ODW2377 – Legal Tech Including Ethical Considerations

Presenter Biographys: Ronald J. Hedges is the Principal of Ronald J. Hedges LLC. He served as a United States Magistrate Judge in the District of New Jersey for over 20 years. Ron speaks and writes on a variety of topics, many of which are related to electronic information, including procedural and substantive criminal law, information governance, litigation management, and integration of new technologies such as artificial intelligence into existing information governance policies and procedures. Among other things, Ron is the chair of the Court Technology Committee of the Judicial Division of the ABA and the co-chair of the NYSBA Committee on Technology and the Legal Profession. He is the lead author of a guide for federal judges on electronically stored information, https://www.fjc.gov/content/323370/managing-discovery-electronic-information-third-edition-2017. Ron is also the co-senior editor of The Sedona Conference Cooperation Proclamation, Resources for the Judiciary, Third Edition (June 2020), https://thesedonaconference.org/sites/default/files/Judicial%20Resources%20publication%20announcemen….

Sheila Grela is a seasoned litigation paralegal who obtained a Paralegal Certificate, with honors, from the ABA-approved USD Paralegal program. Sheila has advanced her paralegal training by becoming both a Certified eDiscovery Specialist (CEDS) and an Advanced Certified Paralegal (ACP) in eDiscovery. Additionally, her eDiscovery accomplishments were acknowledged when she was appointed to be a Global Advisory Council participant for the eDiscovery Reference Model (EDRM) in 2020. Sheila is a fierce advocate for training, education, mentorship, and professional development for the paralegal community. She is heavily involved in the California Alliance of Paralegals (CAPA), San Diego Paralegal Association (SDPA) and the San Diego chapter of Women in eDiscovery. Sheila engages with her colleagues by hosting the CAPA & SDPA weekly series Virtual Lunch with Leaders.

Julie Brown is the director of practice technology at Vorys. She has worked in legal technology for over 30 years. She has a paralegal degree and has worked in law firms and in-house litigation departments. Her experience includes managing large scale eDiscovery and document productions, records management, and litigation technology training and development. She manages Vorys’ litigation technology department. Julie is active in coordinating litigation technology education opportunities for the International Legal Technology Association (ILTA). She has received ILTA’s Contributor of the Year Award and Distinguished Peer Award for Litigation and Practice Support. She is a certified eDiscovery Specialist (CEDS) and holds various software certifications.