The Federal Rules of Electronic Discovery: Is Your Records Management Program Ready?

Date: Thursday, November 1, 2007

Time: 9:00-9:15 a.m. Registration; 9:15-11:00 a.m. Program

Cost: $25 (includes continental breakfast)

Location: Seattle Central Library, 1000 4th Ave., Seattle, WA
Program Title: The Federal Rules of Electronic Discovery: Is Your Records Management Program Ready?

Program Description: Charlene Brownlee will discuss the impact of the Amended Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (FRCP) on records and information management.
Highlights include:

• The importance of “ESI” (electronically stored information);
  
• How to conduct an inventory of ESI;
  
• How to ensure your retention schedule includes retention periods for ESI;
  
• Effective management of ESI during a litigation hold; and
  
• Strategies for reducing the volume of ESI.
  

CLE and CRM: We are currently seeking Washington State Bar Association credits for CLE. Please updated information on the Greater Seattle Website. This will be valid for CRM accreditation. APPROVED 1.5 CLE credits by WSBA.

Speaker Profile: Charlene Brownlee is a partner with the law firm Davis Wright Tremaine LLP and co-author of Privacy Law, a treatise published by Law Journal Press.

Ms. Brownlee assists clients, including Fortune 100 global financial, pharmaceutical, energy and technology companies, with solutions aimed at reducing cost and exposure in the electronic world. She regularly advises clients with regard to privacy, data security, records management, e-discovery best practices and technology transactions.

Ms. Brownlee has lectured and published in the areas of Records Management and E-Discovery, Technology, Internet law and intellectual property, including publication in Corporate Counsel Weekly, Dow Jones, and Corporate Counselor among others.

Ms. Brownlee received an LL.B. in 1991 from the University of Manitoba. She was admitted to the Alberta Bar in 1991 and the Texas Bar in 2001.

By attending, you can win Privacy Law, a treatise published by Law Journal Press, authored by Charlene Brownlee.

Register: This program is open to all professionals interested in learning about the impact of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure on RIM. Please register by Monday, October 29. You may also request an invoice by contact the Greater Seattle Chapter.

Seattle Central Library Directions: Central Library is located in downtown Seattle. It is bounded by Spring and Madison streets and Fourth and Fifth avenues. Parking is located under the building for a fee. Detailed directions can be located at the Seattle Central Library Website.

Sue Lord on the RIM Core Competencies Document

Message from the Great NW Region Manager, Sue Lord

At the recent 52nd Annual ARMA International Conference, a long awaited document was revealed. It was the “Records and Information Management Core Competencies” document produced by ARMA International’s Education Development Committee. I feel very lucky to have acquired a “pre-press” copy of the “Competencies” document.

This document was two years in the making. Over forty records and information managers worked tirelessly in its creation. The document defines the record’s field’s competencies – the knowledge, skills, characteristics, or traits that contribute to outstanding performance in our profession. It can be used for evaluating the records professional’s skills pertaining to hiring, performance, training, career development, and succession management. Eventually, this project will help us to be able to identify gaps between our present knowledge and skill sets and to aid us in discussing our performance, career aspirations, and development needs with our workplace supervisors.

The document is organized by “competency levels” and “performance domains”. The Levels reflect the amount of knowledge or experience a person has to a specific skill set. The competencies are divided into four levels, ranging from one to four representing a progression of responsibilities and skills. The Domains are categories of competencies in a particular performance area such as business functions, RIM practices, Risk Management, etc. There are a total of six domains.

The next step in this important process will be the development of an on-line “self-assessment” tool where members can evaluate ourselves – based on the Competencies - and figure out where we are and where we want to go in our profession. This tool will be available in the first quarter of 2008 and will be free to all ARMA members.

Based on the Competencies document, ARMA will develop programs (including classes at International Conferences), resources, webinars, and other bodies of knowledge to help the records professional to acquire the educational resources we need in our field. Beyond that, the hope is to design a curriculum for the records professional student to be used in educational institutions.

The Competency Project has been, and will continue to be, a high-priority program for continued development in our association. I find it very exciting! I hope you do, as well. I recommend you download the Competency document at www.arma.org/competencies. There is no charge for ARMA members. And do keep your eyes open for the announcement of the self-assessment tool next Spring. Happy reading!

Very truly yours,
Susan M. Lord, Manager
Great Northwest Region of ARMA