The Sedona Conference released its [1] Cooperation Proclamation today.  The Proclamation is publicly endorsed by over twenty judges including the Honorable Judges Shira Scheindlin, Andrew Peck, Paul Grimm, David Waxse, John Facciola and a host of others from coast to coast.

The purpose is to refocus on litigating on the merits, not on eDiscovery.

Working Group 1 (WG1) will take on the this [2] project, breaking it into three areas:

1.  Awareness (The Proclamation)

2.  Commitment-creating a “Case for Cooperation” with a multifunctional stakeholder approach.

3.  Tools-including tool kits, templates, volunteer help and education.

The Cooperation Proclamation will change the landscape of eDiscovery as much as the Amended Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (FRCP).  The Amended Rules, by front loading the eDiscovery discussions, resulted in a glut of early electronic discovery disputes. Courts see the Amended rules as mandating cooperation.

The Cooperation Proclamation, endorsed by the Judges, will speed reasonable, just, speedy and less expensive approaches to eDiscovery.

If you find yourself ready to argue an eDiscovery motion or send a kitchen sink demand for documents, or answer a document request with blanket denials, check the signatures on the Proclamation.

Thanks to [3] Tom Allman, [4] Bob Ambrogi and the [5] Honorable Judge Andrew Peck for the heads up.