“Rip is officially back in the mix!” (Is Rip Van Winkle Irish?)

My apologies for a week of no communication but it is all for the purpose of patiently waiting and seeing what would come of things. I have good news, Rip Van Winkle is now back in the Lit Support field. 

All of this has happened very fast I must say. It began with a recruiter submitting my resume on St. Patrick’s day, then being requested to meet for an interview on the following Wednesday, and then receiving the job on Thursday. I am still pinching myself behind the feeling I guess, and humbled at the speed of everything. I am a praying man and I don’t believe in luck, but is Rip Van Winkle really Irish? LOL! 

I have a long list of thank you’s to share, but at the risk of causing any problems and turning this blog into an “Oscar acceptance speech”, I will keep things private and personal. But there really is one person that I must truly acknowledge through this medium only because she steered me in this direction and encouraged me to express myself in this fashion so that others would have the opportunity to know me beyond just a resume or a short note through the forums and the message boards. I must acknowledge the Chairperson of the Organization of Legal Professionals, Chere Estrin for her encouraging inspiration and creative energy. I remember telling her, “I have no time” and asking, “What do I write about”? She challenged me beyond what I believed I was capable of achieving and shared incredible wisdom on how I should communicate who I am. I am grateful for her in taking the time and pouring out herself.  

I conclude with this point, this blog is not complete just yet. I have a few more things to actually say, so stay tuned. But again, thank you! To you readers and those who have commented. I look forward to potentially working with you and other Legal IT professionals as we continue to have a small impact in this industry for the good in the days to come. And if you are like Rip, just rising from the sleep, get up and get back in the game. Its worth the effort!

“Is it it really worth it?”

I ask that same question myself. I remember flipping through my emails and seeing a note about all of this e-discovery education. Someone wrote:

“…can anyone comment on whether employers take these things seriously (e-discovery certifications)? I'll take the exams if they are worth it, but I don't want to spend time and money to get letters after my name that no one truly cares about.”

I love that question, because I remember back a few years ago (around 2000 or so) you could not turn around without hearing a commercial or a promo for schools pushing people to get MCSE and CCNE certified and I thought it would be a great opportunity to push my career along with a Microsoft cert. 

The very important thing that I am trying to say is and I hope this gives you some clarity: “the information you learn carries far more weight than the certification you earn, but the certification is the tangible product”

I enrolled in one of those fast-track non-accredited programs and was on my way, or so I thought. The tech and telecom bubble burst and within 6 months the school closed its doors. It was a painful feeling to have that dream taken from you. Nevertheless, I continued to grind out an A+ cert and then I at least completed my MCP all on my own. But it felt as though the credential lacked the weight it was supposed to carry due to the fact that I acquired the cert on my own and not through the real world experience of deploying software and real time challenges like Active directory changes that other Cert professionals had the opportunity to be challenged with. Have you ever heard the term “Paper Tiger”? I believed that is all that I had become by pushing so hard to achieve the credential and failing to see “the value of the process”.

Fast forward to 2011, I personally see that E-discovery now has a slew of credentialed opportunities for those who are in the field to enhance and sharpen ones knowledge base and skill set. Also, to provide a standardized framework for the industry with regard to educating both the unfamiliar and the seasoned on how the industry has evolved, where it currently stands and to point one in the direction it may be headed. I have only mentioned these 2 reasons. I enrolled specifically in a course to resurrect information that I had forgotten and to learn new material as well. I respect what I have learned so far, but I do know for a fact it will truly come to life when I am again employed in the industry and daily engaging the information, the processes and the challenges. I guess what I am trying to say to you, some employers will take the certs seriously, some employers will not, but make the education process (to learn your material is your priority) your focus over the acquisition of certifications. Be very, very good at what you do and let it shine! This is money well spent…

All the best!

If you had the chance to do it all over...

A mistake is the opportunity to begin again more intelligently- Henry Ford

Would you do things differently?

In November 2006, I left Litigation Support pretty abruptly due to a critical family emergency that needed immediate attention. This prompted me to uproot from where we lived in the city and relocate to the Midwest practically in the course of a weekend. This also meant me leaving the firm where I worked, on very short notice and no possibility or promise of returning to my position. I felt very bad letting down my department, but understood the seriousness of the situation. The thought of even losing this kind of job security was pretty heavy, but I saw that there was something far greater that was screaming for my action, and something critical had to be done. So I took the risk!

Do you have any regrets?

I have really battled at times the feelings of regret for leaving the firm. Hindsight is 20/20 and I have learned a million new things about myself and my value within a unit. In May 2009, I completed my undergraduate degree and began an MBA program. During this time away from the industry I have been challenged on the value of communication, on both sides, becoming more effective in how I transmit and becoming more patient in the receiving process. I truly understand, in a greater way the extreme value of information (data), a powerful currency. And so much more…

All of these things have come as a result of taking the risk that some would call a mistake. And I would not be mad at you if you did. I have a stronger family today because of the decision. 

More to come…

Frank

My name is "Frank"... it is good to meet You

Does anyone remember the childhood tale “Rip Van Winkle”, by Washington Irving? If not, when you finish reading this page just Google the name and take a peek at the summarized version on Wikipedia. It will all make sense to you then. I consider myself in a strange sort of way, to be rising from a 20 year nap (in my case a 5 year hiatus) and stunned to discover the accelerated amount of progression within the legal industry particularly of Litigation Support (sometimes referred to as E-discovery or Practice Support).   

I was saying to myself wow; it has been a very long time since I sat in front of a PC staring at Summation iBlaze version 2.7.1. It’s been awhile since I ran a large print job at 3:59 on a Friday afternoon that needs to be reviewed this weekend by the team on the 32nd floor, or granting access to the newest team member on the case at 4:30 that same afternoon. Does anyone in Lit Support even do these tasks anymore?

When I was in the Lit Support department back in 2006 that is what we did, among other things. I enjoyed it very much. I enjoyed the people; I loved to learn new methods of tackling/trouble shooting a case scenario, the constant speed of the department heading into a weekend. I enjoyed Lit Support very much.  

It is 2011 and I am pretty eager to work in someone’s Lit Support Department. Like Rip Van Winkle, I am wide awake now and the Lit Supp world is a different place than when I last saw it. There are numerous Networking groups and LinkedIn groups, Blogs, and Organizations, a slew of conferences all year round. There is a process for Lit Support now called the “Litigation Lifecycle”; a fancy term that depicts a model that speaks of properly managing electronic data is called the EDRM model. Heck, the federal government even stepped in to allow for ESI to be used more freely and in a manageable fashion. All of this is new to me, nonetheless very intriguing even from the distance that I currently stand. I have committed myself to making this discovery, through classes both online and on campus, joining networks, seeking out mentors, and traveling to where ever the opportunity to learn, meet and do presents itself. 

Like Rip, I am searching to re-discover my place among what was once familiar. This blog is just an expression of that journey. Thanks for spending the time here today.

Frank