From Taking Charge of AI Governance to Elevating Contracts into a Business Strategy: Insights from LDI Leaders

It’s been a productive few weeks for the Legal Data Intelligence (LDI) community. In early October, LDI Architects announced the addition of three new use cases to the LDI model, updates to two existing ones, and the publication of four new resources. At a series of recent panel discussions at Relativity Fest Chicago, LDI Architects shared their perspectives on a wide range of topics—from AI governance to data protection and beyond.

Below, we’ve compiled interesting takeaways from those discussions.

eDiscovery to AI Governance: A Strategic Pivot

In their panel discussion titled From e-Discovery to AI Governance: How Legal Data Intelligence Leaders Are Shaping the Next Transformation, LDI Architects Lourdes Fuentes, Brian Corbin, Jason Kairalla, and founding member Adam Rouse spoke about the strong parallels between the emergence of AI governance and technology-assisted review (TAR).

“I’m reminded of the years 2006–07, when some of us made the leap into e-discovery. We are at a similar inflection point—one that will divide those who embrace the new era of transformation, i.e., AI, from those who don’t,” said Fuentes.

Beyond data proficiency, familiarity with technology, and an early-adopter mindset, e-discovery practitioners—given the cross-functional nature of their work—possess the requisite soft skills that make them well suited for AI-centric roles.

“From a talent strategy perspective, the hardest things to source are not the ML or RAG skills—it’s the ability to define what the problem is and then solve it in a disciplined, defensible, and documented manner. Being curious, resilient, and positive—those were the important traits that helped us advance the ball in e-discovery,” added Fuentes.

“The fact of the matter is that generative AI tools aren’t going anywhere, and businesses are adopting them at an accelerated pace,” said Rouse.

Rouse noted that AI governance can follow processes analogous to e-discovery workflows. For instance, an AI hold—for prompts, outputs, and logs—is analogous to a litigation hold. An evaluation report assessing whether the AI model(s) performed safely and reliably is similar to a QC sampling memo, a core part of discovery processes. “As e-discovery practitioners, we already have a process. We just need to adapt it to the context of generative AI. We need to apply our playbook to manage the data deluge emerging from these technologies.”

According to Rouse, whether in discovery or AI governance, one area of paramount importance is data provenance. “You need to be able to go to a court or a regulator and demonstrate: this is the data we have, this is where it came from, and this is how we arrived at it. Ultimately, you need to be able to walk them through your process.”

“You Can’t Break Down Silos Unless Everyone Is Speaking the Same Language”

At a panel discussion titled Applying a Legal Data Intelligence Mindset: Strategic Innovations in Data Protection, LDI Architects Joseph Bartolo, Ryan Costello, and George Phillips emphasized the role of LDI in creating a standardized vocabulary to effectively convey ideas, information, and data strategies across different functions.

“I have friends who deal with broker-dealer compliance. The word compliance means something very specific to them. Yet the word has multiple meanings—it changes depending on whom I’m talking to and the role they have,” said Bartolo.

Indeed, it’s not merely a case of arguing semantics. Even experts can’t agree on terminology precisely because there’s no consensus on how it’s used. Costello cited a recent meeting of LDI Architects where there was a spirited debate over the meaning and use of a specific term. “It’s fifty people in a room, and we had a huge debate on what the term self-collection means. Does it refer to when someone is searching in their own mailbox? Or is it a reference to an IT person pulling data on an individual custodian? These are people who have been working in the industry all their lives, and even they can’t agree on what this term means.”

According to Phillips, in the absence of a lingua franca that different roles and departments can use to communicate with each other, many teams will evolve their own vocabulary built around specific connotations and workflows—creating downstream consequences that lead to even greater confusion.

The panel reflected on how LDI’s collective is building a new vocabulary by reaching across aisles and developing consensus on language.

Recovering Lost Revenue: How a Strategic Approach to Contracts Can Create Business Value

During their panel discussion titled Going MA(&)D: Surviving Mergers, Acquisitions, and Divestitures and Managing the Contracts That Come with Them, LDI Architects Odette Claridge, Virginia Ring, and Tara Lawler, along with founding member Josh Kreamer, spoke at length about a newly published contract-management toolkit—a practical guide designed to help LDI practitioners elevate contract management from a routine administrative function to a strategic business capability.

The panelists walked the audience through the general types of contract management tools and technologies available today, along with best practices and practical insights on how to choose the right tool for the right use case.

One anecdote shared by Lawler illustrated how taking a smart and strategic approach to contract management can create real business value. “It’s not just about creating contracts but proactively analyzing them to create new revenue streams. We had a client with real-estate leases, and they were not looking at renewal clauses that would have allowed them to increase the rents. And so we used technology to go in and identify those clauses. Our findings helped them take advantage of those clauses, enforce them, and increase their revenue from those contracts.”

In Case You Missed It...

Last year, we selected the first cohort of LDI Architects to enhance the LDI model, develop new use cases, and publish resources to support its implementation. These Architects, with their finger on the pulse of the legal industry, collective knowledge and competence across different areas of law, and rich experience in integrating new technologies such as AI into legal workflows, have added or updated 15 model use cases, authored seven new resources, and shared their insights at workshops and panel discussions around the world.

We have started accepting applications for the next group of LDI Architects who will play an indelible role in shaping the evolution of the legal industry. Apply to the LDI Architects program before November 14 to express your interest in participating as an LDI Architect or to nominate a qualified candidate from your network, so we can invite them to apply.