With today’s pressure to reduce the cost of litigation while illuminating crucial information, the capture and organization of facts and events require more than legal knowledge or complex technology. They require the skill to assemble knowledge in real time and the capacity to keep teams on the right path.

1. Legal project
management
A white paper from
Kelly®
Legal Managed Services
Gary M. Buckland and Jeffrey Schultz
Getting insight, productivity and results

2. /02
Second, have the necessary means to achieve your ends
– wisdom, money, materials and methods.
First, have a definite, clear, practical ideal – a goal, an objective.
Third,adjustallyour
meanstothatend.
Aristotle

3. Facts and events are at the heart of every legal case, and in this
day and age – especially on the enterprise level – managing these
details is most definitely a science. Yet there is an art to successful
legal project management, too.
This includes balancing legal obligations and requirements with business strategy,
process standards and objectives with deadlines, the responsibilities of inside
counsel with the decisions of outside counsel, and defining value while managing
the exploding volume of data. The legal minds must be able to focus on legal
strategy and execution as they always have. But weaving the intricate threads of
discovery and documentation remains a priority, too. Legal project management is no
straightforward, simplistic, purely administrative task. And it has become a strategic
endeavor not just in litigation but in corporate management, too.
Fifty years ago, the large corporate law firms that traditionally specialized in litigation
served clients well through a combination of expertise and brawn. They used their
cases as a training ground for newly-minted attorneys who often learned their craft
by gathering and documenting the facts of a case – and helping clients navigate the
requirements for transparency.
Adjust all your means to that end /03
Legal project
management is no
straightforward,
simplistic, purely
administrative task.

4. As litigation became more complex and lengthy, and firms tried to manage data by
assigning more legal professionals to the task, internal and external costs skyrocketed.
Then in the 1990s, new data management technologies emerged. Since then, using a
mix of legal and technological muscle, deriving information out of accumulating case
data remains a mammoth undertaking.
Often with the support or endorsement of legal advisors, the shift in focus to
technology has opened the door to all manner of service providers. There have been
huge investments in technology “solutions” that promise to turn legal information into
a foundation for litigation. Yet these product investments have still required too many
ancillary services. Outside counsel often must invest significant time in running projects
and corralling bytes of information.
Besides the cost and the red tape, the trend to outsource legal project management to
technology specialists became problematic for two other reasons.
First, any legal project is more than document organization or data capture. Legal
projects involve achieving a foolproof data gathering process and real-time evaluation
of priorities against the overall project objective. Every legal project must be executed
in the context of enterprise business strategies and corporate responsibility.
/04Adjust all your means to that end
Using a mix of legal
and technological
muscle, deriving
information out
of accumulating
case data remains
a mammoth
undertaking.

5. Second, defining legal project management as a pure technology play puts a lot of
pressure on the technology. Legal projects require the involvement of attorneys at the
right moment. The best use of technology harnesses the well-chosen talents brought
into a project and leverages experts skilled in managing people and processes. When
it’s designed and deployed by such experts, the appropriate technology package
accomplishes its purpose – organizing legal documentation for cataloging and
searches – without distracting from legal strategy or compromising deadlines.
With today’s pressure to reduce the cost of litigation while illuminating crucial
information, the capture and organization of facts and events require more than legal
knowledge or complex technology. They require the skill to assemble knowledge in
real time and the capacity to keep teams on the right path.
/05Adjust all your means to that end
When it’s designed
and deployed
by such experts,
the appropriate
technology package
accomplishes
its purpose.

6. To outsource today’s legal projects well, it is important to honor
management experience, employ professional standards and forget
about simplistic packaged solutions.
The moment has arrived for the strong, collaborative participation of project
management specialists who can complete the team of legal and administrative
professionals required for effective legal project management – most especially by
putting technology to the service of well-articulated and tightly managed processes.
And with the presence of legal project management strategists who know how to move
technology to the right corners of every assignment, put people to the appropriate
tasks and manage risk, legal projects can finally be handled effectively, in a way that
does not distract inside counsel from their portfolio of responsibilities and that protects
outside counsel from incurring unbridled cost.
/06
The three things to know
First, managing legal projects is
only getting more complex. But
it’s not impossible.
Second, use established
standards to manage legal
projects. It keeps things level.
Third, you need technology that
extends the reach of project
managers experienced in
eDiscovery – technology that
serves the team. Not the other
way around.
Adjust all your means to that end

7. /07
Managing legal projects is only getting more complex.
Butit’snot
impossible.

8. The legal discovery process requires transparency. No party
involved in litigation is legally permitted to withhold information
or evidence from another party. Evidence includes documents,
depositions, petitions, motions, interrogatories, that is, any effort
undertaken to provide data to the court. The more intricate the
details, the more judgment is required.
Besides being a significant time drain, putting law firms to the task of managing data and
data capture technology is no longer the best use of their resources. Within corporations,
inside counsel is needed for more strategic consultation. As inside counsel has found
ways to work with outside counsel to outsource the execution of projects, companies
have become comfortable with the practice of pulling in external resources to staff legal
projects. However, no one is comfortable with the technology misfires that occur as a
result of an overemphasis on data processing and the underuse of project management.
The fact that more than seventy percent of eDiscovery litigation costs still are incurred in
the review stage means that random technology has not been the answer. Yet the large
law firms cannot tap today’s burgeoning legal talent pool because their infrastructures
/08it’s not impossible
Seventy percent
of eDiscovery
litigation costs are
still incurred in the
review stage.
70%

9. can no longer support their cost. The workaround of implementing and even white-
labeling technology for legal projects does not work either. eDiscovery solutions
alone cannot soothe concerns about data security, frustrations with project visibility,
inconsistent reporting and communication, gaps in quality control or indefensible
documentation.
The review stage is where to take a first look at complexity and to initiate eDiscovery
process efficiencies while establishing manageable segments.
First, to bring document review under control, experienced, skilled project managers
are essential. They can create a process structure that is visible, on demand, to all
stakeholders – outside counsel, inside counsel, staff and company executives. Project
managers guard productivity levels as well as quality, which is critical to project
timeliness and cost management.
Second, to scale the project in real time – which is often at a moment’s notice – have
access to a resource that can acquire experts and specialists apace with the escalation
/09it’s not impossible
To bring document
review under control,
experienced, skilled
project managers
are essential.

10. of the case. There need not be any sacrifice in the agility required to shift gears to
another discovery task or area. It is also essential to make sure that these experts and
specialists have already been vetted for all aspects of legal project management, so
the only immersion they require is in the specifics of the case and the client.
Third, to sustain a focus on the outcome from the earliest possible stage, knowledge
of cutting-edge best practices is an advantage. Besides supporting the ability to pivot
into emerging areas of discovery, this strengthens the probability of a defensible
documentation and a complete audit trail.
/10
Success factors in reducing complexity
Innovative technology
managed by established
project experts with
experience in the
legal domain
Excellent outside counsel
enabled to focus on legal
strategy and content
Scalable, flexible processes
that can pivot to solve
problems or penetrate
new areas
An undeterred focus
on delivery
A clear sense of who the
stakeholders are and what
they need
it’s not impossible

11. /11
Use established standards to manage legal projects.
Itkeeps
thingslevel.

12. Any project is a construct for accomplishing and managing
business activities. A project is temporary and finite, bringing
together key talent to reach specific business objectives and
serve specific customers or users. So the objectives must be
clear, understood and in front of the team at all times. With
varied activities and products, multiple deadlines and delivery
expectations, projects must be fluid, too.
Regardless of size and complexity, every project is measured for success under three
main criteria. Known as the triple constraints, these criteria – quality, time and budget
– also provide the foundation for everyone’s activities. The Quality Constraint defines
the expected standard for the project’s outcome. The Time Constraint addresses the
project’s schedule and milestones. The Budget Constraint outlines the price of the
project and its costs.
A legal document review is, essentially, a project. With skilled project managers at the
helm – who know when and how to imbed best practices into any project and integrate
it with legal counsel’s strategy and direction – a law firm or corporation can achieve a
successful outcome without taxing resources or budgets.
/12keep things level
Known as the triple
constraints, these
criteria – quality,
time and budget –
also provide the
foundation for
everyone’s activities.

13. The Project Management Institute (PMI) provides guidance for project management
in the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK). The PMBOK articulates the
phases of a project – Scope, Plan, Execute and Monitor, Close-out – as the Project
Management Life Cycle.
The Electronic Discovery Reference Model (EDRM) proposes similar constructs for the
phases of legal projects. (See figure 1)
1. Scoping: During Scoping, a project charter captures and refines the project’s
objectives and expectations. It is based upon the project proposal and business
case analysis. A project manager is selected and assigned. At the end of Scoping, a
Statement of Work (SOW) documents any commercial services to be produced by
the project.
2. Planning: During Planning, stakeholders define the desired outcome of the project,
team members’ roles and responsibilities, schedules, resources, scope and costs.
The result is a project management plan – the document that articulates how
the project will be executed, monitored and controlled, and closed. The project
management plan is the project’s baseline.
/13
1. Scope 2. Plan 3. Execute &
Monitor
4. Close-out
keep things level
The result is a project
management plan
– the document
that articulates how
the project will be
executed, monitored
and controlled,
and closed.

14. Project Management Life Cycle
/14
figure 1
communication
quality control
reporting/metrics
client/corporation vendorlaw firm
Scope Plan
Change
Management
Execute and
Manage
Close-out
Identification Preservation
Collection
Processing
Review
Analysis
Production PresentationInformation
Management

15. 3. Executing and Monitoring: During Executing and Monitoring, the project manager
leads the implementation. As the project team performs, the project manager
uses the plan to monitor, communicate and measure quality. It’s in this phase that
approvals and signoffs on products occur.
4. Closing: During Closing, the team presents the deliverables and confirms the
client’s consent to close the project. The project manager produces formal project
closure documentation and reports. Also, the team reviews the project’s results
to identify lessons and document them. Any aspects of the project that require a
transition are articulated and submitted in a report to the client.
The EDRM Project Management Framework (EPMF) articulates a typical eDiscovery
project management team structure across the three main stakeholder entities: the
client corporation, the outside law firm, and the vendor or group of vendors. There are
exceptions, but the framework serves those situations as well. (See figure 2)
/15keep things level
As the project team
performs, the project
manager uses the
plan to monitor,
communicate and
measure quality.

16. EDRM Project Management Team Model
/16
figure 2
law firm
Legal Team
Lit Support
Team
Law Firm
Project
Manager
vendor
Operations
Team
External
Providers
Vendor
Project
Manager
corporation IT TeamLegal Team
Corporation
Project
Manager
Integrated
Project
Management
Team

17. Each entity has a team member who has project management responsibilities. While
this may not be an official title, it does carry functional responsibility. Within the law
firm, the project management role is usually played by a litigation support manager,
paralegal or attorney. Within the corporation, someone from the legal team or
information technology takes on the role.
Project managers, from each entity, have two sets of responsibilities: to lead that
entity’s portion of the project and to coordinate activities with the other entities.
These roles are fundamental to the EPMF approach. And while the framework does
not specify any formal organizational structure among the project entities, it does call
for an Integrated Project Management Team. The entities may choose to be more
formal, but the purpose of the team is to foster a business relationship that promotes a
healthy, open dynamic for the project.
A collaborative environment that fosters open communications is a key to every
project’s success. Common goals, realistic plans, risk parameters, transparency, timely
information and change protocols are the hallmarks of collaboration. The EPMF Project
Management Process Model includes guidelines for building each project’s approach
to collaboration and coordination.
/17keep things level
Common goals,
realistic plans,
risk parameters,
transparency, timely
information and
change protocols
are the hallmarks of
collaboration.

18. It helps to identify and confirm which entity is playing the role of the customer, service
provider and consumer. In the typical eDiscovery project, the customer is usually the
corporation, the service provider is the vendor and the consumer is the law firm. But it’s
not always that simple or straightforward. For example, the corporation’s information
technology team may be providing the service of identifying data sources relevant
to a matter. In this case, the law firm defines for the client’s IT group the scope and
constraints of their activities, and IT delivers the status reports. So identifying the
roles of customer, service provider and consumer helps to clarify the responsibilities
articulated in the Process Model.
The PMBOK fifth edition describes ten core knowledge areas in a typical project
management life cycle. Mastery of the knowledge areas is difficult but at least one
person – the project manager – must possess it.
1. Integration Management. Coordination of all activities and processes.
2. Scope Management. Processes that define and address all the work required
to complete the project successfully.
/18keep things level
In the typical
eDiscovery project,
the customer is usually
the corporation, the
service provider is
the vendor and the
consumer is the
law firm.

19. 3. Time Management. Managing sequencing and completion of the
project tasks.
4. Cost Management. Planning, estimating, budgeting, funding, managing and
controlling costs so that the project can be completed within the
approved budget.
5. Quality Management. Implementation of iterative and continuous processes
and activities that achieve quality objectives.
6. Human Resource Management. Processes to recruit, vet, organize, manage and
lead the project team.
7. Communications Management. Appropriate planning, collection, distribution,
management, control, monitoring and ultimate disposition of project information.
8. Risk Management. Conducting risk management planning, identification, analysis,
response planning, and monitoring and control on a project.
/19keep things level

20. 9. Procurement Management. Processes necessary to engage, purchase or acquire
products or services needed from outside the project team.
10. Stakeholder Management. Processes and strategies for effectively engaging
stakeholders in project communications, decisions and execution.
These ten knowledge areas populate the four project phases, so it’s up to the team
– across all entities – to harness the resulting information practically, using a task
orientation timed to each phase’s schedule. Left unharnessed, it’s just data – much like
the legal documentation would be without the efforts of the team to manage it.
/20keep things level
Left unharnessed,
it’s just data –
much like the legal
documentation would
be without the
efforts of the team
to manage it.

21. /21
Knowledge areas Initiating process group Planning process group Executing process group Monitoring & controlling process group Closing process group
Project integration management Develop project charter Develop project
Management plan
Direct and manage work Monitoring & controlling project work
Perform integrated change control
Close project or phase
Project scope management Plan scope management
Collect requirement
Define scope
Create WBS
Validate scope
Control scope
Project time management Plan schedule management
Define activities
Sequence activities
Estimate activity resources
Estimate activity durations
Develop schedule
Control schedule
Project cost management Plan cost management
Estimate cost
Determine budget
Control costs
Project quality management Plan quality management Perform quality assurance Perform quality control
Project human resources
management
Plan human resource management Acquire project team
Develop project team
Manage project team
Project communication
management
Plan communications management Manage communications Control communications
Project risk management Plan risk management
Identify risks
Performance qualitative
Risk analysis
Perform quantitative risk
Analysis
Plan risk analysis
Control risks
Project procurement management Plan procurements management Conduct procurements Control procurements Close procurements
Project stakeholder management Identify stakeholders Plan stakeholder management Manage stakeholder engagement Control stakeholder engagement
Process Groups

22. In 1984, the PMI launched a credentials process for the Project Management
Professional (PMP). It has since become the professional standard for project managers.
More than 500,000 people now hold PMP certification.
eDiscovery project management is a new, evolving specialty and does not yet have its
own professional, industry-recognized certifications. There are, however, eDiscovery
project management training programs and organizations that issue project manager
credentials. There is a debate within the legal profession and among service providers
about the propriety of such certifications. It is, afterall, legal counsel’s duty to clients to
maintain oversight and guide the eDiscovery project, so a project manager role raises
questions about limitations on scope and authority. Notwithstanding, a defensible,
documented work product is essential to meeting the unique objectives of every legal
project and this must be at the core of a legal project manager’s responsibilities.
/22
Success factors in managing legal projects
Clear, frequent, comprehensive
communication
Alignment of the three
stakeholding teams and
their people
A comprehensive plan that
spans the entire project while
linking each team’s plan
A flexible attitude toward
handling emerging issues
and changes in course
Dedicated quality control
and risk management
keep things level

23. /23
You need technology that extends the reach of project managers
experienced in eDiscovery – technology that serves the team.
Nottheother
wayaround.

24. The natural business response in the Information Age, just as it was
in the Industrial Age, is to look to technology to reduce and manage
the costs previously associated with the human resource.
This is especially tempting in the legal arena, so for twenty years companies have used
what they hoped were mechanized versions of legal knowledge, data capture and
document organization to replace large groups of lawyers and paralegals. In many
situations, not only were cost savings negligible, the eDiscovery process, from scoping
to post-project documentation, wasn’t scaling properly.
In the meantime, personal mobile devices and cloud storage have expanded the
universe of data and its locations. There are new efficiencies in managing both the
flow of information and the documentation associated with the post-discovery legal
process itself. Four structural components – web- or cloud-based systems, real-time
accessibility, expanding storage and design flexibility – are re-shaping the business
information landscape. For legal project management, the resulting repositories
of data, the ability to search them and the capacity for reporting truly enable a
comprehensive command of the legal facts and their analysis.
/24Technology that serves the team
Personal mobile
devices and cloud
storage have
expanded the
universe of data
and its locations.

25. Law schools are still producing lawyers at a fast clip, but the changes in law firms –
some of them propelled by technology’s proliferation – are inspiring interest in the
behind-the-scenes mechanics of litigation and legal technology. More lawyers are
ready to explore new ideas for how to spend their legal careers. At the same time,
with the sting of a less than exemplary off-the-shelf software experience behind them,
companies and their outside counsel are acknowledging the need for management
of a different kind over large-scale cases that involve gigantic volumes of data to be
processed through eDiscovery.
All this has taken legal and information management careers outside of the law firm
and the server farm to companies that specialize in making talent and technology
available on a project basis. Outsourcing enables law firms to avoid hiring for peak
situations and companies to avoid spending at peak rates. And outsourcing affords
access to appropriate skills that are free from obligations to or connections with
software packages that may be the wrong size or direction for a given project.
The key is to source providers who can integrate skill-sets and appropriate
technologies around the always-unique requirements of any given legal project – then
provide project management skills that integrate the efforts and products of the law
/25Technology that serves the team
Outsourcing enables
law firms to avoid
hiring for peak
situations and
companies to avoid
spending at peak rates.

26. firms, inside counsel and companies’ teams prudently. It is important to have legal
backgrounds on the project management side of this equation; it’s equally important
to have access to professionals who know their way around massive amounts of data,
information systems, business strategies and teams of varied professional orientations.
Legal project managers know how to address the concerns, the frustrations and gaps
that emerge in every litigation – to manage the discovery process with the most
respected national and international guidelines.
For scoping and planning, the project management source must have a formula or
methodology for project planning and for production of key segments of information,
from review protocols to project manuals.
For staffing, the project management source must be able to define the qualifications
required for the project at hand and demonstrate how it recruits, tests and selects
staff – from reference and background checks to any specialized training required
for the project.
For execution, the project management source must be able to advise inside and
outside counsel on the project design and workflow – and collaborate with the
technology platform supplier to build case-specific elements.
/26Technology that serves the team
Legal project
managers know
how to address
the concerns, the
frustrations and
gaps that emerge
in every litigation.

27. For quality, the project management source must demonstrate the capacity to track
performance throughout the project and validate results using a variety of metrics
and techniques.
For communication, the project management source must use a logging system
to calibrate project event reports and daily results with the strategic goals, project
milestones and inevitable disruptions. Reports must be rich with data points that assure
the data collection process.
At the close of a legal project, the entire team – counsel, companies, managers – must
be able to point to the case materials with confidence in the metrics and processes
used in eDiscovery, not just the results produced through the project’s life cycle.
When companies and their law firms decide to outsource legal project management,
they need project managers who can make the best use of lawyers’ time and even
transform the way lawyers work. These managers exist. They understand the causes
/27Technology that serves the team
When companies and
their law firms decide
to outsource legal
project management,
they need project
managers who can
make the best use of
lawyers’ time.

28. of inefficiency and can drive productivity and quality. They are experienced in project
management. They know eDiscovery. They will employ the best technology resources
and project management methodologies to service the project, the clients and the
team – removing past constraints and limits from legal projects and teams, enabling a
secure, sound and optimal result.
/28
Success factors in leveraging the right project technology
A professional resource
that specializes in staffing
legal professionals
Review facilities scaled to
fit every project for the term
of the project
A staffing methodology that
includes executive, team and
reporting practices
An online project management
portal featuring dashboards
with advanced metrics
Geographic reach of the
highest quality and scale
Technology that serves the team

29. /29
About Kelly®
Legal Managed Services
Kelly is the one source for clients who seek people with process expertise in
legal issues and workforce management. Kelly focuses on seamless integration
and strategic collaboration. Kelly applies its decades of experience in the legal
industry, in sourcing high-caliber professionals, and in finding innovative solutions
to the requirements established by lawyers and executives. Besides identifying and
addressing each client and team member’s point of pain, Kelly experts apply their
knowledge of safety, quality, compensation, recruiting, retention and technology
to each aspect of every project. Kelly considers a key measure of its project
management philosophy to be measured in the stability of client operations and best-
in-class performance. Kelly strives to increase efficiency and reduce costs for every
client. Working within guidelines of established project management principles, Kelly
people are equipped to emphasize what is important every day and in the context
of every client business strategy. Kelly upholds the integrity of its performance and
that of its client by enabling clients to retain control and direction. The purpose is the
delivery of a documented, memorialized and defensible work product that fulfills the
legal and business strategies of the Kelly client.

30. About the Authors
Gary M. Buckland is Vice President and Practice Lead Global Managed Solutions with
KellyOCG®
. He oversees sales, operations and the strategic direction of Kelly Legal Managed
Services, which specializes in legal outsourcing, eDiscovery solutions, managed document
review and workforce solutions for top law firms and corporate legal departments. He holds
a Bachelor of Science degree in business management and marketing from Old Dominion
University in Norfolk, Virginia.
Jeffrey Schultz, National Legal Project Management, is responsible for the operations
and management of attorney document review projects undertaken by Kelly Legal Managed
Services (KLMS). He supervises the execution of cost-effective and efficient projects, which
deliver defensible, documented and memorialized work-product. Throughout his career, he
has lead many large-scale document review projects and trained project managers, team
leaders and reviewers on the essential eDiscovery procedures for generating timely and effective
deliverables to law firms and corporate clients.
EXIT
About KellyOCG
KellyOCG®
is the Outsourcing and Consulting Group of workforce solutions provider Kelly Services, Inc. KellyOCG is a
global leader in innovative talent management solutions in the areas of Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO), Business
Process Outsourcing (BPO), Contingent Workforce Outsourcing (CWO), including Independent Contractor Solutions,
Human Resources Consulting, Career Transition and Executive Coaching, and Executive Search.
KellyOCG was named in the International Association of Outsourcing Professionals®
2014 Global
Outsourcing 100®
list, an annual ranking of the world’s best outsourcing service providers and advisors.
Further information about KellyOCG may be found at kellyocg.com.
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