Key Discovery Points: ESI Protocol Objection Denial Party
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In this Key Discovery Points video, Brett Burney of Nextpoint and Doug Austin of eDiscovery Today break down a recent ruling in Hall v. Warren, where a federal judge shut down every single objection raised by the City of...more
In Hall v. Baltimore Police Dept., 2025 WL 1548560 (D. Md. May 30, 2025)(Austin, J.), the Court considered whether materials created many years after the underlying incident were protected under the work-product doctrine. The...more
Preparing for a deposition can be challenging whether it is a person’s first or hundredth time testifying under oath. Being questioned frequently causes anxiety. But the experience does not have to be so daunting with...more
Welcome back to the Bar Exam Toolbox podcast! This is the second of three episodes in which we review the substantive Civil Procedure law we've covered in our "Listen and Learn" series. This time we're talking about...more
Regular visitors to this blog no doubt are aware that the rules of practice for the Commercial Division are centered on innovation, efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and predictability. This includes the rules governing trial...more
Noticing a deposition is a critical part of the litigation process. Far from just a formality, it’s an assurance that a deposition you’re engaging in is being done fairly and in good faith. By giving all interested parties...more
The blog post Turning Deposition No-Shows to the Client’s Advantage proved popular with our readers when written (2021!) and for years afterward. The sustained readership of that article is gratifying but also disappointing...more
In civil litigation, depositions are a key pretrial discovery tool used to uncover facts, obtain admissions, gather evidence for motions, and assess witnesses. They prevent “trial by ambush” by revealing crucial information...more
Ten is the presumptive upper limit on the number of depositions that each party may take in civil litigation in the federal courts. This number, provided by Rule 30(a)(2) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, can be...more
3: Preparing Your Inside Team - Preservation, Privilege, Potential Pitfalls -This is the third in a series of articles that explores considerations and suggested actions for in-house counsel who are inexperienced in patent...more
A recent blog post here examined the circumstances under which a prevailing party in litigation can obtain reimbursement for deposition-related costs in federal courts. The rules are complicated, constrained by the statutory...more
Dismissal of a lawsuit is a rare sanction for a discovery violation, but it happened recently in a workplace discrimination lawsuit, due in large part to two probing depositions that called into question one party’s assertion...more
As litigators know, the United States follows the so-called “American Rule” when apportioning the costs of litigation. Unless a statute specifically provides otherwise, parties in court are responsible for their own...more
Way back in April 2020, during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, a federal magistrate judge in Colorado had already seen enough to offer the following plea that lawyers reassess their habit of traveling long distances...more
Deposition transcripts, like other pretrial discovery materials, do not become public records until they’re filed with the court. Before they are filed with the court, they routinely dwell in obscurity, shielded from public...more
No other pretrial discovery process rivals the deposition for its ability to alter the course of civil litigation. Depositions alone bring litigators face-to-face with key witnesses, experts, and the parties themselves in a...more
Yes absolutely, but with one caveat. Counsel should not overlook the requirement to carefully document the necessity of any costs claimed to be taxable. This includes costs for videotape copies of depositions....more
In the fourth episode of his "Ethical Witness Preparation" podcast series, "Finding the Balance," litigation attorney Dan Small draws a parallel between witness preparation and translating different languages. Mr. Small also...more
The Federal Rules of Civil Procedure liberally enable parties to seek relevant information in discovery that may be helpful in the preparation and trial of a case. While the liberal scope of discovery permitted by the...more
Nebraska has become the latest state to modernize its rules for taking depositions across state lines. The UIDDA is now effective in 43 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. On Jan. 27, the Nebraska...more
For litigation attorneys, the wrap-up process at the close of a deposition is a familiar scenario: The taking attorney will state that he or she has no further questions, after the opposing attorneys have done the same. The...more
As most federal practitioners are aware, certain amendments to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure took effect on December 1, 2015. The underlying objective of this year’s amendments is to resolve cases more quickly, more...more
If you read only this… - New amendments to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure became effective December 1, 2015, governing all subsequent civil cases and all proceedings currently pending, to the extent such...more
Several significant amendments to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure took effect Tuesday. They are probably the most wide-ranging set of changes to the rules in more than 20 years. Here are the key changes... ...more
Amendments to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure ("Rules") that took effect on December 1, 2015, are expected to impact numerous aspects of civil litigation, including service of process, discovery (including electronically...more