Prudent document retention policies and procedures are necessary in today's litigious business environment. Documents in all their forms, including paper and electronic, should be covered by a document retention policy. In the information age, email, instant messages, podcasts, blogs and list serves, to name a few, have all become common forms of communication, and potentially discoverable documents. The amended Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (effective December 1, 2006) require attorneys to pay specific attention to "electronically stored information" such as that found in email and instant messages. Access resources here for guidance and tips on document retention and electronic discovery.

Non-authoritative Guidance
	A Process of Illumination: A Practical Guide to Electronic Discovery This practical guide to electronic discovery includes many of the new electronic discovery issues, cases and opinions that have arisen since the first edition of this book was published in 2002. A Decision Making Framework for In-Sourcing vs. Out-Sourcing of E-Discovery This Decision-making framework discusses decisions regarding whether to in-source or out-source electronic discovery.
Other Resources
		Calculating Your Total Cost of Electronic Discovery Know the costs of electronic discovery before trying to reduce those costs. A look at hard, soft, and opportunity costs for electronic discovery. Hiring Forensic IT Specialist - Ask the Right Questions This checklist includes key areas that should be considered when hiring Forensic IT Specialists.