Legal

Litigation Document Review Guide

Guide for organizing, reviewing, and managing litigation documents including discovery, pleadings, and evidence.

Initial Case Assessment

Collect and organize all relevant pleadings and court filingsCreate a master document index with date, author, and descriptionIdentify key custodians and data sources for discoveryEstablish document retention and litigation hold procedures

Discovery Document Review

Define privilege review criteria and create a privilege log templateSet up coding categories: relevance, privilege, confidentiality, hot docsIdentify key search terms and date ranges for targeted reviewEstablish quality control protocols and second-pass review thresholds

Evidence Organization

Create a chronological timeline of key events and communicationsTag documents by issue, witness, and relevance levelCross-reference deposition testimony with supporting documentsIdentify gaps in the document record that require additional investigation

Deposition Preparation

Compile key documents for each deposition witnessPrepare document examination outlines tied to case themesOrganize exhibits in chronological and topical orderFlag contradictions between documents and known testimony

Trial Preparation

Finalize exhibit list and ensure all documents are authenticatedPrepare demonstrative exhibits and document summariesOrganize impeachment materials by witnessVerify chain of custody for all physical and electronic evidence

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