Congrats to EDRM and all the participants of the EDRM 2.0 project with the announcement that EDRM releases the EDRM 2.0 model! Here’s part of the announcement, the full announcement is here.
EDRM Releases EDRM 2.0, Modernizing the Global Framework for Electronic Discovery
Updated reference model integrates continuous analysis, flexible data acquisition and information governance for the AI era
CORBETT, OR, UNITED STATES, September 1, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — The Electronic Discovery Reference Model (EDRM), a leading standards organization for global best practices in e-discovery, information governance and legal technology, today released EDRM 2.0, the first substantive update to the Electronic Discovery Reference Model since it incorporated the full Information Governance Reference Model (IGRM). Developed by approximately 150 multidisciplinary practitioners across the global EDRM community, the updated model reflects how electronic discovery is practiced today and where that practice is heading.
The Electronic Discovery Reference Model, originally stewarded by Tom Gelbmann and George Socha, has served as the foundational visual reference for discovery practice since 2005, giving courts, corporate legal teams, government agencies, law firms, service providers, technology professionals and academics a shared framework and common language for how electronic evidence moves from creation through use at trial. EDRM 2.0 modernizes that framework to reflect two decades of evolution in technology, data volumes, rule changes, regulatory expectations, cross-functional practice and court decisions.
“EDRM remains the best entry point for understanding eDiscovery, and Model 2.0 gives the profession a stronger foundation for the future,” said Shannon Lex Bales, EDRM 2.0 co-project trustee.
Click here to view the model full-sized.
Key updates in EDRM 2.0 include:
- Information governance foundation. The Information Governance Reference Model (IGRM) now grounds the discovery lifecycle as a foundational layer, reflecting how governance principles shape every downstream discovery activity.
- Data Acquisition framework. Identification, Preservation, Collection and Processing are grouped within a unified Data Acquisition framework, recognizing that these activities increasingly operate together rather than as strictly sequential steps as discovery work moves upstream, especially for producing parties.
- Disposition as a core phase. Disposition is now represented as a discrete phase, acknowledging the practical, legal and ethical responsibility to address data at the end of the eDiscovery lifecycle when it is no longer required.
- Continuous Analysis. Analysis is now represented as an activity spanning every phase of discovery and serving as connective tissue among iterative phases, reflecting the growing role of legal judgment, analytics, data science and AI throughout the lifecycle.
“There were many spirited debates during the process, and it is a testament to the organizational abilities, tact, and skillful leadership of this amazing group of project trustees, that this revised model came together and has captured such broad support from the project participants,” said David R. Cohen, CEO of ATJustice and chair of EDRM’s board of project trustees.
“While we continually debated going back to the original model, the updates better reflect today’s eDiscovery workflows,” said Rian Kennedy, EDRM 2.0 co-project trustee.
EDRM 2.0 builds on the Information Governance Reference Model (IGRM) version 4.1, released by EDRM in June 2026. Together, the updated IGRM and EDRM 2.0 provide an integrated reference for how organizations manage information from creation through final disposition in the AI era, with discovery activities grounded by that broader governance lifecycle.
“Having a committee that pulled in practitioners from every corner of the legal industry was instrumental in making sure the model continues to reflect how discovery actually works across different roles,” said Stephanie Clerkin, EDRM 2.0 co-project trustee.
Public Comment Process Completed
Public comment on EDRM 2.0 opened June 30, 2026, and ran through July 30, 2026. Project trustees then reviewed every submission to determine whether additional committee review or revisions were warranted before final publication.
While changes were incorporated into the model after public comment, some comments raised issues that had already been addressed through votes by the larger group of contributors. The trustees’ responses to the comments are available here: https://edrm.net/2026/08/edrm-2-0-public-comments-key-issues-and-trustee-responses/
“We are grateful to our eDiscovery community and celebrate the trustees, contributors and public comment participants supported by our global advisory council and trusted partners,” said Mary Mack, CEO and chief legal technologist for EDRM. “As we incorporate the updated consensus model into our respective workflows, classes and products, EDRM looks forward to amplifying new and emerging best practices.”
EDRM 2.0 co-project trustee Brett Burney said, “It has been an honor to work alongside an amazing group of dedicated professionals through this important update, and I am enthusiastic to observe and be part of its continued evolution.”
The EDRM 2.0 diagram, like its predecessors, is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) to allow the eDiscovery community to adapt it to its varied use cases. No permission or compensation is necessary to use the model, even for commercial use. The only requirement for use is simple attribution back to edrm.net and a note if the diagram has been modified from the original.
A complimentary webinar, Inside EDRM 2.0: The Trustees Discuss the New Model, featuring Rian Kennedy, Stephanie Clerkin, Brett Burney and Shannon Lex Bales, moderated by David R. Cohen, will be held on September 15, 2026, at 1 p.m. Eastern.
In an abundance of caution to meet various state bar requirements, this communication may be considered attorney advertising and does not constitute legal advice.
For more information about EDRM’s resources and programs, contact info@edrm.net.
Read the original release here.
Congrats to EDRM and all the participants of the EDRM 2.0 project with the announcement that EDRM releases the EDRM 2.0 model! A model that reflects today’s data landscape and eDiscovery workflows!
So, what do you think of the EDRM 2.0 Model? Please share any comments you might have or if you’d like to know more about a particular topic.
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