Like any other department within a corporation, legal teams face unprecedented challenges: the explosion of data, the advent of AI, and evolving regulatory environments, to name a few. To address these challenges, a team of business-of-law professionals recently published “Metaskills for the Future-Ready Team,” a white paper that offers legal executives a strategic approach to future-proofing their teams by identifying, evaluating, and prioritizing crucial skills.

At the end of the white paper, we offer a Metaskills Assessment Framework Worksheet, a practical tool for any executive to plan for the future of the organization. Here’s how legal leaders can leverage this powerful tool to drive strategic decision-making and team development.

1. Assess Current Capabilities (Got)

The worksheet allows teams to evaluate their existing strengths across ten critical metaskills, such as adaptability, data literacy, and emotional intelligence. Legal executives should:

• Conduct team workshops to discuss which metaskills are already present and who the internal champions are for each skill.
• Use the questions provided in the “Got” section to identify where these skills are frequently applied and how they support ongoing workflows.
• Recognize any reliance on specific individuals to prevent bottlenecks or risks related to single points of failure.

By identifying current capabilities, executives can map out the metaskills their team already excels at and pinpoint areas where they may need support.

2. Prioritize Skills for Strategic Value (Want)

The “Want” column helps identify which metaskills are most valuable to the organization’s future goals. Legal executives should:

• Align skill priorities with the department’s strategic objectives, such as improving compliance workflows or integrating advanced eDiscovery tools.
• Use the worksheet to evaluate how each metaskill supports core business functions, like revenue generation or maintaining company culture.
• Prioritize metaskills that are likely to enhance the department’s ability to innovate and adapt to evolving challenges.

This step ensures the team focuses its development efforts on skills that will have the greatest impact.

3. Mitigate Risks from Gaps (Need)

The final column, “Need,” highlights skills that, if absent, pose risks to the team’s performance or the organization’s goals. Legal executives should:

• Identify skill gaps that hinder efficiency, innovation, or the ability to manage risks, such as adapting to new data regulations or using generative AI responsibly.
• Analyze how these gaps could impact talent retention, operational efficiency, and the ability to respond to future legal challenges.
• Use this risk assessment to justify investments in skill development or strategic hiring.

Addressing gaps proactively helps mitigate risks and ensures the team remains agile and effective.

Develop a Strategy: Buy, Build, or Partner

Once the assessment is complete, leaders should determine the best approach to address gaps:

• Buy: Invest in hiring new talent with specific metaskills if there’s an immediate need and budget availability.
• Build: Develop internal training programs or upskill current team members if the team already has moderate proficiency.
• Partner: Collaborate with external providers for interim or specialized needs, such as consulting services or technology training.

Legal executives can use this structured approach to balance short-term needs with long-term growth.

 

Integrate Metaskills into Organizational Planning

The insights from the worksheet shouldn’t remain static. Legal executives should incorporate the findings into the team’s performance reviews, training plans, and hiring strategies going forward. Leaders should regularly revisit the worksheet to adjust priorities as the legal and business landscapes evolve. Finally, executives can foster a culture of continuous improvement by emphasizing the importance of metaskills in team meetings and strategic discussions.

The Metaskills Assessment Framework is more than a worksheet—it’s a roadmap for building a future-ready legal team. This proactive approach empowers legal departments to transition from reactive problem-solvers to strategic enablers of business success. Start the journey today by using the worksheet to unlock your team’s potential and drive transformative growth.

As organizations prepare for the future, equipping teams with the right skills to adapt and thrive is essential. Metaskills, which we described in our recent blog post here and in further detail in our white paper here, are the versatile skills that enhance a team’s ability to innovate, collaborate, and respond to change and are vital for staying competitive. However, the challenge remains: Where should companies invest limited resources to build these metaskills?

To make informed decisions, it’s important to assess current team capabilities and identify priorities across three key areas: Got, Want, and Need. This approach provides a structured framework for evaluating metaskills and understanding where teams should focus their reskilling efforts. Here’s how it works.

Step 1: The “Got” Assessment

The Got assessment focuses on recognizing the current capabilities within a team. Here, teams explore what they already have by identifying the metaskills that have been developed and are being applied effectively. Questions to ask during this phase include:

• Where does this metaskill consistently show up in workflows?
• Who are the champions of this skill, or those who demonstrate and build on it regularly?
• If we onboard someone new, who will lead in developing this skill in them?

Answering these questions reveals the team’s existing strengths and the promoters of specific metaskills—those who not only use these skills but often drive knowledge-sharing and development around them. Identifying these champions is critical, as they ensure the skill remains within the organization, reducing risks associated with turnover or single points of failure.

Step 2: The “Want” Assessment

The Want assessment evaluates the future value of each metaskill to the organization. Teams should consider which metaskills are most aligned with the organization’s goals and strategic vision. For example, smaller teams may prioritize collaboration to maintain flexible workflows, while larger, matrix-managed teams might focus on teamwork to ensure role clarity.

To gauge a metaskill’s future value, teams might ask:

• Are there core, revenue-generating aspects of the business that rely on this metaskill?
• Which metaskills are critical to sustaining or enhancing our culture?
• Which skills are essential for retaining, attracting, and developing top talent?

This stage helps teams understand which metaskills will deliver the most significant impact in the future, aligning development efforts with broader business goals.

Step 3: The “Need” Assessment

Finally, the Need assessment focuses on identifying current risks that stem from metaskill gaps. This is where teams determine which gaps threaten current performance and, if unaddressed, may limit future success. Teams ask questions like:

• What critical business functions are at risk due to gaps in this metaskill?
• How might these gaps impact our team culture, talent retention, and overall productivity?

This analysis reveals high-priority areas where immediate action is required, highlighting metaskills that, if left underdeveloped, could harm business continuity or team effectiveness.

Next Step: Deciding to Buy, Build, or Partner

This Got, Want, Need framework helps organizations make strategic, data-informed choices, ensuring that investments in reskilling align with both present needs and future goals. By taking stock of current capabilities and prioritizing future-oriented metaskills, teams are better positioned to navigate a rapidly evolving business landscape.

The next step, deciding on how to address gaps with the “Buy, Build, or Partner” assessment, will be covered in our next blog post, where we also will introduce a framework for companies to use in making future decisions.

In the meantime, download the full white paper here.

Industry veteran chosen to oversee ProSearch operations in the EU as company continues its global expansion

LOS ANGELES – NOVEMBER 20, 2024 – ProSearch, a leading provider of legal data intelligence and comprehensive discovery and compliance solutions to corporate legal departments and law firms, announces the appointment of Rachel McAdams as Engagement Director in ProSearch’s Dublin office. In her role, McAdams will oversee all EU operations, leveraging her vast experience to enhance client relations and drive innovation as ProSearch continues to expand globally.

McAdams brings a wealth of knowledge and a proven record in the industry through her extensive firsthand experience at all stages of the eDiscovery life cycle. She is active in the local and global eDiscovery communities, holding leadership roles with Women in eDiscovery Dublin and the International Legal Technology Association (ILTA). In 2020, McAdams was awarded the Relativity Innovation Award for Litigation Support in recognition of her work. Her leadership will support the delivery of ProSearch technology-enabled services throughout the EU.

“I am thrilled to join ProSearch and work alongside such a talented team,” says McAdams. “The pace of technological advancement in eDiscovery is exhilarating, and I look forward to utilizing my expertise to help clients improve their strategies and outcomes.”

Prior to joining ProSearch, McAdams worked in various roles at service providers and law firms on matters spanning the globe. She holds numerous Relativity certifications, including Relativity Generative AI Pro, and earned her Ph.D. in plasma physics from the University of York.

“Rachel will focus on enhancing client experiences and exploring innovative solutions to meet the evolving needs of the legal sector,” says ProSearch Client Services Director Kenneth Spencer. “Rachel’s addition reflects ProSearch’s commitment to delivering exceptional service and staying at the forefront of industry developments.”

Addition of eDiscovery AI is the latest step in ProSearch delivering a comprehensive AI solution to its clients, further enabling the company to provide a defensible technology strategy that leverages the right tool to solve each client’s unique data challenges

LOS ANGELES – November 13, 2024 – ProSearch, a leading provider of legal data intelligence and comprehensive discovery and compliance solutions to corporate legal departments and law firms, and eDiscovery AI, an advanced AI-powered solution provider, announce their new partnership. As part of their agreement, eDiscovery AI’s leading artificial intelligence technology will be leveraged with ProSearch’s expertise in managing data and discovery workflows to increase the efficiency and precision of the document review process.

The eDiscovery AI technology offers numerous features, including automating initial reviews, conducting quality control, handling multilanguage documents, finessing complex privilege reviews, identifying personally identifiable information, and expediting image and audio review and cybersecurity breach response.

ProSearch’s discovery review services use innovative solutions in AI and data science to address the increasing complexity and cost of legal discovery, a model that extends the company’s highly regarded approach to aggressive reduction in review volumes and offers valuable insights to accelerate discovery.

“We are thrilled to partner with ProSearch, a company widely recognized for delivering exceptional quality and innovation,” says Jim Sullivan, CEO and founder of eDiscovery AI. “Partnering with ProSearch enables us to collaborate with its talented team of experts to provide clients an unmatched solution for generative AI-powered document review.”

“eDiscovery AI is the latest cutting-edge solution added to the arsenal of tools and workflows we employ to address the complexity and cost of legal review and another step in delivering a comprehensive AI solution to our clients,” says Joe Pirrotta, director of review services and AI innovation committee chair at ProSearch. “We’re excited to leverage this technology to further streamline critical aspects of document review, including relevance determination, privilege identification, PII detection, and more.”

By partnering with eDiscovery AI to supplement its homegrown solutions, ProSearch is providing clients with a defensible technology strategy that leverages the right tool to solve each unique data challenge. The partnership is the latest expansion of the ProSearch suite of solutions aimed at taking advantage of the industry’s newest and best technology to continually improve outcomes for its discovery services clients.

 

About ProSearch

ProSearch is a leading provider of tech-enabled solutions to corporations and law firms. The ProSearch eDiscovery and AI-led review offerings allow clients to efficiently address their most challenging litigation, regulatory, privacy, and other legal matters. ProSearch’s team of consultants, data scientists, linguists, project managers, and eDiscovery specialists collaborates with clients to execute their matter strategies and ensure on-target, on-budget, on-time delivery. ProSearch works with some of the largest companies in the Fortune 500 as a trusted partner that brings efficiency to the legal process and spend. To learn more visit ProSearch.com.

About eDiscovery AI

At the forefront of legal technology, eDiscovery AI provides generative AI-powered solutions to streamline and optimize the document review process. The eDiscovery AI mission is to empower eDiscovery with advanced AI-powered solutions that maximize efficiency, enhance accuracy, and improve cost-effectiveness. The eDiscovery AI suite of solutions – Relevance, Privilege, and PII Detect – deliver industry-leading features, speed, and accuracy. Together with our legal service provider partners, eDiscovery AI is dedicated to delivering advanced AI technology with expert guidance to help users navigate the evolving landscape of legal technology. We measure our success by our partners’ success. Learn more at eDiscoveryAI.com.

Working group comprised of leading business-of-law professionals contributed to paper exploring key skills that will help define successful legal teams of the future

LOS ANGELES – October 29, 2024 – ProSearch, a leading provider of legal data intelligence and comprehensive discovery and compliance solutions to corporate legal departments and law firms, in partnership with the Cowen Group, a legal career development organization committed to elevating and accelerating professional growth through community-building and educational events, announces the launch of a new research paper: “Metaskills for the Future-Ready Team.”

The paper is comprised of three core sections:

• Part one discusses the impact of generative AI, identifies essential “metaskill” sets, and emphasizes assessing team capabilities to identify gaps and opportunities.
• Part two introduces a ranking exercise to evaluate metaskills and suggests the “Got, Want, Need” priority matrix to assess present capability, future opportunity, and risk.
• Part three outlines how to use these assessments to create a strategic plan, highlighting the need to buy, build, or partner for crucial skills.

Co-produced by ProSearch and the Cowen Group, “Metaskills for the Future-Ready Team” was developed by a working group of business-of-law professionals in eDiscovery legal operations, information governance, and beyond from leading Fortune 500 corporations. As with all working groups hosted by the Cowen Group, this group collaborated under the Chatham House Rules to encourage inclusive and open dialogue, resulting in a deeply thoughtful and thorough discussion and producing a comprehensive research paper on the topic.

“So much about our world and our work has evolved in recent years, not just with respect to new tools and technology, but also the skills and attributes of personnel required for legal teams to achieve success. We must be prepared to adapt or risk being left behind,” says ProSearch CEO Julia Hasenzahl. “We were thrilled to support this working group and the development of this paper, which we hope serves as a resource for law firms and legal departments aiming to prepare for the future.”

“Beyond the continued quest of legal teams to attract and retain the right people, developing that talent is further challenging because the skills needed for success today aren’t the same as they were in the past. This white paper addresses those issues and offers a useful tool for teams aiming to position themselves for the future,” says David Cowen, CEO of the Cowen Group. “We’re grateful to ProSearch for their input, leadership, and support in developing the paper, which is certain to be a valuable resource for many.”

Metaskills for the Future-Ready Team is a topic that will be addressed further in a series of upcoming in-person events, webinars, podcasts, and blog posts. The white paper is available for download via the ProSearch and Cowen Group websites.

 

About ProSearch

ProSearch is a leading provider of tech-enabled solutions to corporations and law firms. The ProSearch eDiscovery and AI-led review offerings allow clients to efficiently address their most challenging litigation, regulatory, privacy, and other legal matters. ProSearch’s team of consultants, data scientists, linguists, project managers, and eDiscovery specialists collaborates with clients to execute their matter strategies and ensure on-target, on-budget, on-time delivery. ProSearch works with some of the largest companies in the Fortune 500 as a trusted partner that brings efficiency to the legal process and spend. To learn more visit ProSearch.com.

About the Cowen Group

The Cowen Group is a dynamic force in legal career development, committed to elevating and accelerating professional growth through community-building and educational events, including the acclaimed Summit on Legal Innovation and Disruption (SOLID). A leader in fostering community, innovation, and growth for professionals in the business of law, the Cowen Group assembles experts to publish forward-thinking industry papers that explore evolving challenges in data intelligence, eDiscovery, and information governance and provide critical advancements in understanding and managing the complexities of modern data types within various legal contexts. For more information visit CowenGroup.com.

Since the skills needed for professional success today are different than they were in the past, attracting, retaining and developing talent has evolved. Recognizing this shift, especially with new tools and technology available today, ProSearch, the Cowen Group and a team of professionals from leading Fortune 500 corporations came together to produce a guide for the legal industry to prepare the future-ready team. We’re thrilled to be announcing its release today.

As businesses face rapid technological advancements and shifts from the pandemic, there’s a growing emphasis on developing metaskills to keep pace with future demands. According to reports by the World Economic Forum and McKinsey, crucial skills include creative thinking, adaptability, and technological literacy. McKinsey has coined these skills as DELTAs (Distinct Elements of Talent), which blend skills and attitudes across cognitive, digital, interpersonal, and self-leadership categories. Our working group pinpointed ten essential metaskills that we discuss in-depth in the white paper: data literacy, adaptability, critical thinking, emotional intelligence, creative thinking, teamwork, leadership, cultural intelligence, self-management, and lifelong learning.

Data and digital literacy top this list because the ability to interpret and use data effectively is crucial in today’s tech-driven world. Teams equipped with these skills can leverage data to make informed decisions and innovate. Adaptability and flexibility are equally important, helping professionals thrive amid constant change.

Critical thinking and problem-solving also stand out, allowing teams to analyze complex situations and develop effective solutions. Emotional intelligence, another key skill, helps individuals manage emotions, foster empathy, and maintain positive relationships. This is particularly valuable in high-pressure environments like legal operations, where managing client relationships and team dynamics is essential. Creative thinking supports innovation by encouraging fresh ideas and unconventional approaches, which is critical as teams integrate technologies like AI.

Collaboration and teamwork, vital in cross-functional industries like law, foster a cooperative environment where professionals can tackle complex challenges together. Effective leaders blend inspiration and strategy, driving their teams through technological changes and ensuring alignment with organizational goals. Cultural intelligence is essential in global teams, allowing professionals to navigate multicultural environments and meet diverse client needs. Self-management and grit ensure professionals stay focused, accountable, and resilient in the face of challenges, while lifelong learning encourages continuous adaptation to new information and trends.

Metaskills for the Future-Ready Team was developed by a working group of business-of-law professionals in eDiscovery legal operations, information governance, and beyond from leading Fortune 500 corporations. As with all working groups hosted by the Cowen Group, this group collaborated under the Chatham House Rules to encourage inclusive and open dialogue, resulting in a deeply thoughtful and thorough discussion and producing a comprehensive research paper on the topic.

Download the white paper now to learn how to build effective, “future-ready” teams within your organization.

Organizations today are increasingly challenged with integrating advanced technologies into their eDiscovery workflows. The complexity and variety of data types have expanded beyond traditional emails and documents to encompass diverse formats from images and audio/video files to collaboration tool outputs and even junk email. The transition to these new technologies may seem daunting, but with the right strategies and tools, organizations can effectively prepare for and navigate this evolution.

The Metaphor of Moving: Preparing for Change

Embracing new technologies in eDiscovery can be likened to moving to a new home. Just as you need to assess what belongings to take to a new place to live, organizations must evaluate their data to determine what should be moved into advanced technologies.

Understand Your Data Landscape

• The variety of data types is ever-increasing, including:
  • Traditional files: PDFs, Word documents, and spreadsheets
  • New formats: Social media posts, chat messages from collaboration tools (e.g., Slack, Microsoft Teams), and mobile data
• The need for tailored workflows arises to more efficiently handle different data types in separate workflows leveraging different technology and processes.

Data Assessment

• Before “loading the moving truck,” conducting a thorough assessment of all available data is crucial. This includes determining which data types might be more efficiently assessed using alternative workflows and technology because they may not be appropriate to move into advanced technologies.
• Examples of some key data types to evaluate include:
  • Images: May or may not contain substantive information.
    • For some matters, a quick assessment of a deduplicated set of images to determine whether each image contains substantive information may be the best workflow.
    • For other matters, advanced technologies like the ProSearch Privacy Suite may be needed to analyze images for potential personal information using computer vision.
  • Audio/Video Files: May or may not be within scope.
    • This type of file is growing in popularity due to collaboration tools.
    • Machine transcription tools can save time by converting spoken content into text, making audio/video files searchable and potentially providing text necessary for advanced technologies.
  • Meeting Invites: Recurring invites could expand the dataset while contributing little of substance.
    • Invites could be technically responsive or key to the matter timeline.
    • Segregating invites into a separate workflow could speed the assessment process.
  • Junk emails: Include retail sales emails, delivery failure emails, and out of office emails.
    • Junk email can hit on terms and expand the dataset.
    • Tools like ProSearch Doc Target can programmatically identify junk emails and remove them from the potential review population.
  • Technically responsive emails: Include newsletters, summary emails, and reports.
    • These types of emails are often technically responsive but not potentially privileged or interesting.
    • Using tools like ProSearch Doc Target to programmatically move these documents into a “quick assessment” workflow will speed their assessment.

Moving to Advanced Technologies

Once you have assessed your dataset and moved some data types into alternative workflows where appropriate, there is still a possibility to reduce the amount of data going into advanced technologies using tools such as hash deduplication, textual duplicate identification, and email threading. These tools can help trim the data to the smallest set of authored content, depending on the needs of the case. Reducing the dataset can shrink the time and costs of using advanced technologies.

Building a Solid Foundation for Advanced Technologies

To successfully transition to advanced technologies, organizations must establish solid foundations for their operations. Here’s how:

1. Create scalable and defensible workflows.
   The need for robust workflows is paramount. Teams must build repeatable and defensible processes to ensure compliance and reliability.
   Collaboration between project managers and client teams is crucial in crafting tailored workflows that meet the unique needs of each case.
2. Leverage legacy tools.
   Tools like the Review Workflow Manager streamline document review processes, allowing teams to efficiently monitor document statuses and compliance with review workflows.
   Configurable tools can adapt to evolving needs, allowing for adjustments to review layers and quality checks as necessary.
3. Tailor approaches to leveraging advanced AI.
   The incorporation of advanced AI tools into the review process can significantly enhance efficiency. However, it is vital to choose which data to feed into these systems to ensure effectiveness.
   Preparing datasets, ensuring they contain relevant text, and minimizing unnecessary documents are critical steps in maximizing the potential of AI-driven first-pass reviews.

Collaborative Approach: Making Technology Work for You

The journey into advanced eDiscovery technologies doesn’t have to be navigated alone. A collaborative approach can enhance the transition process:

• Engage with Experts: Partnering with eDiscovery professionals, such as project managers and data scientists, can provide valuable insights into data trends and promote a deeper understanding of the technology landscape.
• Continuous Learning: As new technologies emerge, constant learning and adaptation will be vital. Organizations should remain flexible and open to evolving their workflows as necessary to meet the unique challenges and demands presented by each case.

Embrace the Change

Transitioning to advanced technologies in the eDiscovery realm might seem daunting, yet it also presents an opportunity for organizations to enhance their capabilities significantly. By understanding the data landscape, leveraging appropriate tools, and building solid workflows, organizations can navigate this transformation with confidence and ease.

The key is to prepare effectively for the move—assessing what needs to go with you, what can be left behind, and how to organize everything for a smoother transition into the future.