Litigation (eDiscovery) Attorney (Project Based)

Are you a legal professional seeking dynamic, project-based opportunities with an international reach?

Cognia Law invites you to register your interest in joining our Contractors Bench—a pool of talented individuals ready to engage in future projects in Intelligent Review. Project durations may range from 2 weeks to 3 months, depending on client needs.

We aim to ensure the best match between your skills and our future project needs. Our recruitment process will include an initial screening and potential technical assessment to understand your experience, availability and interest. Candidates who pass the selection process successfully, will be notified that they are on our approved bench of contractors, and we will reach out in the future should any suitable projects arise that match your skills.

PLEASE NOTE: If you have already been screened by Cognia and informed that you are on the bench of Contractors, there is no need to re-apply. Just pop us an email to let us know you're available again.

Company Profile

Cognia seamlessly extends corporates, banks and law firms' legal capability to deliver sustainable outcomes. Our goal is to connect the legal sector, moving it from a siloed approach to integrated partnerships. We help in-house legal teams by bringing simplicity to complex matters and replacing broken procedures with efficient processes.

Cognia is a Chambers-ranked law company which integrates how legal services are provided so our team, partners, clients and communities thrive together with people at the heart of what we do. We encourage our people to bring their whole self to work and focus on enabling them to realise their full potential.

For more information, please visit

Job Responsibilities

Document Review and Analysis:

- Review documents for relevance, privilege, and other key legal considerations as defined by the project scope.

- Identify and tag documents based on responsiveness to specific case issues or queries.
- Conduct quality control checks to ensure accuracy in tagging and consistency in review standards.

E-Discovery Workflow Management:

- Follow detailed review protocols provided by project managers or clients.
- Utilise advanced review platforms (e.g., Relativity, Nuix, or Disco) to sort, filter, and analyse large volumes of data.

Redaction of Sensitive Information:

- Apply redactions to protect sensitive, confidential, or legally privileged content in compliance with project requirements.

Compliance with Review Metrics:

- Meet productivity and accuracy targets as outlined by the project team.

- Regularly report progress and escalate potential bottlenecks or issues in the review process.

Collaboration and Communication:

- Work closely with team leads and project managers to align with review goals.
- Provide feedback on inconsistencies or gaps in case instructions or protocols.

Data Security and Confidentiality:

- Maintain strict adherence to data protection laws, confidentiality agreements, and client-specific requirements.

Continuous Learning and Development:

- Stay updated on changes in eDiscovery practices, legal requirements, and emerging technologies.

Privilege Review (On occasion):

- Identify and flag privileged information based on attorney-client privilege or work product doctrine.
- Prepare privilege logs and ensure accurate recording of privileged content.

Requirements

- BA Law, LLB, LLM, or BCom Law degree from a reputable institution is required.
- Prior experience in document review or litigation support is highly desirable.
- Exposure to litigation, arbitration, or regulatory investigations.
- Additional certifications in eDiscovery tools or processes (e.g., Relativity Certified User, Certified E-Discovery Specialist [CEDS) are advantageous.
- Strong ability to understand and identify relevance, privilege, confidentiality, and responsiveness.
- Attention to detail for accurate tagging, redaction, and review.
- Basic understanding of legal privilege (attorney-client, work product, etc.) and legal standards for responsiveness.
- Familiarity with data privacy laws.
- Ability to follow detailed project protocols and workflows.
- Strong communication skills to liaise with team leads, project managers, and occasionally, clients.
- Proven track record of working under tight deadlines with a high degree of accuracy.
- Team player with an adaptive mindset to handle shifting project scopes.

Being part of Cognia Law's Contract Bench means you will be considered for future project opportunities that align with your skills and experience. If successful, please be aware of the following:

- Project engagements usually require full-time dedication for the specified duration and cannot be undertaken alongside other full-time roles, unless explicitly permitted.
- You will be expected to work as an extension of our clients' legal teams, requiring seamless collaboration and professionalism.
- Due to the rapid nature of project deployment, Cognia cannot guarantee that it can accommodate notice periods, and your inability to start a project within a day or two after being contacted may exclude you from the opportunity.
- Successful contractors must be based in Cape Town, as our hybrid model combines remote and in office work based on client requirements.

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