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COMMITTEES
Lawyers for Civil Justice has the following committees:
E-Discovery Committee
Federal: LCJ has led the defense community's campaign to amend the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure to reduce the costs and burdens associated with the discovery of electronic information. An important milestone was achieved when E-discovery amendments advocated by LCJ were approved by the Federal Judicial Conference and promulgated by the U.S. Supreme Court. They became effective in December 2006. LCJ has maintained a constructive dialogue with key members of the Federal Judicial Conference, including members of the Rules Advisory Committee, several of whom participated in previous LCJ meetings.
State: LCJ is working to ensure that state procedural rules are consistent with newly enacted federal rules. LCJ submitted formal comments in response to the 2005 National Conference of State Courts (NCSC) Guidelines Regarding Discovery of Electronically-Stored Information, and is working specific state courts to conform their rules to the adopted federal rules. LCJ prodives state judges with the "defense perspective" on E-discovery and, in conjunction with its supporting defense bar organizations, surveyed the organized defense bar to determine where the best opportunities for state E-discovery reform exist. We are currently working with local action teams to ensure new state rules mirror the success achieved at the federal level.
Procedural Rules Committee
LCJ is pursuing a broad range of procedural and evidentiary rule reforms, many of which are embodied in the Recommendations of the Task Force on Discovery of the American College of Trial Lawyers (ACTL) and the Institute for Advancement of the American Legal System (IAALS). The report supports the broad-based reforms of the principal civil rules that LCJ and its allies have been advocating for years and has spurred federal rule makers to reexamine the fundamental precepts of the 1938 rules. New initiatives will focus on notice pleading and narrowing the scope of discovery.
Protective Orders Committee
Protecting corporate defendants' privacy rights and proprietary information is a central feature of LCJ's legislative program. Since 1991, LCJ has led efforts to preserve judicial discretion to approve sealed settlement agreements and to issue orders protecting the confidentiality of information in documents produced during discovery. In 2006, LCJ successfully opposed plantiffs' legislative anti-privacy initiatives in Congress and in several states. LCJ also closely monitors the activity of the "Sedona Conference" and other organizations to ensure that the defense perspective is reflected in new policy guidelines. LCJ is also working closely with its coalition of partners to implement a proactive strategy to oppose protective and sealing order restrictions in both the House and Senate.
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