What is eDiscovery?

Electronic discovery (eDiscovery or e-discovery) is the process of finding, collecting, and reviewing electronically stored information (ESI) that can serve as digital evidence in a legal case.

It helps legal teams gather and manage potentially relevant data like emails, documents, or messages that could impact the outcome of a dispute.

Unlike old-school paper discovery, where lawyers sorted through boxes of printed files, eDiscovery deals with massive amounts of digital information spread across different systems.

Hence, it’s now a standard part of the litigation workflow that gives teams a faster, more organized way to search, analyze, and share data.

In simple terms, electronic discovery lets legal professionals collect data efficiently and keep everything defensible, accurate, and easy to track from start to finish.

Types of Data Involved in eDiscovery

The electronically stored information involved in eDiscovery comes in many forms, and most of it lives in digital systems that people use every day.

Legal teams have to sort through a mix of files, messages, and records to find what might matter to a case. This data can include both structured records, like databases, and unstructured files, such as emails or chats.

Here are some of the most common types of data reviewed in eDiscovery:

• Emails and attachments from personal or corporate accounts
• Documents and spreadsheets stored on local drives or cloud systems
• Instant messaging chats from apps like Slack, Teams, or WhatsApp
• Social media posts such as text posts, comments, or private messages
• Cell phone data, including texts, call logs, and photos
• Video files from meetings, security footage, or recordings
• Digital audio from calls, interviews, or voice notes
• Databases and CRM records containing business or client information

Each data type presents its own challenges for collection and review, so modern eDiscovery tools are designed to handle multiple formats and keep everything organized in one searchable platform.

An Overview of the eDiscovery Process

The eDiscovery process follows a series of steps that help legal teams manage large volumes of electronic data efficiently. Each stage is designed to protect accuracy, maintain defensibility, and turn raw information into usable, relevant evidence for a case.

Let’s take a closer look at each phase:

1. Identification

This first step focuses on finding where digital data might exist. Legal teams identify potential sources such as email servers, cloud accounts, chat platforms, or mobile devices.

They may also work with forensic investigators and IT staff to locate files and communications that could hold relevant details. Basically, the goal is to map out every location where information connected to the case could be stored.

2. Preservation

Once potential evidence is identified, it must be protected from deletion or modification.

This step often involves issuing a legal hold, which is a formal notice telling employees and custodians to keep specific files, emails, or messages that might relate to the case. It prevents the destruction or alteration of important information during ongoing or potential litigation.

Legal teams then make secure copies of key files and follow digital forensic procedures to keep data intact and verifiable.

Maintaining a clear chain of custody ensures that every file can be traced back to its source, which helps prevent any disputes over authenticity later in the legal proceedings.

3. Collection

During this stage, teams collect data from the identified sources using secure tools. The data may include raw data from servers, devices, or cloud platforms.

Collection must be done carefully to preserve metadata like timestamps, sender details, and file paths. These details help confirm the origin and reliability of the evidence.

4. Processing

Processing involves filtering, organizing, and converting large volumes of data into usable formats. Duplicate or irrelevant files are removed, and file types are standardized for easier handling.

Many eDiscovery tools also detect corrupt or unreadable files automatically. The goal is to reduce data volume before the document review stage while keeping all potentially relevant evidence intact.

5. Review

At this point, attorneys or trained reviewers examine documents to decide what is relevant, privileged, or confidential. Legal AI tools and keyword searches speed up this document review phase.

Reviewers may tag, categorize, or annotate documents for later reference. This step often takes the most time but is key to building a strong case strategy.

6. Production

After review, the approved documents are shared with the opposing party or submitted to the court. Files are usually formatted with Bates numbering or other tracking identifiers to keep everything in order.

Productions often include metadata summaries and privilege logs to document how materials were selected and labeled. Of course, accuracy and completeness are key since the shared data becomes officially relevant evidence in the legal proceedings.

For faster, more accurate productions, tools like Autodoc can automate the process. It turns productions and case files into ready-to-serve discovery responses, complete with Bates numbering, page-level citations, and a production package ready to file.

Schedule a demo now.

7. Presentation

The final stage prepares the reviewed material for use in depositions, hearings, or trials. Lawyers use presentation tools to highlight key exhibits, timelines, or communications during arguments.

The process makes sure that digital data collected at the start is presented clearly and credibly at the end of the case.

Why eDiscovery Matters in Litigation

eDiscovery has become a core part of the litigation process because nearly all electronic documents can serve as relevant evidence.

The sheer volume of data makes the process demanding, and many law firms face pressure to handle data collection and review in a timely manner while keeping discovery costs reasonable.

Both state and federal courts require that electronic data be preserved, reviewed, and produced according to strict standards, which means every case must be handled with care.

Today’s eDiscovery software helps manage this complex process by filtering, tagging, and organizing massive data sets so teams focus only on what matters. Without these tools, even well-prepared legal teams risk data loss or incomplete productions that could affect a case’s credibility.

Key reasons why eDiscovery matters in litigation:

• Accuracy: Helps identify and produce only the most relevant documents, reducing confusion during the review process.
• Efficiency: Speeds up data collection and review, keeping deadlines on track.
• Cost control: Cuts discovery costs by limiting documents to those needed for the case.
• Compliance: Meets legal standards in both state and federal courts for defensible evidence handling.
• Client trust: Many clients simply refuse to pay for wasted effort, which often makes law firm efficiency a direct business advantage.

Types of eDiscovery Technology

Legal tech for litigation plays a major role in managing the eDiscovery process. With the growing volume of digital data, legal teams rely on software and automation to handle tasks that once took days of manual work.

Some of the best examples include:

Document Automation in eDiscovery

Document automation is transforming how legal teams manage eDiscovery requests. Legal professionals can now draft, label, and format discovery materials in minutes, replacing hours once spent sorting through paper documents and emails.

In other words, automation keeps cases organized, reduces manual effort, and helps teams respond on time.

Legal document automation software handles digital records automatically by applying templates, standard objections, and consistent language across every response.

Plus, they improve accuracy, maintain compliance with court expectations, and let attorneys focus on legal strategy instead of repetitive formatting.

Key benefits of document automation in eDiscovery:

• Deliver faster results: Complete discovery responses and productions in minutes
• Maintain consistency: Use uniform phrasing, citations, and formatting across matters
• Increase accuracy: Prevent human errors during document compilation and labeling
• Cut costs: Reduce administrative work and speed up collaboration across teams

Platforms like Briefpoint make this process even faster. Its AI-powered drafting tools help law firms create discovery responses (including objections, answers, and Bates-cited productions) up to 95% faster.

Book a demo to see how Briefpoint automates discovery from start to finish and helps your team move cases forward with confidence.

Data Identification and Collection Tools

The first step in the eDiscovery process involves identifying where electronic information may be stored and collecting it in a defensible way. Modern legal teams rely on advanced tools that can locate digital files across servers, email accounts, mobile devices, and cloud platforms.

These tools use smart filtering to focus on only those records that could hold value to the case, reducing time spent on irrelevant data.

Many systems now include computer-assisted generated content recognition, which helps detect files created by AI, automated scripts, or collaborative tools. This is especially important as organizations produce more mixed data sources, all of which may contain key evidence.

For example, a mid-sized law firm investigating a contract dispute might use RelativityOne or Everlaw to scan cloud-based storage and employee communications.

The system identifies relevant keywords, time frames, and user accounts, then collects those files while preserving metadata like timestamps and file authors.

These data identification and collection tools give attorneys a clear view of what information exists and where it resides. That clarity makes it easier to manage large-scale cases and avoid errors during the review and production stages.

Digital Forensic Software

Digital forensic software helps legal teams recover, preserve, and analyze evidence related to a case without changing or damaging the original data.

It’s a key part of the legal process, especially in civil litigation, where attorneys must prove that every piece of electronic information is authentic and collected properly.

This type of software digs deep into computers, mobile devices, and cloud systems to uncover files that might not be visible through normal searches.

It can retrieve deleted items, locate hidden folders, and examine metadata like timestamps, file history, and authorship. These details help confirm when and how a document was created, modified, or shared.

For example, if a company is accused of altering emails before a lawsuit, forensic tools can trace the original messages, verify their contents, and document any changes.

That level of precision gives legal teams confidence in the integrity of their evidence related to digital sources and ensures it can stand up to court scrutiny.

Processing and Filtering Platforms

Once data is collected, it must be organized into a usable format. Processing and filtering platforms handle this stage by sorting through massive amounts of electronic data to find relevant information and prepare it for review.

These lawyer tools do things like removing duplicates, fixing corrupted files, and converting everything into consistent formats that are easier to search and analyze.

They also apply search parameters to narrow down the results. This helps legal teams focus on what actually matters while keeping the process defensible and efficient.

Key functions of processing and filtering platforms include:

• Data reduction: Eliminates duplicate or unnecessary files to reduce review time.
• Metadata preservation: Keeps file metadata intact, such as timestamps and authorship details.
• Smart filtering: Applies keywords, date ranges, and user-based search parameters to isolate key evidence.
• Privilege detection: Flags potentially privileged documents so attorneys can review or exclude them before production.

These systems act as a bridge between raw data and the review stage. By automatically cleaning and organizing large datasets, they help legal teams move from data chaos to focused analysis with greater speed and confidence.

AI-Assisted Review and Analytics

Reviewing thousands of files manually can take weeks. Traditional review methods depend on attorneys reading and tagging every document by hand, which slows down the process and raises costs.

eDiscovery solutions now include AI-assisted review, also known as computer-assisted review (CAR), to make this phase faster and more accurate.

In an AI-assisted system, algorithms learn from reviewer input and automatically predict which files are most likely relevant.

The more the reviewer tags or categorizes documents, the smarter the system becomes. It then prioritizes similar files for human review and can even exclude those that clearly don’t meet the criteria.

Let’s look at how manual vs. AI-assisted review compares:

Without AI assistance:

• Reviewers read and tag each document individually
• Relevance decisions are repeated across large data sets
• Errors and inconsistencies are more likely
• Time and cost increase significantly

With an AI legal discovery process:

• The system learns from reviewer input and identifies patterns
• Large data sets are reduced quickly to a smaller, focused group
• Accuracy improves over time through iterative learning
• Legal teams spend less time reviewing documents and more time on case strategy

Thanks to AI-assisted analytics, firms can turn what was once a manual bottleneck into a structured, data-driven process that strengthens both speed and defensibility in discovery.

Production and Case Management Systems

After review, the final stage of eDiscovery focuses on preparing and delivering relevant ESI in a format that meets court and client requirements.

Production and case management systems handle this process by packaging, tracking, and sharing files as part of the official legal procedure. They help legal teams manage large collections of electronic evidence while keeping everything organized, secure, and traceable.

These systems generate production sets that may include native documents (files in their original format), converted PDFs, or text-based versions for easier reference.

They also manage computer-generated content, such as audit trails, chat exports, or automatically created logs, which often provide valuable context in modern litigation.

Case management features go beyond production. They track deadlines, manage privilege logs, and maintain clear documentation of what was shared, to whom, and when. This creates a defensible audit trail that supports accuracy and compliance throughout the discovery phase.

In short, these platforms bring structure to the final step of the eDiscovery workflow. It turns complex data collections into ordered, presentable, and verifiable evidence ready for submission in court.

Reimagine Discovery With Briefpoint’s Automation Tools

If your discovery process still involves endless emails, spreadsheets, and formatting fixes, you’re working harder than you need to.

Even the most efficient legal teams find discovery work draining when everything has to be drafted, reviewed, and formatted by hand. Luckily, smarter automation tools can now completely transform how you manage the process.

Briefpoint helps you skip the repetitive work and focus on strategy. It drafts discovery requests and responses automatically, complete with discovery objections, answers, and consistent language across matters. No more endless copy-pasting or reformatting just to stay compliant.

Then there’s Autodoc, Briefpoint’s newest feature that takes production to the next level. Upload your case files, and Autodoc builds Bates-cited Word responses and production packages in minutes. It even keeps everything traceable, so you always know where each file came from.

Together, Briefpoint and Autodoc turn what used to take days into a process measured in clicks. Faster, cleaner, and built for real legal work, so you can move cases forward without the late nights.

Book a demo to see how Briefpoint and Autodoc can simplify discovery from start to finish.

What Is eDiscovery Software?

eDiscovery software (short for electronic discovery software) helps legal professionals manage ESI during litigation, investigations, or regulatory reviews.

The eDiscovery process involves identifying, collecting, reviewing, and producing digital evidence that could be relevant to a case.

This type of legal discovery software makes it easier to sort through massive data volumes quickly and accurately while maintaining compliance and preserving data integrity. It’s especially important in modern legal practice, where most evidence exists in digital form.

Examples of electronically stored information include:

• Emails and attachments
• Chat messages and text logs
• Cloud-stored documents or files
• Social media posts or metadata
• Databases and transaction records

By automating tasks like data filtering and tagging, eDiscovery software helps teams save time and reduce human error. It also provides search tools, audit trails, and review capabilities that make the entire discovery process defensible and organized throughout.

What Are the Must-Have Features for eDiscovery Software?

The right eDiscovery software provider should offer tools that make the electronic discovery process faster, more accurate, and easier to manage.

Modern electronic discovery solutions combine legal process automation with advanced technology like artificial intelligence and machine learning to handle large volumes of data efficiently.

A fast and intuitive platform saves hours of manual work and reduces the risk of missing key evidence. Here are the must-have features to look for:

• Data collection and processing: Collect information from multiple sources and convert it into searchable formats.
• AI and machine learning: Identify relevant documents automatically and speed up document review.
• Advanced search tools: Use filters, metadata, and keyword logic to locate important files quickly.
• Redaction and privilege tagging: Protects confidential or attorney-client data before sharing.
• Audit trails: Track every action to maintain transparency and defensibility.
• Collaboration tools: Let teams review and comment on documents in real time.
• Reporting and analytics: Provides detailed insights into review progress and costs.

Choosing the right software vendor means finding a balance between ease of use, scalability, and automation. Let’s keep that in mind as we go to the next section.

Need an alternative to expensive eDiscovery solutions? Book a demo with Briefpoint.

5 Top eDiscovery Tools for Modern Legal Teams

Now that we’ve covered the key features to look for, let’s explore some of the best eDiscovery software options available today:

1. Logikcull

Logikcull is a trusted e-discovery software that helps legal professionals simplify the entire discovery workflow, from data processing to document review. It’s particularly useful for small and mid-sized law firms that need powerful tools without enterprise-level complexity.

Source: G2

The platform automates many steps of the electronic data management process. Its goal is to make it easy to organize, tag, and review files without relying on IT support or external vendors.

Once data is uploaded, Logikcull automatically scans, indexes, and categorizes it, which allows teams to analyze electronic data and locate relevant documents faster.

It also helps maintain regulatory compliance by tracking every action within the platform, keeping a full audit trail that meets legal standards.

Best Features

• Automatic deduplication: Removes duplicate files to reduce review volume and focus on unique evidence.
• Smart filters and search: Uses metadata, keywords, and file types to locate specific records quickly.
• Built-in redaction tools: Protects confidential information and marks privileged content before production.
• Audit-ready reports: Creates detailed logs for defensibility and compliance documentation.
• Cloud integrations: Supports uploads from services like Google Drive, Slack, and Dropbox.
• Real-time collaboration: Allows multiple users to review, comment, and tag documents simultaneously.

Pros

• Simple interface with minimal setup time
• Transparent, predictable pricing structure
• Fast document uploads and efficient search functions
• Secure data protection with encryption and strict access controls

2. Everlaw

Everlaw is a cloud-based eDiscovery platform designed for large law firms, government agencies, and legal departments managing complex cases.

It provides a complete platform for handling the full discovery cycle, ranging from early case assessment and data processing to final review and production.

Source: G2

Essentially, the software helps teams manage large volumes of digital data efficiently while keeping sensitive data secure through strict access controls and compliance standards.

Everlaw’s combination of automation, analytics, and collaboration tools allows teams to quickly identify the most relevant documents in massive data sets.

Additionally, its visual interface and reporting features make it easier for attorneys and investigators to understand case progress and evidence connections at a glance.

Best Features

• Early case assessment: Analyzes large volumes of digital data early in the litigation process to refine search strategies.
• AI-assisted document review: Uses predictive analytics to identify the most relevant documents faster.
• Efficient data management: Automatically organizes uploads for quicker navigation and review.
• Collaboration tools: Lets attorneys and legal departments comment and tag documents together in real time.
• Advanced redaction and security: Protects sensitive data with audit trails and permission-based access.
• Comprehensive reporting: Delivers visual insights into case timelines, reviewer activity, and production sets.

Pros

• Smooth user experience with minimal training
• Fast review and production process for complex cases
• Strong compliance for handling confidential and regulated information

3. Nextpoint

Nextpoint is a cloud-based eDiscovery platform built to manage the entire litigation workflow. Unlike some complex enterprise tools, it focuses on simplicity and speed to give legal teams a platform that’s both powerful and approachable.

Source: G2

Its intuitive interface allows attorneys, paralegals, and investigators to quickly upload, search, and organize evidence from multiple data sources. Nextpoint also helps firms maintain strict compliance requirements through built-in audit trails and secure storage options.

With features such as predictive coding, legal hold notifications, and robust reporting, it supports teams through every phase of discovery while reducing the time spent on manual review.

Plus, the platform’s advanced analytics highlight key insights, which can help users find relevant information and prioritize what matters most in each case.

Best Features

• Legal hold management: Preserves data automatically and confirms acknowledgments for compliance.
• Predictive coding: Uses AI to surface relevant information and streamline document review.
• End-to-end workflow: Handles processing, review, and production without external lawyer tools.
• Advanced analytics: Identifies patterns and key custodians to guide case strategy.
• Robust reporting: Tracks user activity, review progress, and data exports.
• Intuitive interface: Makes large-scale projects easier to manage and navigate.

Pros

• Clear, user-friendly layout suited for busy legal teams
• Good compliance features with defensible audit trails
• Fast performance when processing large volumes of data
• Comprehensive analytics that support better case preparation

4. DISCO

DISCO is recognized as a market leader in efficient eDiscovery for law firms, corporations, and government agencies. Built as a fully cloud-native platform, it helps legal teams handle everything from litigation to internal investigations with speed and accuracy.

Source: G2

Its focus on legal automation and information governance makes it a strong choice for organizations that deal with large volumes of electronic information and need dependable performance.

The platform combines AI-driven document review with an intuitive interface that allows users to locate sensitive information quickly while maintaining defensibility.

And with its scalable performance, DISCO supports both small matters and enterprise-level cases. This gives teams the flexibility to expand as data grows.

It also integrates easily with other tools, so legal professionals can connect their existing systems while staying compliant with discovery rules and regulations.

Best Features

• AI-assisted review: Accelerates document analysis by identifying patterns and reducing manual review time.
• Information governance: Keeps electronic information organized and secure throughout the discovery lifecycle.
• Compliance management: Helps teams ensure compliance through audit trails and secure access controls.
• Scalable performance: Handles growing data volumes and multiple matters without slowdowns.
• Integrations with other tools: Connects with case management and productivity systems for seamless workflows.
• Sensitive information protection: Offers advanced redaction and encryption to prevent unauthorized access.

Pros

• Fast and reliable cloud performance
• Easy-to-use interface for both attorneys and support staff
• Reliable security and compliance capabilities
• Good scalability for high-volume discovery projects

5. Relativity

Relativity is one of the most established names in eDiscovery software, trusted by large law firms and corporations for handling complex cases and investigations.

The platform combines traditional discovery workflows with modern tools like generative AI to classify data, summarize content, and predict relevance.

Source: G2

Relativity integrates seamlessly with popular platforms like Google Workspace and Microsoft 365, so users can collect and review data directly from familiar environments.

Moreover, its robust security framework includes multi-factor authentication, access controls, and encryption to keep sensitive files safe throughout the discovery process.

While Relativity is powerful, it’s known for having a moderate learning curve, especially for teams new to advanced analytics or custom workflows. However, once mastered, it becomes one of the most flexible and scalable discovery solutions available.

Best Features

• Generative AI capabilities: Automates classification, summarization, and relevance scoring.
• Comprehensive case preparation tools: Streamlines review, tagging, and production in one platform.
• Google Workspace integration: Simplifies data collection from Gmail, Drive, and Docs.
• Custom workflows: Adapts to specific review processes and compliance policies.
• Multi-factor authentication: Protects user access and sensitive data.

Pros

• Strong AI and automation for large, complex cases
• Highly customizable workflows for diverse team needs
• Secure and compliant environment with full audit trails
• Broad integration support and scalable infrastructure

Get an Alternative to Expensive eDiscovery Solutions—Briefpoint

Choosing the best eDiscovery software depends on your organization’s data volume, budget, and workflow needs.

Platforms like Logikcull, Everlaw, Nexpoint, DISCO, and Relativity all deliver strong features for document review, data processing, compliance, and everything in between.

Yet for many legal teams, the challenge isn’t just finding the right tool. It’s keeping costs predictable and workflows simple.

Briefpoint and its new product, AutoDoc, provide a smarter way forward. These solutions help legal professionals handle discovery tasks faster with automation that reduces manual work and administrative costs.

Briefpoint automates discovery responses to save hours typically spent on formatting and reviewing, while AutoDoc accelerates document creation and management across matters.

Together, they serve as an alternative to expensive eDiscovery solutions, offering speed, consistency, and accuracy without enterprise-level pricing.

Are you ready to modernize your discovery process once and for all? Book a demo and experience how Briefpoint and AutoDoc turn hours of discovery work into minutes, without the heavy software costs.