EDRM and ACEDS Announce Affinity Partnership

SAINT PAUL, MN--(Marketwired - Jan 29, 2015) - EDRM, the leading standards organization for the e-discovery market, and the Association of Certified E-Discovery Specialists (ACEDS), the BARBRI organization that is the largest in the world exclusively for e-discovery professionals, today announce a new affinity partnership. Members of both organizations can benefit from the partnership, which will include discounted rates and joint participation in leadership and delivery of educational content.

Effective March 1, individuals have the option to purchase a combined membership in both EDRM and ACEDS at a reduced rate compared to joining each organization separately. Individual members of one group may now also renew their memberships for a prorated fee when they join the other at a discounted rate. Those who are organizational members of EDRM or Affiliate Members of ACEDS are eligible for special rates as well.

As part of the affinity agreement, EDRM and ACEDS are working together on educational content for the 6th Annual ACEDS E-Discovery Conference & Exhibition. This year the conference will feature a session and member workshop presented by EDRM. The two organizations also will co-host four joint webcasts in 2015.

Additionally, EDRM and ACEDS have established reciprocal board membership. An ACEDS representative to be determined will join the EDRM Advisory Council, and George Socha of EDRM will join the ACEDS Advisory Board.

"ACEDS has established itself as a premiere organization to support e-discovery professionals in a manner consistent with the values and mission of EDRM. As such, we see this partnership as a natural step in the continued growth and evolution of the e-discovery industry," EDRM co-founders George Socha and Tom Gelbmann said. "We are excited to join forces for the benefit of our respective members."

Robert Hilson, executive director of ACEDS, adds, "Our organizations share a passion for promoting industry standards and best practices while helping our members achieve professional growth to succeed in their careers. By sharing the opportunities we provide our respective memberships and working together to help educate the larger e-discovery community, ACEDS and EDRM are showing a commitment to furthering the profession in an inclusive, collaborative way."

Both organizations look forward to expanding the partnership to include additional member benefits and opportunities.

About EDRM
 EDRM creates practical resources to improve e-discovery and information governance. Launched in May 2005, EDRM was established to address the lack of standards and guidelines in the e-discovery market. In January 2006, EDRM published the Electronic Discovery Reference Model, followed by additional resources such as IGRM, CARRM and the Talent Task Matrix. Since its launch, EDRM has comprised 313 organizations, including 184 service and software providers, 71 law firms, 44 corporations, 7 governmental entities, 3 industry groups and 4 educational institutions involved with e-discovery and information governance.

About ACEDS
ACEDS, a part of the leading legal education provider BARBRI, is a membership association committed to promoting e-discovery skill and competence through training, education and certification to organizations and individuals in order to reduce the costs and risks associated with e-discovery, realize the advantages of performing it effectively and facilitate access to justice. It awards the Certified E-Discovery Specialist (CEDS) credential to eligible candidates who pass a rigorous proctored examination that they can take at more than 600 secure ACEDS-Kryterion Testing Centers worldwide. It will host its 6th Annual E-Discovery Conference & Exhibition September 28 to 30 at the Gaylord National Resort in Washington, DC.