Go and ask a lawyer to collaborate and see what kind of respond you get. I have done this couple of times and the responses I have received so far are fearful (non-collaborative) responses. Rather than seek collaboration, I am asked questions which are geared towards providing them with information so that they can compete with me or put me in a less favorable position. I have also been challenged in other non-collaborative ways.

Saying so, I have also met some wonderful people who understand the meaning of collaboration and have acted collaboratively, not just saying they want to collaborate. The word collaboration has become a buzzy word in the world of ediscovery. Buzzy word gets attention! Just yesterday (or was it Friday?) I was invited to collaborate on producing a Glossary on ediscovery. I jumped at the idea as it was something I wanted to do when I first started this blog. More to come on this wonderful collaboration….

For me, sharing information takes more courage than talk of collaboration. On the buzzy use or talk of collaboration, read the article ‘Time to Work Together on Electronic Discovery’ posted by Clearwellsystem. I like the video blog: Information Security and eDiscovery.  Why? Mr. Ron Hedges covered confidentiality and privilege which are both non buzzy words but are the hide and seek in ediscovery actions. What is collaboration in ediscovery? Lawyers collaborating with IT people?  Is that it?

In the world of IT and wearing my project manager hat on, ediscovery/edisclosure is another ‘activity’ to add to the list of items to consider. In the past (before ediscovery/edisclosure is coined) and in projects I have been involved in, I will do ‘cultural sensitivity’ sensing and ‘who is who’ and ‘who knows what or their role etc’ (the word coined is stakeholder analysis). I have held workshops (e.g. internet banking projects) whereby lawyers were invited as ‘key stakeholders’ and IT people were doing ‘who knows what’. Guess what were the outcomes? Lawyers may know a lot but they generally don’t want to reveal or share ‘openly’ in a workshop. If they do reveal or share, there will be more meetings with several paper memo type exchanges.

What can be done to improve collaboration between lawyers and IT people?  Before attempting collaboration, both teams need to sense ‘who is who’ (not only the IT people) and whether they can deal with whatever the outcomes and learn to accept whatever the consequences.  (fear of being open?) I don’t know any rule books or processes to do this. It’s beyond reckoning… Like some people just can’t ride a bike no matter how many books they have read or seen. This is just my sudden reckoning!

I like the word, protodigital. I would like it better if this word can be a mantra for lawyers and IT folks to get to know ‘who is who’ to reach to ‘who knows what’.

Also, another IT friend in UK pointed this rather interesting read at wikipedia, PROMIS

Interesting contrasts on the way governments use their ‘power’ to control and/or use information.

I have looked at collaboration tools (mainly Open Source Software) in the past for communities and wondered if anyone would be interested to explore this with me for the ADR (covering mediation and arbitration) communities.

If interested, please leave me your comment here. I am avoiding posting my e-mail here to avoid auto spammers.