can show harmful bias and what might be done about that.

Presenter: 
Maura Grossman (University of Waterloo)

4:30 p.m. Tribute for Kaylee Walstad, EDRM

4:45 p.m. Networking Reception and Plated Dinner for Conference Attendees

DAY TWO (September 12, 2025)

 (Central Standard Time)

Click here to access Zoom for day two

8:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m Check-in and Breakfast

9:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. The Ethical Quandaries of eDiscovery

Enjoy a fresh new game of ethical quandaries in eDiscovery.  You will test your ethics’ knowledge as you play along in a question-based game that may perplex even the most seasoned litigators. The e-discovery process gives rise to multiple ethical challenges for practitioners, and the rise of AI creates additional traps.  Your goal is to climb your way to "ethical paradise" before falling into the dreaded "ethical inferno!”

Game Show Hosts:
Game Show Hosts: Tom Gricks (Open Text) and Robin Perkins (Kutak Rock)

10:30 a.m. - 10:40 A.m. Networking Break

10:40 A.m. - 11:00 A.m. NeLI Talk: Evolving State Privacy Laws & Impact on eDiscovery

The U.S. privacy landscape evolves every legislative session, with no reason to believe that state laws are anywhere near settled. New states implement consumer privacy laws and states tweak their existing laws in ways that are sometimes unexpected, to the extent we can no longer simply look to California as the high-water mark.  This NeLI Talk will explore where state consumer privacy laws started, how they have changed, and what those changes mean for eDsicovery practices.

Presenter:
Chance Hodges (O’Reilly Auto Parts)

11:05 A.m. - 11:55 A.m. In House Counsel Panel

In-house counsel face challenges on a daily basis. These challenges range from business strategy and support to litigation budgeting and discovery management. This panel will touch on each of these and more. Panel participants will discuss real world examples and provide the attendees with practical solutions to address these challenges. Come learn how you can add real value to your clients.

Moderator:
Kristy Bird (Consilio) 

Panelists: 
Zachary Cincotta  (Google)
Moira Sweazey (Capital One)
Trace Johnson (O’Reilly Auto Parts)

12:00 P.m. - 12:30 p.m. Lunch

12:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. Judicial Panel/Case Law Update

2:00 P.m. - 2:10 p.m. Break

2:10 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. The Evolution of Artificial Intelligence and Discovery: How the roles of technology and humans are changing

3:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Question and Answer Sessions / Closing Remarks

Do you have a question or comment that did not get addressed during one of the sessions?  You are in luck.  This is your chance to speak up. We have devoted this time to answer your questions and to hear your comments on the topics discussed. Don’t be shy.  Ask away.

Panelists:
Robin Perkins (Kutak Rock)
Tessa Jacobs (Husch Blackwell)
Lea Bays (Robbins Geller)
Daniel Gold (BDO)
John Pappas (UnitedLex)
And every presenter in the room.   

4:00 p.m. Adjourn