ediscovery

Why Doc Review is an Essential Part of Your Legal Career 'Glow Up'

14 January 2022 | Written by Imogen Fraser-Clark

Within the legal industry, we are blessed to have truly unparalleled variety in our choices of profession and specialism. After all, the law permeates every aspect of modern-day living, so it only makes sense that the opportunities for those entering the field, or even those looking for a change, seem limitless.

One career that is often looked overlooked, however, is that of a document reviewer, despite the great benefits this position has to offer!

It is, therefore, the purpose of this article to illustrate the said benefits of working in document review, even if only short-term, or on a part-time basis, and to give you some helpful tips for getting into the industry.

Working Within the Field:

The first and foremost benefit that working within doc review brings, is that it is recognised work within the legal industry. For many newly graduated lawyers-to-be, finding relevant work experience to keep you occupied between application seasons can be a challenge, to which, document review is the perfect solution. Not only does it look good on your CV that you have gone out of your way to find legally based work, but you also become familiar early on with processes that almost every lawyer will have to deal with at some point in their career. When taking part in a document review you are constantly learning. Whether it is a new piece of legal terminology, how and why to apply redactions, or just learning how to use legal software, it will all be beneficial to you as you progress in your legal career.

Flexible Approach:

The second, but potentially most relevant benefit, given our current circumstances, is the flexibility that comes with the job of a document reviewer. Though there has certainly been a shift back to 'in office' reviews over the past few months, a large percentage of review cases are still taking place remotely and as such, allow reviewers the comfort of working from home. Hosting platforms such as RelativityOne even have mobile apps for phone and tablet that allow you to securely access work from anywhere in the world. These apps are also fully auditable so project leaders can see who has accessed what documents and when.

Document review naturally lends itself to flexible working as projects vary massively in timescale and content. One project could last 2 weeks, another 2 months, another 2 years! It can be a great additional source of income for legal professionals with time on their hands or even an excellent part-time option for people working around families/other commitments.

Learning how to manage your time 'flexibly' is a great skill to hone in preparation for a legal career in a post-covid society where you might not be able to rely on the standard 9-5. Networking (1)