What is a legal review in terms of court preparation?
In litigation, a legal review ensures that all case-relevant documents and data are thoroughly vetted for accuracy, relevance, and compliance with procedural rules. The review serves multiple purposes:
Document Authentication: Verifying that all documents to be used in court are authentic and unaltered. This includes checking the source and chain of custody of the documents.
Evidence Compliance: Ensuring all collected evidence complies with legal standards and court rules, including adherence to rules regarding privilege and confidentiality.
Document Organisation: Organising documents in a logical order to facilitate easy access and presentation during court proceedings. This often involves creating a comprehensive index and bundling documents according to their relevance and importance to the case.
Data Verification: Reviewing data for accuracy and relevance, and ensuring that data analyses are correctly performed and applicable to the case. This may include reviewing digital data and metadata to establish timelines or authenticate communications.
Legal Citations and References: Checking all legal documents, briefs, and arguments to ensure that citations are accurate and that they correctly support the legal arguments being made. This also involves ensuring that all case law, statutes, and regulations cited are up-to-date and applicable.
Compliance with Disclosure Requirements: Ensuring that all necessary documents and data are disclosed to the opposing party as required by law, except for privileged information, to avoid any allegations of withholding evidence.
Preparation of Exhibits for Trial: Preparing visual aids and other exhibits that help illustrate complex information or timelines, which must be reviewed for accuracy and compliance with court rules.
