| name | e-discovery-protocol-agreement |
| title | E-Discovery Protocol Agreement |
| description | Drafts court-ready ESI Protocol Agreements governing electronically stored information exchange in U.S. federal litigation. Covers FRCP 26(f)/34 compliance, FRE 502(d) clawback, TAR methodology, privilege logs, and production format specs. Use when drafting e-discovery stipulations, ESI protocols, meet-and-confer agreements, or joint discovery plans. |
| author | CaseMark |
| author_url | https://github.com/CaseMark/skills/tree/main/skills/legal/e-discovery-protocol-agreement |
| license | Apache-2.0 |
| version | 0.1.0 |
| execution_mode | open |
| jurisdiction | us |
| practice | litigation |
| language | en |
E-Discovery Protocol Agreement
Drafts a litigation-ready ESI Protocol Agreement covering search methodology, production formats, privilege procedures, and clawback protections for U.S. commercial litigation.
Prerequisites
Collect before drafting:
- Court caption — court name, case number, party names, assigned judge
- Case materials — meet-and-confer correspondence, prior ESI orders, discovery requests
- Custodian list — names and roles of key custodians per party
- ESI sources — email platforms, DMS, collaboration tools, mobile, cloud storage
- Search terms — agreed Boolean/proximity terms or TAR parameters
- Date ranges — preservation trigger date and production date range
- Production specs — native vs. TIFF, agreed metadata fields (if pre-negotiated)
Quick Start
- Gather prerequisites from uploaded case materials
- Draft sections in order below, resolving all bracketed gaps
- Format as joint stipulation with neutral, cooperative tone
- Append proposed court order with FRE 502(d) incorporation
Agreement Sections
1. Caption & Recitals
- Full court caption mirroring prior filings; all counsel of record
- Rule 26(f) conference date; good-faith cooperation statement
- Rule 26(b)(1) proportionality commitment
2. Preservation
| Element | Content |
|---|
| Trigger date | Date preservation obligations arose |
| Key custodians | Name, title, party affiliation |
| ESI sources in scope | Email, DMS, shared drives, mobile, cloud, collaboration tools |
| Excluded sources | Basis for exclusion under FRCP 26(b)(2)(B) |
| Litigation hold | Confirmation holds issued; IT contact per party |
3. Search Methodology
Option A — Keyword Search:
- Terms in Exhibit A with Boolean/proximity operators
- Specify custodian-specific vs. across-the-board application
- Iterative refinement; meet-and-confer on hit count reports
Option B — TAR/Predictive Coding:
- Platform and vendor identification
