Methods and apparatuses for communicating preservation notices and surveys

An electronic discovery management system, the system comprising:

• a communication interface operatively connected to a network;
• and
• a processor operatively connected to the communication interface and configured to:
• create an electronic discovery matter;
• add a custodian to the electronic discovery matter;
• create, automatically upon adding the custodian to the electronic discovery matter, a preservation notice for the custodian, wherein the preservation notice is an indication to preserve data for the electronic discovery matter;
• customize the preservation notice for the custodian to an abbreviated form based on whether the custodian has previously received a preservation notice either for the electronic discovery matter or a different electronic discovery matter, wherein the customized preservation notice is abbreviated based on the custodian's familiarity with preservation notices and electronic discovery process;
• instruct the communication interface to communicate, via the network, the customized preservation notice to the custodian at a data storage device accessible to the custodian, wherein communicating the customized preservation notice to the custodian is triggered by the adding of the custodian to the electronic discovery matter and the creating of the preservation notice for the custodian;
• receive information associated with an acknowledgement of the customized preservation notice from the custodian;
• instruct the communication interface to communicate, via the network, automatically upon acknowledgement of the customized preservation notice a customized survey to the custodian at the data storage device, wherein the survey comprises one or more questions relating to data and data storage devices which the custodian has access, wherein the customized survey is customized to the custodian based on the custodian's familiarity with surveys and the electronic discovery process;
• receive a survey response, wherein the survey response comprises answers to one or more questions on the customized survey;
• associate previously unknown data with the custodian based at least in part on the survey response from the custodian;
• identify data from devices associated with the custodian;
• locate the identified data from the devices associated with the custodian;
• and
• collect, automatically, the identified data from devices associated with the custodian for electronic discover management.

A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-executable program code portions stored therein, wherein the computer-executable program code portions comprise:

• a first program code portion configured to create an electronic discovery matter;
• a second program code portion configured to add a custodian to the electronic discovery matter;
• a third program code portion configured to create, automatically upon adding the custodian to the electronic discovery matter, a preservation notice for the custodian, wherein the preservation notice is an indication to preserve data for the electronic discovery matter;
• a forth program code portion configured to customize the preservation notice for the custodian to an abbreviated form based on whether the custodian has previously received a preservation notice either for the electronic discovery matter or a different electronic discovery matter, wherein the customized preservation notice is abbreviated based on the custodian's familiarity with preservation notices and electronic discovery process;
• a fifth program code portion configured to communicate, via a network, the customized preservation notice to the custodian at a data storage device accessible to the custodian, wherein communicating the customized preservation notice to the custodian is triggered by the adding of the custodian to the electronic discovery matter and the creating of the preservation notice for the custodian;
• a sixth program code portion configured to receive information associated with an acknowledgement of the customized preservation notice from the custodian;
• a seventh program code portion configured to communicate, via the network, automatically upon acknowledgement of the customized preservation notice, a customized survey to the custodian at the data storage device, wherein the survey comprises one or more questions relating to data and data storage devices which the custodian has access, wherein the customized survey is customized to the custodian based on the custodian's familiarity with surveys and the electronic discovery process;
• an eighth program code portion configured to receive a survey response from the custodian, wherein the survey response comprises answers to one or more questions on the customized survey;
• a ninth program code portion configured to associate previously unknown data with the custodian based at least in part on the survey response from the custodian;
• a tenth program code portion configured to identify data from devices associated with the custodian;
• an eleventh program code portion configured to locate the identified data from the devices associated with the custodian;
• and
• a twelfth program code portion configured to collect, automatically, the identified data from devices associated with the custodian for electronic discover management.

A method of using an electronic discovery management system, the method comprising:

• establishing a network connection between the electronic discovery management system and a data storage device accessible to a custodian;
• creating an electronic discovery matter;
• adding a custodian to the electronic discovery matter;
• creating, automatically upon adding the custodian to the electronic discovery matter, a preservation notice for the custodian, wherein the preservation notice is an indication to preserve data for the electronic discovery matter;
• customizing the preservation notice for the custodian to an abbreviated form based on whether the custodian has previously received a preservation notice either for the electronic discovery matter or a different electronic discovery matter, wherein the customized preservation notice is abbreviated based on the custodian's familiarity with preservation notices and electronic discovery process;
• transmitting the customized preservation notice to the custodian at the data storage device, wherein communicating the customized preservation notice to the custodian is triggered by the adding of the custodian to the electronic discovery matter and the creating of the preservation notice for the custodian;
• receiving information associated with an acknowledgement of the customized preservation notice from the custodian;
• transmitting, automatically upon acknowledgement of the customized preservation notice information associated with a customized survey from the electronic discovery management system to the custodian at the data storage device, wherein the survey comprises one or more questions relating to data and data storage devices which the custodian has access, wherein the customized survey is customized to the custodian based on the custodian's familiarity with surveys and the electronic discovery process;
• receiving a survey response from the custodian, wherein the survey response comprises answers to one or more questions on the customized survey;
• associating previously unknown data with the custodian based at least in part on the survey response from the custodian;
• identifying data from devices associated with the custodian;
• locating the identified data from the devices associated with the custodian;
• and
• collecting, automatically, the identified data from devices associated with the custodian for electronic discover management.