About this Webinar
New industry research. Oral Argument on AI, presided by a sitting US federal judge. The inaugural Rising Stars of eDiscovery, named live.
Every eDiscovery team has tried AI. Far fewer have handed it real work.
Twelve years in, eDiscovery Day, founded by Exterro in 2015, opens for the first time with a single anchor session. This is where the day's question gets answered.
Four things happen in seventy-five minutes.
The research. We release the eDiscovery Day AI Survey, fielded across all five eDiscovery Day partners. It's the first industry-wide study of what practitioners have genuinely handed over to AI. Not what vendors claim. What people reported.
Beyond the silo. Connie Brenton on leading eDiscovery outside the box it usually sits in, and what that means for anyone whose job came to include discovery without their ever choosing it.
Oral Argument. Four practitioners argue assigned sides of one motion: within three years, most eDiscovery workflows will run with AI executing and humans approving, rather than the other way around. Two for, two against, questioned from the bench by a sitting federal judge. We poll the room before and after. The side that moves it wins.
Rising Stars of eDiscovery. We name the first five winners live. Practitioners in their first five years who are already doing the work the rest of us depend on.
Free to attend. Nothing to buy.
Presenters
Hon. Xavier Rodriguez
U.S. District Judge, Western District of Texas
Hon. Xavier Rodriguez, a federal jurist and distinguished legal scholar, is a preeminent authority on electronic discovery and complex data management issues. He shares his deep eDiscovery knowledge as the editor of Essentials of E-Discovery and through active leadership on The Sedona Conference Judicial Advisory Board and the EDRM Global Advisory Council.
Doug Austin
Editor, eDiscovery Today
Doug Austin is the Editor of eDiscovery Today, a daily blog about eDiscovery, information governance, cybersecurity, data privacy and artificial intelligence trends, best practices and case law. Doug is an established eDiscovery thought leader with over 30 years of experience providing eDiscovery best practices, legal technology consulting and technical project management services to numerous commercial and government clients. Doug has published a daily blog since 2010 and has written numerous articles and white papers, receiving the JD Supra Readers Choice Award as a Top eDiscovery Author and Top Cybersecurity Author. Doug has presented at numerous webcasts, events and conferences.
Lea Bays
Partner, Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP
Lea Malani Bays, a partner at Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP, focuses on complex e-discovery issues from data preservation through production while counseling the firm’s multi-disciplinary e-discovery team. A recognized thought leader and award-winning author, she actively shapes industry standards through her prominent roles on the EDRM Global Advisory Council, The Sedona Conference Working Group 1 Steering Committee, and as Co-Chair of the ASU-Arkfeld eDiscovery Conference.
Connie Brenton
CEO & Founder, LegalOps.com
Connie Brenton, CEO and founder of LegalOps.com and former VP of Law, Technology, and Operations at NetApp, is a globally recognized pioneer in legal technology, data management, and operational efficiency. As the visionary founder of the Corporate Legal Operations Consortium (CLOC), she has spent decades helping organizations streamline complex data workflows and modernize their e-discovery and litigation support functions.
Porschia Clarke
Counsel, Duke Energy Corporation
Porschia Clarke, an accomplished attorney at Duke Energy Corporation, brings deep expertise in navigating complex litigation, regulatory compliance, and electronic discovery workflows within the highly regulated energy sector. Known for her strategic approach to legal data management and operational efficiency, she plays a vital role in modernizing corporate e-discovery practices to meet the rigorous demands of modern in-house practice.
David Cowen
Founder, The Cowen Group
For over two decades, he has shaped the legal technology ecosystem by connecting leading practitioners and driving strategic conversations through initiatives like the Summit on Legal Innovation and Disruption (SOLID). Frequently sought out to host roundtables, moderate panels, and advise top legal organizations, David offers essential perspectives on the talent and technology trends defining the modern eDiscovery landscape.
Mike Hamilton
VP Marketing, Exterro
Mike is widely known for his deep expertise in unpacking complex e-discovery case law, regulatory trends, and data risk management strategies that empower legal teams. Frequently sought out by industry organizations and webinar hosts to share actionable insights, he offers invaluable perspectives on optimizing workflows and navigating the modern e-discovery landscape.
Mary Mack
CEO & Chief Legal Technologist, EDRM
Mary Mack, CEO and Chief Legal Technologist of EDRM, leads the project-based organization. Mary is known for her skills in relationship and community building as well as for the depth of her e-discovery knowledge. Frequently sought out by media for comment on industry issues, and by conference organizers to participate, moderate a panel, lead a workshop, or deliver a keynote. Mary is the author of “A Process of Illumination: The Practical Guide to Electronic Discovery,” considered by many to be the first popular book on e-discovery. She was the co-creator and editor of the Thomson Reuters West Treatise: eDiscovery for Corporate Counsel for a decade.
Khrhysna "Khrys" McKinney
Founder & CEO, K L McKinney
Khrhysna "Khrys" McKinney, founder and CEO of K L McKinney and an EDRM Trustee, brings over three decades of legal technology and e-discovery expertise to her clients. A pioneer in implementing early forensic collections and electronic discovery in major law firms, she is widely recognized for bridging the gap between high-performing talent and complex legal data operations.
Michael Quartararo
President, ACEDS
Michael Quartararo, President of the Association of Certified E-Discovery Specialists (ACEDS), is a globally recognized leader in e-discovery training, certification, and legal project management. With over two decades of experience in information governance and litigation support, he literally wrote the book on the subject as the author of Project Management in Electronic Discovery.
Maribel Rivera
VP Strategy and Client Engagement, ACEDS
Maribel Rivera serves as Vice President of Strategy & Client Engagement at Association of Certified e‑Discovery Specialists (ACEDS), where she oversees membership growth, local chapter development, event strategy and strategic partnerships. With a background in brand-building, audience engagement and strategic communications, she brings creative problem-solving and operational fluency to the e-discovery community. Her work in creating inclusive, forward-looking professional networks was recognized with the Catalyst for Change Award by Women in eDiscovery in 2025.